This image shows a simulated snapshot of ocean turbulence in the North Atlantic Ocean in March 2012, from a groundbreaking super-high-resolution global ocean simulation (approximately 1.2 miles, or 2 kilometers, horizontal resolution) developed at JPL (http://wwwcvs.mitgcm.org/viewvc/MITgcm/MITgcm_contrib/llc_hires/llc_4320/). The colors represent the magnitude of surface relative vorticity, a measure of the spin of fluid parcels. The image emphasizes fast-rotating, small-scale (defined here as 6.2 to 31-mile, or 10 to 50 kilometer, range) turbulence, especially during the winter. High levels of relative vorticity caused by small-scale turbulence are believed to strongly transport heat and carbon vertically in the ocean. The image appears in a study (Su et al. 2018), entitled "Ocean submesoscales as a key component of the global heat budget," published recently in Nature Communications. The study suggests that upper-ocean small-scale turbulence transports heat upward in the ocean at a level five times larger than larger-scale heat transport by ocean eddies, significantly affecting the exchange of heat between the ocean interior and atmosphere. Such interactions have a crucial impact on the Earth's climate. A movie is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22256

On July 23, 2013 the deep blue waters of the central North Atlantic Ocean provided a background for a spectacular bloom of phytoplankton. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured this true-color image of the event at 16:25 UTC (12:25 p.m. EDT) that same day. Phytoplankton are tiny single-celled photosynthetic organisms that live suspended in a watery environment. They are primary producers in the ocean, forming the base of the marine food chain, and, like terrestrial plants, take up carbon dioxide, make carbohydrates from energy from light, and release oxygen. Phytoplankton live in the ocean year round, but are usually not visible. When light, nutrients and water temperature are just right, however, a colony can explode into growth, creating huge blooms that stain the ocean for miles. While each organism lives only a short time, the high reproductive means that a bloom can last for days or weeks. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagram.com/nasagoddard?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

iss071e046021 (April 27, 2024) -- Off the coast of Newfoundland, NASA astronaut Mike Barratt captured this image of sea ice as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean. The sea ice appears in swirls floating on the ocean's surface. From the orbiting laboratory's unique vantage point, astronauts can observe events on our home planet that are otherwise impossible to witness on the ground.

S62-06606 (3 Oct. 1962) --- Cloud formation over Western Atlantic Ocean north of South America taken during the fourth orbit pass of the Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) mission by astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr. with a hand-held camera. Photo credit: NASA

S62-06613 (3 Oct. 1962) --- Cumulus cloud formation over West Atlantic Ocean north of South American during the fourth orbit pass of the Mercury-Atlas 8 (MA-8) mission by astronaut Walter M. Schirra Jr. with a hand-held camera. Photo credit: NASA

This is a radar image showing surface features on the open ocean in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. There is no land mass in this image. The purple line in the lower left of the image is the stern wake of a ship. The ship creating the wake is the bright white spot on the middle, left side of the image. The ship's wake is about 28 kilometers (17 miles) long in this image and investigators believe that is because the ship may be discharging oil. The oil makes the wake last longer and causes it to stand out in this radar image. A fairly sharp boundary or front extends from the lower left to the upper right corner of the image and separates two distinct water masses that have different temperatures. The different water temperature affects the wind patterns on the ocean. In this image, the light green area depicts rougher water with more wind, while the purple area is calmer water with less wind. The dark patches are smooth areas of low wind, probably related to clouds along the front, and the bright green patches are likely due to ice crystals in the clouds that scatter the radar waves. The overall "fuzzy" look of this image is caused by long ocean waves, also called swells. Ocean radar imagery allows the fine detail of ocean features and interactions to be seen, such as the wake, swell, ocean front and cloud effects, which can then be used to enhance the understanding of ocean dynamics on smaller and smaller scales. The image is centered at 42.8 degrees north latitude, 26.2 degrees west longitude and shows an area approximately 35 kilometers by 65 kilometers (22 by 40 miles). The colors in the image are assigned to different frequencies and polarizations of the radar as follows: red is L-band horizontally transmitted, horizontally received; green is C-band horizontally transmitted, horizontally received; blue is L-band vertically transmitted, vertically received. This image was acquired by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) imaging radar when it flew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on April 11, 1994. SIR-C/X-SAR, a joint mission of the German, Italian and United States space agencies, is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01799

