The North and South Islands of New Zealand

 The North and South Islands of New Zealand The North and South Islands of New Zealand Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Cook Strait, which separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

The North and South Islands of New Zealand The snow-covered Southern Alps are visible along the west coast of the South Island. On the other side of the island are bright turquoise colors in the water that represent sediment mixing with the ocean water and the presence of algal blooms. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth’s land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth’s land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

A body of water called Lake Wairarapa can be seen on the southern tip of the North Island. This lake is surrounded by wetlands and farms, and contains visibly high concentrations of sediment.

The image was captured on August 22, 2018 by the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite.

Image Credit: ESA  

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer