Featured Image Credit: NASA
By Natalie Helbling
We know that Earth is called the blue and green planet, but that wasn’t intended to describe the phenomenon that is occurring in the Antarctic right now. On a routine photo survey, NASA spotted an extremely vibrant green glow coming from a large section of ice near Antarctica. Theories about aliens surfaced, but of course NASA has a real reason for what is happening.
On first look it was thought that phytoplankton, a small a photosynthetic plankton, could be potentially undergoing a bloom under the ice. After an exhibition to the area, it was determined that the phytoplankton and algae were growing on sides of the ice. It is common for these blooms to occur at such high rates during this time of year in Antarctica.
Researchers expect the bloom to continue to grow for a while longer before experiencing the harsh winters. Phytoplankton blooms each year and often make beautiful images from above. However, the last time such a large phenomenon occurred was in 2012, and it was even bigger than this one. Our Earth has many fascinating processes, and when they are caught on camera it is amazing to see what really happens while no one is watching.