This spectacular north looking view of south Greenland (62.0N, 46.0W) shows numerous indentations along the coastline, many of which contain small settlements. These indentations are fiords carved by glaciers of the last ice age. Even today, ice in the center of Greenland is as much as 10,000 ft. thick and great rivers of ice continuously flow toward the sea, where they melt or break off as icebergs - some of which may be seen floating offshore.

iss069e004821 (April 21, 2023) --- The Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman is poised for release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm as the International Space Station orbited 262 miles above the north Atlantic Ocean.

This radar image of Lisbon, Portugal illustrates the different land use patterns that are present in coastal Portugal. Lisbon, the national capital, lies on the north bank of the Rio Tejo where the river enters the Atlantic Ocean.

This stereoimage of Hurricane Alberto on August 19, 2000 was acquired by NASA Terra satellite. At this time, the storm was located in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Azores. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

iss056e077502 (July 5, 2018) --- The International Space Station orbited over New England and across Canada capturing the Sun's glint on the North Atlantic Ocean just off the North American coast..

iss059e038134 (April 30, 2019) --- Looking from northwest to southeast (bottom to top), this oblique view shows portions of Western Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa. More specific regions such as Portugal, Spain, the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco and Algeria are seen as the International Space Station orbited 257 miles above the Atlantic.

iss059e042046 (May 3, 2019) --- 258 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean an Expedition 59 crewmember photographed the contrail of an aircraft flying below as the International Space Station approached the coast of Ireland.

iss073e0080280 (May 15, 2025) --- This nebula-like formation is actually lightning illuminating the clouds during a storm off the coast of North Carolina in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

S125-E-007900 (16 May 2009) --- A nadir view of cloud vortices in the area of the Canary Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean was recorded by one of the STS-125 crewmembers on a busy flight day six.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - This aerial view looking north shows space shuttle Complex 39 Launch Pads A (foreground) and B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. To the right is the Atlantic Ocean. Photo credit: Cory Huston

iss071e243849 (June 21, 2024) --- The east coast of the United States including North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 265 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

iss065e385457 (Sept. 15, 2021) --- The International Space Station was orbiting 265 miles above the north Atlantic Ocean when an Expedition 65 crew member captured this photograph of the city lights of England, The Netherlands, Belgium and France.

iss073e0080625 (May 15, 2025) --- This nebula-like formation is actually lightning illuminating the clouds during a storm off the coast of North Carolina in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

iss061e138170 (Jan. 22, 2020) --- An aurora blankets the Earth beneath a celestial night sky as the International Space Station orbited 261 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North America.

iss061e138167 (Jan. 22, 2020) --- An aurora blankets the Earth beneath a celestial night sky as the International Space Station orbited 261 miles above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North America.

iss071e206529 (June 19, 2024) -- In the North Atlantic Ocean lies Bermuda, an archipelago of more than 180 islands and islets. As the International Space Station orbited 265 miles above, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this photo.

iss073e0080327 (May 15, 2025) --- This nebula-like formation is actually lightning illuminating the clouds during a storm off the coast of North Carolina in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

iss073e0734091 (Aug. 25, 2025) --- A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft approaches the International Space Station's forward port on the Harmoy module as both spacecraft orbited 262 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean.

iss073e0081060 (May 15, 2025) --- This nebula-like formation is actually lightning illuminating the clouds during a storm off the coast of North Carolina in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

ISS012-E-10131 (3 Dec. 2005) --- This oblique view of Hurricane Epsilon in the Atlantic Ocean was photographed at 15:37:45 GMT on Dec. 3, 2005 by one of the crewmembers of Expedition 12 aboard the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. Center point coordinates are 34.5 degrees north latitude and 44.4 degrees west longitude. As it continues moving in the Atlantic Ocean, the storm poses no threat to any land mass.

