In 2002, Earth Observatory published one of the site’s most popular images: the Great Bahama Bank. Eighteen years later, the science has advanced but the sand has not.
When oceanographer Serge Andréfouet first saw a satellite image of the Great Bahama Bank, he knew the colors and contours were special. He passed the unique image to a colleague, who submitted it to NASA’s Earth Observatory (EO) for an Image of the Day in 2002 (top image). Nearly eighteen years later, the image is still much appreciated. In fact, it knocked off more recent satellite imagery to win EO’s Tournament Earth 2020.
“There are many nice seagrass and sand patterns worldwide, but none like this anywhere on Earth," said Andréfouet, who is now studying reefs at the Institute for Marine Research & Observation in Indonesia. “I am not surprised it is still a favorite, especially for people who see it for the first time.” He said the image has been featured over the years on numerous websites, in books, and even at rave parties.
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Image via NASA Earth Observatory
