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The milky surface waters that coincide with gaseous eruptions along Namabia’s coast have a low oxygen content. As reported in a 2009 study, the frequent hydrogen sulfide emissions in this area result form a combination of factors: ocean-current delivery of oxygen-poor water from the north, oxygen-depleting demands of biological and chemical processes in the local water column, and carbon-rich organic sediments under the water column.
Commercially important fish species have hatching grounds along the Namibian coast, and hydrogen sulfide eruptions can often kill large numbers of fish. In addition, the gas eruptions send a noxious rotten-egg smell inland. These events bring some benefits, however. Sea birds eat the fish carcasses, and humans can make meals of lobsters fleeing onshore to escape the oxygen-deprived waters.
Inland, this MODIS image shows the rippling sand dunes of the Namib Desert, which stretches for hundreds of kilometers along the southern African coast.
Note: I was fortunate to spend about 4 months in Walvis Bay, Namibia back in 1993. Great place!
3 comments:
I want to go to Africa on a camera safari. It would give me a reason to wear khaki.
♥namaste♥
Thanks for the oceanography lesson. Very cool stuff. We have low DO events along the coast here that cause flounders to jump out of the water. It's called a jubilee.
Hm... You are ahead of me... I never went to Namibia... have a great Sunday, DAAve
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