Autonomous wave gliders are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is seen prior to being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is lifted onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Two EcoMapper AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The EcoMappers will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Autonomous wave gliders are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is lifted onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is lifted onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is lifted onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom talks about the instruments onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Various scientific instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

CTD instruments used to measure Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, are seen onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The CTDs will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Autonomous wave gliders, right, are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

University of Washington Graduate Student Jesse Anderson tries to find her cabin onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Anderson will work with the Argo Floats instruments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Senior Engineer Steve Faluotico works on the SPURS buoy prior to it being loaded onto the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The SPURS buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Autonomous wave gliders are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scientist Dave Fratantoni works on the EcoMapper AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) onboard the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The EcoMappers will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Sean Whelan, a Marine Technician for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, prepares CTD instruments used to measure Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth, onboard the Institute's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The CTDs will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Chip Beniot, left, and Ken Decoteau, both of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, move scientific instruments to the research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ken Decoteau, left, and Chip Beniot, both of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, move scientific instruments to the research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom inspects an autonomous wave glider onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom inspects a sensor-laden buoy prior to it being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom inspects an autonomous wave glider onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The autonomous gliders will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

University of Washington Graduate Student Jesse Anderson settles into her cabin onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Anderson will work with the Argo Floats instruments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Senior Engineer Steve Faluotico works on the SPURS buoy prior to it being loaded onto the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The SPURS buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

An worker prepares to attached a crane hook onto a sensor-laden buoy so that it may be loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr on wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

University of Washington Graduate Student Jesse Anderson settles into her cabin onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Anderson will work with the Argo Floats instruments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scientist Dave Fratantoni works on the EcoMapper AUVs (autonomous underwater vehicles) onboard the Institute's research vessel Knorr, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The EcoMappers will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A full suite of instruments are seen onboard the the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The various instruments will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A sensor-laden buoy is seen prior to being loaded onboard the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. The buoy will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS) which is set to sail on Sept. 6. The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

iss072e629084 (Feb. 14, 2025) --- The east coast of the United States from Massachussetts to Georgia, with the easily distinguishable Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay, contrasts with the gleaming Atlantic Ocean in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles above North America.

iss069e027347 (July 2, 2023) --- The International Space Station was orbiting 270 miles above the south Atlantic Ocean about 350 miles north of South Georgia Island when this photograph was taken. In the top foreground, portions of the station's main solar array and roll-out solar array are also pictured.

iss066e037531 (Nov. 4, 2021) --- Clouds protrude above the north Atlantic Ocean, with the Sun's glint beaming off the golden-hued waters, in this oblique photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 262 miles above just off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.

iss066e024147 (Nov. 2, 2021) --- Tropical storm Wanda is pictured from the main window of the seven-windowed cupola on the International Space Station as it orbited 261 miles above the north Atlantic Ocean. Depicted in the foreground is one of two cymbal-shaped UltraFlex solar arrays of the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter.

iss067e375885 (Sept. 20, 2022) --- Hurricane Fiona is pictured from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the Atlantic Ocean north of Puerto Rico. In the foreground, the Soyuz MS-22 crew ship docked to the Prichal module is silhouetted above the storm.

iss072e515922 (Jan. 16, 2025) --- Northrop Grumman's Cygnus space freighter is pictured berthed to the International Space Station's Earth-facing port on the Unity module. This long-duration photograph also highlights Earth's atmospheric glow and star trails as the orbital outpost soared 262 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean.

iss071e082829 (May 16, 2024) --- The Strait of Gibraltar separates the European nation of Spain from the African nation of Morocco and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Medirrranean Sea. The International Space Station was orbiting 259 miles above North Africa at the time of this photograph.

iss073e0838653 (Sept. 14, 2025) --- The Soyuz MS-27 crew spacecraft is pictured docked to the International Space Station's Prichal module as the orbital outpost soared 257 miles above a gleaming blue Atlantic Ocean, north of the Dominican Republic.

