Water covers 71 percent of Earth's surface, giving rise to the nickname "the Blue Marble" or "the Blue Planet." Satellites that observe ocean color, however, show that it's not that simple. Materials in the water—living or otherwise—are often stirred and mixed until the surface swirls with hints of blue, green, tan, white, and brown.

One area where this is extremely apparent is the Yellow Sea, pictured here in an image acquired on February 24, 2015, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite.

"The region of Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China is one of the most turbid and dynamic ocean areas in the world," said ocean color expert Menghua Wang of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In the image, the brown area along China's Subei Shoal is turbid water commonly seen in coastal regions. According to Wang, shallow water depths, tidal currents, and strong winter winds likely contributed to the mixing of sediment through the water.

Some of the swirls in the image might be due to the Yellow Sea Warm Current, which intrudes into the Yellow Sea in wintertime. This branch of the Kuroshio Current changes the temperature of the sea surface and brings instability that could be the cause of the relatively dark swirls in the lower-middle part of the image.

Interpreting satellite images of ocean color can be a challenge, especially in complex regions like the Yellow Sea. Upcoming missions such as the Pre-Aerosol, Clouds, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) should help scientists to better distinguish the particles and materials in the atmosphere and ocean.

UP NEXT: The Crazy Colors In This Amazing Photo Of The Ocean Are Caused By Tiny Organisms

SEE ALSO: A decade of observing Earth from space has given us these breathtaking views

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A panel of judges in Fort Meade, Maryland have made their selections for the 2014 Military Photographer awards. 

The judges have handed out awards to military photographers for their amazing work in ten different categories including Sports, Pictorial, and Combat Documentation (Operational). The judges have also named the overall best military photographer for 2014. 

Air Force Staff Sgt. Vernon Young was selected as the Military Photographer of the year. His photos ranged from evocative portraits of Afghans to scenes of US forces training before deployment. 

"Recon Patrols" (First Place: Combat Documentation, Operational)

Soldiers assigned to Palehorse Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Calvary Regiment move over rough terrain during Operation Alamo Scout 13, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, on Feb. 10, 2014. The operation was a joint effort between Palehorse troops and the Afghan National Army's 205th Corps Mobile Strike Force to conduct reconnaissance patrols in villages around Kandahar Airfield.

"Wounded Warrior" (Second Place: Combat Documentation, Operational)

Casualties airlifted by an Afghan Air Force C-130 Hercules from a Taliban attack on Camp Bastion, are offloaded on Dec. 1, 2014 at Kabul International Airport. The Afghan military successfully repelled the attack on the camp after receiving control of the base from coalition forces a month earlier.

"Afghan Gunner" (Third Place: Combat Documentation, Operational)

An Afghan Air Force (AAF) Mi-17 aerial gunner fires an M-240 machine gun while flying over a weapons range March 13, 2014, near Kabul, Afghanistan. US Air Force Airmen from the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing/NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan flew a night-vision goggle training mission with an AAF aircrew to further increase the operational capability of the AAF.

The selfie phenomenon may reach new heights thanks to drone technology.

Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press and Chris Anderson/3D Robotics.

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If you're looking for an affordable camera that will take incredible pictures, we recommend you check out this deal.

This Canon PowerShot digital camera has a 16.0 megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with the Canon DIGIC 4+ Image Processor.

Additionally, it has a 42x Optical Zoom and a 24mm Wide-Angle lens.

"This camera takes excellent pictures and the zoom is great!" one reviewer wrote. Another added that "this camera is a superb entry level, or semi-pro camera."

Sounds like a deal to us.

Canon PowerShot SX520 16Digital Camera with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3-inch LCD (Black):$329.00$199.00[40% off]

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Click here to visit Norway's island prison »

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Smithsonian.com has announced the finalists for its 2014 photo contest, in categories such as natural world, travel, people, Americana, altered images, and mobile.

The competition saw more than 26,000 entries this year from 93 countries. It is the 12th year of the contest.

The Smithsonian is also running a reader's-choice contest where people can vote on their favorite image.

The winners of this year's awards will be revealed on March 31.

Women sew their fishing net in a village near Vinh Hy Bay, Vietnam.

President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House on October 7, 2014.

Light refracts through the curves of a breaking wave in New South Wales, Australia.

