On this day in history...

...in 1978, NASA launched Nimbus-7 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. This satellite carried the groundbreaking Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), the first sensor specifically designed to measure ocean color from space. CZCS provided critical data on chlorophyll concentration, suspended sediments, and other materials in the upper layers of the ocean, offering new insights into biological productivity and ocean ecosystems.

The CZCS operated until 1986 and demonstrated the feasibility of using satellites to monitor ocean health and dynamics on a global scale. It allowed scientists to observe phytoplankton blooms and coastal water conditions with unprecedented coverage and accuracy, paving the way for subsequent ocean color missions such as SeaWiFS, MODIS, and the recent PACE satellite.

This mission revolutionized oceanographic research by making ocean color data accessible on a large scale, marking a major step forward in our understanding of ocean ecosystems.

Sources

• NASA History: nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1978-098A
• Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimbus_program

Picture available at wikipedia.