ISS041-E-016679 (17 Sept. 2014) --- One of the Expedition 41 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station,flying 221 nautical miles above the North Atlantic Ocean, photographed this oblique scene showing a plankton bloom at the lower right edge of the frame. Newfoundland is in upper left.

iss070e103599 (Feb. 29, 2024) --- The SpaceX Dragon "Endurance" spacecraft is pictured docked to the Harmony module's space-facing port as the International Space Station orbited 263 miles above the north Atlantic Ocean. Other highlights in this long-duration photograph include circular star trails and the atmospheric glow above Earth's horizon.

iss070e014652 (Oct. 27, 2023) --- The sun's glint beams off a clear blue north Atlantic Ocean as the International Space Station orbited 261 miles above. In the foreground, a pair of main solar arrays drape across the right with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and its fine-tuned robotic hand Dextre extending from the left.

iss059e027725 (April 21, 2019) --- The moon is photographed in its waning gibbous phase just above the Earth's limb as the International Space Station orbited 258 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean just off the Canadian-American coast.

iss066e125232 ?(Jan. 23, 2022) --- The east coast of the United States is pictured looking from Pamlico Sound in North Carolina, at bottom, to the panhandle of Florida, at top, in this photogrpah taken from the International Space Station as it orbited 259 miles above the Atlantic Ocean.

iss059e008350 (April 2, 2019) --- Canada's sun glint-lit Gulf of St. Lawrence and its coastal states of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and portions of Newfoundland are pictured as the International Space Station orbited nearly 258 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean.

iss073e1198911 (Nov. 28, 2025) --- A red-yellow airglow blankets Earth's horizon as the city lights of southwestern Europe and North Africa sparkle in contrast to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea that separates the two continents. The International Space Station was orbiting 262 miles above the Atlantic at approximately 7:47 p.m. local time when this photograph was taken.

In July of 2005, a continent-sized cloud of hot air and dust originating from the Sahara Desert crossed the Atlantic Ocean and headed towards Florida and the Caribbean, captured by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder onboard NASA Aqua satellite. A Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, forms when dry air and dust rise from Africa's west coast and ride the trade winds above the Atlantic Ocean. These dust clouds are not uncommon, especially during the months of July and August. They start when weather patterns called tropical waves pick up dust from the desert in North Africa, carry it a couple of miles into the atmosphere and drift westward. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00448

STS040-75-003 (5-14 June 1991) --- This image shows several of the Canary Islands, located in the North Atlantic Ocean just west of Africa. Low level stratus clouds often form here (and along the west coast of continents at these latitudes) are trapped in vertical movement due to an overlying atmospheric temperature inversion. The islands are generating disturbances in the low-level wind flow which is generally from the north-northeast or from top to bottom in the image. These disturbances travel downstream from the islands and manifest themselves as cloud swirls which are called von Karman vortices. The northern extent of a large dust storm moving off the coast of Africa is apparent at the lower right of the image. The dust, extended across the Atlantic Ocean as far west as the Dominican Republic later in the mission.

An aerial view looking north at SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 13, 2021. Launch Complex 39B, from which NASA will launch Artemis missions, is just beyond. A proposed site for Launch Complex 49 is north of these historic launch pads on the Atlantic Ocean and still within Kennedy’s security perimeter.

S130-E-009953 (18 Feb. 2010) --- One of the STS-130 crew members visiting the International Space Station recorded this image over the North Atlantic Ocean through the space station's new Cupola on Feb. 18, 2010. Center coordinates of the area pictured are located at approximately 35.95 degrees north latitude and 52.30 degrees west longitude.

ISS026-E-015765 (6 Jan. 2011) --- Newfoundland and clouds over the North Atlantic Ocean share a scene with a Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station in this 35-mm focal length photograph recorded by one of the Expedition 26 crew members from 220 miles above Earth. The nadir point is 51.1 degrees north latitude and 50.4 degrees west longitude off the coast of Newfoundland. Looking southwestward, in the lower right hand corner, above the solar panel is the south coast of the island. The sun glint on the ocean’s surface outlines the islands (with the small hook-like appearance) of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen docked on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Bridge of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's research vessel Knorr is seen on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass. Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS). The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