Photographer Michelle Frankfurter had traveled to Mexico, the US-Mexico border, and Central America for years, working first as a photojournalist and then as a human-rights worker. During her travels, she heard about a particular route that hopeful migrants take to reach the United States. In 2009, she set out to follow it.

Following the path described in Sonia Nazario's award-winning book "Enrique's Journey," Frankfurter headed to southern Mexico and followed the path north. In six journeys, she rode the treacherous El Tren de la Muerte (The Train of Death), came into contact with the drug cartels, and befriended numerous migrant families, many of whom never made it to the US.

Frankfurter has shared some of her photos with us here, but you can check out the rest at her website or in her book "Destino," available now.

The first step of the journey for Frankfurter and thousands of migrants is crossing the Suchiate River between the Guatemalan border town of Tecún Umán and the Mexican town of Hidalgo in the southern state of Chiapas. Migrants ride rafts made of tractor tires across the water.

After crossing the river, migrants hike 150 miles on foot to avoid Mexican migration checkpoints and reach Arriaga, a city in Chiapas. Here, a Salvadoran woman feeds her 18-month-old son at a migrant shelter in Chiapas after making the trek.

Frankfurter began the most significant part of her journey in Arriaga. Here, most migrants catch a freight train illegally to start their trek north.

Sony World Photography Awards announced the winners of its 2015 photo contest.

This year, photographers both young and old submitted 173,000 entries from 171 countries.

Winners in the awards' four competitions — Professional, Open, Youth, and Mobile — will receive $30,000 in cash prizes, the latest Sony digital imaging equipment, and plenty of exposure.

The rest of the winners will be announced today in London.

A 14-year-old girl snapped this candid of her little cousin playing in their grandmother's garden in Portugal.

Skiers descend the slopes of Borovets, one of Bulgaria's most popular resorts, as snow falls at night.

A man performs a "bomb dive" into the ocean on the Sussex coast.

Drones are everywhere from the battlefield to the backyards of America. For such a simple concept, the possibilities for how we can use drones is vast and still being explored.

One of the most interesting ways to utilize drone technology is photography. Photographer Amos Chapple knows this better than most. As soon as consumer drones came on the market, Chapple knew he needed one. After purchasing one and learning how to fly it, he began traveling the globe, photographing famous landmarks before such photography was made illegal. 

"There was a window of about 18 months where it was possible to fly these things anywhere and people were excited to see it. I’m glad I made use of that time," Chapple told Business Insider.

Now, with drone use illegal in many of these locations, his collection of beautiful drone images are some of the only aerial photos of their type. Chapple shared many of them with us and told the stories behind his shots. Check out more on his site.

Photographer Amos Chapple captures the world’s most famous landmarks — from the Taj Mahal to the Kremlin — using a drone.

When the commercial drone first hit the market in 2013, Chapple says he sifted through new product reviews, searching for the right model to help his art take flight.

Finally, Chinese technology company DJI came out with the Phantom drone and Chapple was sold.

The military has very talented photographers in the ranks,and they constantly attempt to capture what life as a service member is like.

Here is the best of what they shot during the last week of March:

AIR FORCE

NAVY

ARMY

MARINE CORPS

COAST GUARD

SEE ALSO: Here are the winners of the 2014 US Military Photographer Awards

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Super Typhoon Maysak is currently barreling for the Philippines. It could hit within the next few days.

Maysak is the most powerful storm this early in the season since 1971. It’s only the third Category 5 typhoon seen in the Northwest Pacific before April ever, according to Al Jazeera.

The storm has already passed over the islands of Fais and Ulithi in Micronesia on Tuesday, causing extensive damage.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been observing Maysak and posting unbelievable photos of the historic storm on Twitter and Flickr. We’ve collected a few of the photos here:

And here's a video taken aboard the ISS:

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Aerial drone videos are stunning: they show you a perspective on the world you never could have seen otherwise.

We've collected and sourced some of our favorite images from a compilation of the most incredible drone videos taken this year.

The videos come from places like Niagara Falls, Hawaii, and Kenya. There's even drone footage taken in an exploding volcano.

Just 2 Guys Creative filmed scenes from Thailand's full-moon party with a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+.

Source. 

Kai Jonny Thue Venøy used a DJ Phantom 2 drone to film this amazing footage in Norway.

Source. 

"I am fascinated by what waves and surge against rocks look like from the aerial perspective," drone enthusiast Eric Cheng says of his footage.

