Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Pacific Ocean

Kiritimati, formerly known as Christmas Island, is the largest coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Like all atolls, Kiritimati hosts a shallow lagoon, which covers a large part of the island’s 575 square kilometers. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image shows the island on January 8, 2004. The lagoon is blue green in contrast to the deep black of the Pacific Ocean. White sand beaches surround the lagoon and line the island’s coast.

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Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published January 13, 2004
Data acquired January 8, 2004

Source:

Aqua > MODIS

Collection:

Visible Earth