Grid computing shows changing Mediterranean chlorophyll levels
An example of the power of Grid computing: an overview of changing chlorophyll concentrations associated with marine phytoplankton populations during the Mediterranean summer from May to September 2004, created by combining monthly mosaics of ocean colour data from multiple images acquired by the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on Envisat. Phytoplankton fix carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, forming the base of the marine food chain and help regulate the carbon cycle and through it the global climate system. They are extremely sensitive to variations in local sea conditions. The changing colours indicate chlorophyll concentrations in mg/m3 between 0.01 (darkest blue) to 10.0 (bright red). The white areas mean no data due to cloud cover.
