Beautiful hues of Florida Keys — view from space

Beautiful hues of Florida Keys — view from space

NASA's earth observatory posted a new image of the day, presenting a view from space at Florida Keys — a chain of hundreds of low-lying islands, that extend from the southern tip of the peninsula.

New pictures were captured by Landsat 8 satellite on March 20, 2022. North and west of the island chain, light passing through shallow waters and reflecting off the seagrass beds and sandy bottoms of Florida Bay gives this part of the scene a green-yellow hue. The light blue line south and east of the islands is a living coral reef system — among the largest in the world. Deeper water beyond the edge of the Florida platform appears dark blue.

Florida Keys were formed about 125,000 years ago, during the times when sea levels were higher, and water covered the area. At that time communities of coral flourished just below the surface, slowly building up reefs. Later, during ice age, sea levels dropped, some reefs and sandbars poked above the water. Over the millennia exposed parts hardened and fossilized, forming the sedimentary rocks that make up the modern Florida Keys

More than 80,000 people live on 30 populated islands, and millions visit each year. Unfortunately, by 2100 sea level could rise between 1 and 7 feet (0.45-2.16 meters), significantly reducing land areas above the ocean, or completely submerging major parts.

Image in original size here.

More news
Tags: