File:Western Australia (MODIS 2020-10-01).jpg

English: Sunny September skies over Western Australia allowed a spectacular view of the tan, browns, and orange that the dry Kimberly Plateau as well as the bright white salt pans spotting the arid interior. The colors of the land reflect differences in elevation and associated vegetation. The darkest terrain tends to sit more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) above sea level. Salt pans, remnants of lakes which have evaporated and left mineral crusts behind, occupy the lowest land, sometimes sitting near or below sea level.

A halo of jewel-toned greens and blues hug the coast and surround the Bonaparte Archipelago, a group of islands and islets, reefs and shoals, located just off the Kimberly coast. The deeper waters of the Indian Ocean appear deep blue. The shallow coastal waters are subject to strong tidal action, which washes sediment from the silty bottom and keeps it suspended in the constantly-moving tides and currents. Most of the color seen in this image appears to be from suspended sediment, based on the location and the gradation of color from tan (near shore) to green then blue. Sediment appears muddy when it floats in the top layer, then changes reflectivity—and color—as it sinks in a water body. It is also possible that some of the color may be from phytoplankton—small plant-like organisms that float in upper water layers.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this stunning true-color image of northern Western Territory, Australia on September 21, 2020.