Off the Bahamian coast: Colorful vortex follows tropical storm

Earlier this month Tropical Storm Nicole stormed over the Bahamas causing flooding and damage, but it also created an unusual sight offshore.

As the tropical storm, which later strengthened and became a hurricane just before reaching Florida, passed over the Abaco Islands it created eddies in the Atlantic below.

Although the visual phenomenon can often be attributed to phytoplankton, the cause here is carbonate-rich silt which was swept into the water by Nicole where surface currents created the stunning visual.

There is also darker, heavier sand caught in the eddies which are likely to have sunk after a few days while the silt particles can last for over a week.

Once Tropical Storm Nicole had deposited the silt and sand into the ocean, a process known as vortex shedding took place.

This is an oscillating flow that creates the vortex patterns and in this instance eerily mirrors the tropical storm which caused the event to occur.

Tropical Storm Nicole formed on November 7 becoming the 14th named storm and eventually the eighth hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Two days later on the 9th, Nicole made landfall in the Bahamas on Grand Bahama Island with sustained wind speeds of up to 75 mph. Hundreds of people were housed in temporary accommodation as flooding hit northern regions.

By November 10, storm warnings in the Bahamas were removed as Nicole intensified, becoming a hurricane as it hit Florida resulting in widespread disruption including the delay of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission to the Moon.