Hydrogen sulphide erupted along the coast of Namibia. Pale-hued waters along the shore hinted at gaseous rumblings on 13 March, 2010. Although ocean water appears navy blue farther from shore, water along the coast ranges in colour from green to off-white. Ocean water wells up in this area along the continental shelf. The milky surface waters that coincide with gaseous eruptions along the coast have a low oxygen content. The frequent hydrogen sulphide 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 sulphide eruptions often kill large numbers of fish.
Photograph: Modis/Terra/Nasa
The Guardian
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