SL4-139-4072 (February 1974) --- A high oblique view of the North Atlantic coast of Canada as seen from the Skylab space station in Earth orbit. A Skylab 4 crewman used a hand-held 70mm Hasselblad camera to take this picture. The Strait of Belle Isle, near the center of the picture, separates the Island of Newfoundland from the Canadian mainland. The Strait also connects the Gulf of St. Lawrence with North Atlantic Ocean. The elongated land mass (lower center) is the northern-most peninsula of the Island of Newfoundland. The large land mass at left center is mainland Newfoundland and Quebec. Note the sea ice in the Atlantic. Snow and some ice intermittently cover the land masses, and ice plumes of brash ice or pancake ice can be seen in various shapes and formations. General terrain and ice conditions can be distinguished and evaluated up to at least 55 degrees north latitude in this north looking view. Dr. William Campbell, sea and ice expert with the U.S. Geological Survey, will use this photograph in the study of ice dynamics. Photo credit: NASA

STS059-238-074 (9-20 April 1994) --- The Atlantic Ocean, Straits of Gibraltar, and Alboran Sea (the westernmost portion of the Mediterranean Sea) separate Spain on the left from Morocco on the right. Algeciras Harbor is the prominent notch cut out of the eastern end of the north shore of the Strait; the Rock of Gibraltar is the tiny arrowhead that separates the notch from the Alboran Sea. The Sierra Nevada, farther away down the Spanish coast, lives up to its name in this April scene. The difference in elevation between the Sierra Morena and the Guadalquivir River valley is highlighted nicely by cumulus clouds. Tangier, Morocco can be seen as a light-toned spot on the southern shore of the Strait, near the entrance to the Atlantic Ocean. Hasselblad photograph.

ISS036-E-036611 (23 Aug. 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station on Aug. 23 exposed this image of the Strait of Gibraltar, where Europe and Africa meet and where the Atlantic Ocean waters flow through the strait into the Mediterranean Sea. A popular photographic target of astronauts has always been the Strait of Gibraltar, easily spotted at left center in this wide photograph, shot from the International Space Station. Spain is to the north (top) and Morocco to the south. The strait is 36 miles (58 kilometers) long and slims down to 8 miles (13 kilometers) at it?s most narrow point. The British colony of Gibraltar is north of the strait.

Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Weather Observations, Elsayed Talaat, speaks during a media briefing to discuss the upcoming solar eclipse, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. A total solar eclipse will sweep across a narrow portion of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada on April 8, 2024. A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the entire North American continent along with parts of Central America and Europe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

iss059e034778 (April 23, 2019) --- This view of the eastern coast of the United States looks from (bottom left to right center) Virginia Beach, Virginia, all the way to Miami, Florida. The International Space Station was orbiting 256 miles above North America about to cross the Atlantic Ocean when an Expedition 59 crew member took this photograph.

ISS032-E-025605 (9 Sept. 2012) --- Tropical Storm Leslie is clearly seen in the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 9, 2012, as photographed by one of the Expedition 32 crew members aboard the Cupola of the International Space Station. At the time of the photo, Leslie was centered near 33.4 degrees north latitude and 62.1 degrees west longitude (approximately 175 miles east-northeast of Bermuda) moving northward at 14 miles per hour with winds of 60 miles per hour.

ISS036-E-009390 (18 June 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members used a 180mm lens to photograph this vertical view of the island of Pico, the second largest of the Portuguese Azores in the North Atlantic Ocean. Mt. Pico, a prominent 2351-meter-high stratovolcano on the eastern end of Pico Island is the highest volcano in the Azores. Madalena is a municipality along the coast, home to about 6,000 inhabitants.

STS093-708-037 (23-27 July 1999) --- Sunset paints the ocean and low clouds with brilliant color and shadow just off the eastern coast of Brazil in the western South Atlantic in this photo from the Space Shuttle Columbia's 35th orbit. Since one orbit of the shuttle around the Earth only takes 90 minutes, every 45 minutes the astronauts can witness a sunrise or sunset. The shuttle was flying at a point located over 1.4 degrees north latitude and 26.9 west longitude.

ISS040-E-017316 (23 June 2014) --- As the International Space Station was passing over the North Atlantic Ocean, just east of Newfoundland, on June 23, 2014, one of the Expedition 40 crew members on the orbital outpost recorded this panoramic view of the swirling bands of a mature, not dangerous non-tropical, cyclone. Such cyclonic activity is not unusual for this time of year in that area.

