SeaWiFS records the arrival of Autumn on the East Coast

Soaring 705 kilometer's above the Earth, NASA's instrument SeaWiFS captures spectacular autumn views. Every fall, nature paints the East Coast landscape with brilliant red, orange and yellow colors. Temperatures determine how bright the Fall Season will be. Cool nights and sunny days cause chemical reactions within leaves. During summer months, a leaf is green thanks to an abundance of pigments in the chlorophyll. These green pigments gather energy from the sun, using it to manufacture sugars necessary for the tree's growth. Photosynthesis consumes the leaf's supply of chlorophylls, which trees replenish at a steady rate through summer months. But when days grow short and nights are cool, trees slow their chlorophyll pigment production. As demand outstrips supply, the green begins to fade. That allows other pigments to show through the fading green.

	East Coast foliage on 10/23/00
	East Coast foliage on 10/12/00
	East Coast foliage on 09/22/00
	Chesapeake Bay area foliage on 10/23/00
	Chesapeake Bay area foliage on 10/12/00
	Chesapeake Bay area foliage on 09/22/00
	Boston area foliage on 10/23/00
	Boston area foliage on 10/12/00
	Boston area foliage on 09/22/00

SeaWiFS records the arrival of Autumn on the East Coast

About the SeaWiFS instrument and the SeaStar spacecraft