Ocean Color Image Gallery

Central American Upwelling

Winds flowing across topographic low points of Mexico and Central America drive upwelling in the gulfs of Tehuantepec, Papagayo, and Panama. This upwelling brings nutrients to the surface waters thereby fueling phytoplankton growth in this part of the Pacific Ocean.

The above composite was created from data collected by the VIIRS instruments on the Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 spacecraft on January 30, 2021. Click on it to get a broader view of the region.