Sentinel-3A sees the effects of spring

The Copernicus Sentinel-3A’s ocean and land colour instrument can ‘see’ chlorophyll in vegetation. The animation shows how chlorophyll, which is essential in photosynthesis, around the world changed between 1 April and 27 May 2017. While tropical rainforests can be seen to maintain a high degree of chlorophyll, the animation clearly shows the progress of spring greening in the northern hemisphere. This is particularly evident in the eastern part of the USA. It also captures the progress of agricultural planting for summer crops across China where planting normally takes place between March and May. Here various stages of growth are captured. The chlorophyll index ranges from 1 to 6.5.