11 Satellite Observations of Oceanic Eddies Around Africa
209
Fig. 11.2 Photograph taken from the space shuttle Challenger at 12:02:43 UTC on 7 October 1984
(STS 41-G mission) by a handheld camera showing sea surface signatures of three interconnected
cyclonic eddy in the Mediterranean Sea near the Egyptian coast. The center point of the photograph
is at 32.0
◦ N, 26.0
◦ E. The eddies lie in inner sunglint region, where the lines of reduced surface
roughness (caused by surface films) are imaged bright
surface current field. In the sunglint region, areas with film coverage appear brighter
on the photo than areas with no film coverage, because the surface film reduces the
sea surface roughness such that more light can be specular reflected to the camera.
But eddies are also visible outside the sunglint region. Here the areas with film
coverage appear darker on the photo than areas with no film coverage. The dividing
line between the inner and outer sunglint regions, where brightness reversal occurs,
209
Fig. 11.2 Photograph taken from the space shuttle Challenger at 12:02:43 UTC on 7 October 1984
(STS 41-G mission) by a handheld camera showing sea surface signatures of three interconnected
cyclonic eddy in the Mediterranean Sea near the Egyptian coast. The center point of the photograph
is at 32.0
◦ N, 26.0
◦ E. The eddies lie in inner sunglint region, where the lines of reduced surface
roughness (caused by surface films) are imaged bright
surface current field. In the sunglint region, areas with film coverage appear brighter
on the photo than areas with no film coverage, because the surface film reduces the
sea surface roughness such that more light can be specular reflected to the camera.
But eddies are also visible outside the sunglint region. Here the areas with film
coverage appear darker on the photo than areas with no film coverage. The dividing
line between the inner and outer sunglint regions, where brightness reversal occurs,