Ocean Color Image Gallery

Sediment Runoff in the Rio Grande Anchorage

Vessels are sitting offshore by Brazil's Rio Grande anchorage in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, either waiting for their turn in the busy Port of Rio Grande or for the right sailing conditions to come in. They are situated over a large sediment plume coming from the Lagoa dos Patos . The province of Rio Grande do Sul experienced severe flooding in late September and early October this year when this image was taken, which might have contributed to the sediment-rich waters we are seeing. Phytoplankton offshore can feed off the nutrients carried in these plumes.

This scene was taken by the OLI-2 instrument aboard Landsat 9 on October 5, 2023.