ISS032-E-025610 (9 Sept. 2012) --- Partially obstructed by two Russian spacecraft in the foreground, Tropical Storm Leslie is clearly seen in the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 9, 2012, as photographed by one of the Expedition 32 crew members aboard the International Space Station. At the time of the photo, Leslie was centered near 33.4 degrees north latitude and 62.1 degrees west longitude (approximately 175 miles east-northeast of Bermuda) moving northward at 14 miles per hour with winds of 60 miles per hour.

ISS026-E-013147 (28 Dec. 2010) --- A southerly looking night view of the upper two thirds of the Florida peninsula was recorded by one of the Expedition 26 crew members aboard the International Space Station on Dec. 28, 2010. Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center are very well lighted on the left (Atlantic Ocean) side of the peninsula. The Tampa-St. Petersburg area is seen on the Gulf of Mexico or right side of the frame. At bottom or in the north areas of the picture are portions of the state?s panhandle as well as cities and communities in southern Georgia.

ISS012-E-10111 (3 Dec. 2005) --- This view featuring the eye of Hurricane Epsilon in the Atlantic Ocean was photographed at 15:35:59 GMT on Dec. 3, 2005 by one of the crewmembers of Expedition 12 aboard the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. Center point coordinates are 34.5 degrees north latitude and 44.4 degrees west longitude.

ISS032-E-025592 (9 Sept. 2012) --- Partially obstructed by the HTV-3 (H-II Transfer Vehicle) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tropical Storm Leslie is clearly seen in the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 9, 2012, as photographed by one of the Expedition 32 crew members aboard the Cupola of the International Space Station. At the time of the photo Leslie was centered near 33.4 degrees north latitude and 62.1degrees west longitude (approximately 175 miles east-northeast of Bermuda) moving northward at 14

ISS012-E-10083 (3 Dec. 2005) --- This picture of the eye of Hurricane Epsilon in the Atlantic Ocean was taken at 15:35:56 GMT on Dec. 3, 2005 by one of the crewmembers of Expedition 12 aboard the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. Center point coordinates are 34.5 degrees north latitude and 44.4 degrees west longitude.

The Atlantic Ocean Road is an 8.3 kilometer road that runs through an archipelago in Eide and Averoy in More of Romsdal, Norway. It consists of eight bridges and four resting places and viewpoints. The road was originally proposed as a railway line, but that was abandoned. The road was opened in July 1989, and has been declared the world's best road trip. The image was acquired July 2, 2008, covers an area of 8.9 by 11.8 kilometers, and is located at 63 degrees north, 7.3 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23096

iss056e127068 (Aug. 6, 2018) --- The International Space Station was orbiting off the coast of Portugal when an Expedition 56 crew member photographed wildfires near its southern coast and the Strait of Gibraltar which separates Spain on the European continent from Morocco on the African continent. The North Atlantic Ocean connects to the Strait of Gibraltar which leads into the Mediterranean Sea.

ISS012-E-10110 (3 Dec. 2005) --- This view featuring the eye of Hurricane Epsilon in the Atlantic Ocean was photographed at 15:35:58 GMT on Dec. 3, 2005 by one of the crewmembers of Expedition 12 aboard the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. Center point coordinates are 34.5 degrees north latitude and 44.4 degrees west longitude.

ISS012-E-10079 (3 Dec. 2005) --- This picture of the eye of Hurricane Epsilon in the Atlantic Ocean was taken at 15:35:49 GMT on Dec. 3, 2005 by one of the crewmembers of Expedition 12 aboard the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. Center point coordinates are 34.5 degrees north latitude and 44.4 degrees west longitude.

S120-E-006255 (25 Oct. 2007) --- The International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by a STS-120 crewmember as Space Shuttle Discovery approaches the station during rendezvous and docking activities on flight day three. Docking occurred at 7:40 a.m. (CDT) on Oct. 25, 2007, as the two spacecraft flew over the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of North Carolina.

ISS016-E-006237 (25 Oct. 2007) --- Backdropped by a cloud-covered part of Earth, Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-120) approaches the International Space Station during STS-120 rendezvous and docking operations. Docking occurred at 7:40 a.m. (CDT) on Oct. 25, 2007, as the two spacecraft flew over the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of North Carolina. The Harmony node is visible in Discovery's cargo bay. A Russian spacecraft, docked to the station, is visible in the foreground.