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LiveScience
LiveScience
Harry Baker

Earth from space: Svalbard's radioactive 'Bear Island' surrounded by rare cloud swirls and a giant algal bloom

A satellite photo of a large algal bloom with swirling clouds and an island.
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Where is it? Bear Island, Svalbard [74.43137835, 19.058443166]

What's in the photo? Atmospheric vortices in the clouds and a swirling algal bloom in the ocean

Which satellite took the photo? NASA Aqua

When was it taken? July 13, 2023

This striking satellite shot shows a pair of simultaneous phenomena painting parallel swirls in the sea and sky surrounding Bear Island. The isolated land mass, also known as Bjørnøya, is located in Norway's Svalbard archipelago and is surrounded by highly radioactive waters that may endanger local wildlife — which, ironically, does not include many bears.

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