Image sequences have been used to study the timing and duration of phytoplankton blooms and to track the movement and persistence of ocean features. These studies have made important contributions to our knowledge of ocean dynamics. Future research will emphasize use of CZCS imagery to study phytoplankton dynamics on ocean-basin and global scales. Through combination of the results from many orbits to produce a composite image, CZCS chlorophyll maps of entire basins and of the global ocean can be constructed. Weekly and monthly composites yield information on seasonal phytoplankton blooms.
Annual composites can yield insights into the study of interannual variablility.
The composite images contained in this document are among the most recently produced and illustrate the exciting potential of this technique. However, some key issues must be resolved before routine analysis of composite images is possible. In some parts of the image, a pixel may represent the mean of many observations because cloud-free conditions were common during the compositing interval. In another part of the same image, a pixel may represent only a single observation. Clearly, the statistical implications of image composites need to be carefully considered before their application to the study of large-scale processes.