Source.

Atif Saeed is really lucky.

Not only did the nature photographer capture an amazing shot of a male lion in a safari park near Lahore, Pakistan — he lived to tell the tale.

This was almost the last photo he ever shot.

As Saeed tells the Daily Mail, he spotted the lion and decided he had to get closer.

"I was thinking — I must show the character and status of lion and this was the only way I could think of to achieve this," he said.

But some noise from the camera lens or shutter attracted the lion's attention, and, just at that moment, he charged.

Saeed told the Mail he "was laughing at that time, but now when I think back about the incident I don’t think I would be able to do it again. It was a pretty close encounter."

The lion was about 10 feet away when Saeed managed to jump back into his vehicle.

It turns out the lion didn't want his picture taken.

Check out more of Saeed's work on Facebook or 500px.

[h/t io9]

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Ever since Getty photographer John Moore visited Iran 10 years ago to cover parliamentary elections in Tehran, he's had an itch to experience the country behind the headlines. He finally got his chance this past June when he was approved to tour the country on a one-week trip from Shiraz to Tehran.

Mostly free from the constraints of traditional news — he did happen to document the 25th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Khomeini along the way — Moore visited Iran’s most prominent cities, monuments, and squares for a look at the everyday life of average Iranians.

Though he had been pleasantly surprised by Iranian hospitality on his trip 10 years ago, he was again struck by how friendly, open, and hospitable most Iranians were to him, an American photographer documenting their country.

We’ve collected a selection of Moore’s photos from the trip here. More of his work can be seen on Getty’s Reportage website.

Moore began his trip in Shiraz, one of the country's most progressive cities. Shiraz is a stronghold of Persian culture, thanks to its support of Iranian poetry, a large academic community, and numerous monuments.

Shiraz is the economic hub of southern Iran, producing fruits, cotton, and rice. In addition to agriculture and cement production, the city is a center for Iran's IT, communications, and electronics industries. Numerous construction projects are underway, aimed at improving the city's infrastructure.

The Vakil Bazaar in Shiraz is one of the oldest and largest bazaars in Iran. It was first established in the 11th century. Here, a carpet vendor naps during his lunch break.

Save $110 on this incredible 20.3 megapixel Samsung camera today.

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The NX3000 comes with a 20-50mm lens, which provides great range for a variety of shots.

"I'm definitely not a professional photographer, but I wanted a camera that could take really great pictures while getting down the basics of good photography,"one reviewer wrote.

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Here's a new way to exert influence on a disputed territory: Build your own islands on it.

Since January, China has been dragging huge scoops of sand from around a reef in the South China Sea and piling it into islands that can be seen in satellite photos, the New York Times reports.

The place where they're doing their building is Mischief Reef, a thin circle of coral that sits between Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and Taiwan near a group of islands called the Spratly Islands.

There's just one small problem: All four of these countries say they own the reef.

Regardless, China has managed to turn the delicate string of coral into a thick band of land — all in a matter of weeks. They've even starting constructing shelters on the islands.

Here's an image of Mischief Reef in January 2012, before any action began:

And another image of the same area in January of this year, when ships and structures first started to appear:

By March, satellite photos showed thickened spots of land where the sand had been dragged:

Toward the end of the month, a pattern of construction became more and more clear:

From a distance, you can see the work of the dredging boats turning the dark water cloudy as they move the sand around:

Here you can see a series of dredging boats working together:

This isn't the first time China has built islands in the disputed South China Sea.

About 200 miles from Mischief Reef, at another area called Fiery Cross Reef, the country build a 9,850-foot-long by 985-foot-wide island complete with a docking harbor, the Times reports.

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The five young men of Team Liquid earn more than $60,000 each, plus tens of thousands through sponsorship and streaming deals, and live for free in an LA condo just for being good at League of Legends, the most popular competitive video game in the world.

Altogether the best of them are easily taking home six figures.

Despite a roster loaded with top players, it has been stuck around fourth place in North America. With the addition of a former world champion, however, hopes are high that the team will earn a shot at the World Championship's $1-million prize.

Being a professional gamer is a sweet gig, but it's not all fantasy. With high pressure and low job security, gamers play up to 14 hours a day to stay on top of their craft, all while devoting their formative years to skills that may have little marketable value later in life.

