Decoding Sunglint: Understanding its Nuances.

Sunglint is an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of the water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it. It can create distinctive patterns within the bright, silvery appearance of much of the water. The roughness of the water surface can influence how sunglint areas appear in MODIS images. While sunglint often produces visually stunning images that are useful for inferring winds and detecting oil spills, the phenomenon can also create problems for remote sensing scientists because it can obscure features of interest.