That's why Alex “Xpecial” Chu told his younger brother, a talented gamer in his own right, to stay out of pro-gaming. “I know how hard it is,” he says.

We visited the team in Santa Monica, California, to get a first-hand look.

Team Liquid lives in a duplex in Santa Monica. I arrived late in the morning to hang out with the team as they prepared for game day.

When I arrived around 12:30 p.m., most of the team was still asleep. As Team Liquid owner Steve Arhancet told me, "Gamers run on a different schedule than the rest of the world." Most of Team Liquid wakes up around 12 p.m. and many stay up playing the game until 3 a.m. or later.

The only people awake were Liquid coach Peter "PtotheD" Zhang (left) and Diego "Quas" Ruiz, a quiet 23-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Ruiz honed his skills at League by using the computers at an internet cafe run by his mother. He's in the US now on a professional sports visa.

In the 1990s, sculptor Matt McMullen designed a mannequin to give clothing stores something more flexible and attractive than your standard mall dummy. 

McMullen, who was documenting his progress on his website, started getting emails from people who weren't looking to use the dolls as retail accessories, but in their personal lives, asking if they were “anatomically correct.”

At the time, they weren’t. But McMullen recognized a growing market of customers and adjusted his mannequins to fit his new customers’ desires. The RealDoll was born. 

Today, McMullen’s company, Abyss Creation (NSFW), sells around 400 dolls per year. They're often referred to as "sex dolls," although they are not always used for sex.

Photographer Benita Marcussen recently met with a number of doll owners to understand the strange obsession. She found that doll owners tend to be extremely protective of their dolls, treating them with respect reserved for lovers, friends or cherished possessions. 

Marcussen's work was recently featured by Vocativ, but she has shared a number of the photos with us here.

The community of “real doll” enthusiasts is large and growing. DollForum.com, a network connecting aspiring and active doll owners, has over 40,000 users. The users can share experiences and pictures of their dolls or buy and sell new and used dolls.

Source: Doll Forum (NSFW)

Everard, shown here, owns a total of eight bodies, plus four extra faces. He has collected dolls for years. Like many doll owners, he is meticulous about his plastic friends, dressing them up with clothes, accessories, and makeup, and often treating them like “goddesses” and lovers.

Everard likes to take Rebekka and June to his backyard for photo shoots. His neighbors tend to go inside when he brings the dolls out. He has had only one relationship with a real woman and says that he has difficulties understanding them.

When I was a senior in college, I made my first big purchase using my own, hard-earned cash.

I shelled out $642.87, to be exact.

It was an impulsive splurge. But five years later, I still consider it the best money I ever spent. 

It was March 2010. I was at a Best Buy in Tucson, Arizona, trying to find the beloved $5 DVD bin. I walked in expecting to spend $10 on two movies I had been wanting — but things didn't go as planned.

Strolling toward the middle of the store, a fancy camera display caught my eye.

I had always been interested in photography, but never really pursued it — though I did take a photojournalism class my junior year and had some idea how to work a DSLR camera. So, intrigued by the elaborate gadgets, I picked up a $2,400 Canon. 

It was attached to the display by a security device, of course, but I was able to play around with it.

I loved the clicking sound the camera made each time I snapped a photo. I loved how crisp each picture looked. I loved how I felt like a professional as I rotated the lens to zoom in and out. I loved everything about this camera …except the price.

But not yet willing to give up this newfound dream of becoming an amateur photographer, I browsed the rest of the circular display, and eventually spotted a Nikon that cost just under $600. ("Still out of reach," I thought. "But much closer.")

As I picked it up, a cheery associate in a blue polo shirt approached me.

He explained and demonstrated every feature of the camera, and almost 40 minutes later I found myself at the register, handing over my debit card, practically draining my account. (I had about $800 in my checking account from my part-time hostessing gig.)

I spent the next two months photographing everyone and everything I could in my spare time. I shot photos of the breathtaking Arizona landscape I'd soon be leaving for good, and captured important moments between my closest friends, who were all about to head to different parts of the country to begin their post-college lives.

That's why the $642.87 I paid for my Nikon D3000 is the best money I ever spent. It has allowed me to capture moments I can't get back — the ones I don't want to forget and that I can never reproduce. 

It's also allowed me to document memories from other things I'm happy I spent money on, like concerts and vacations, and has taught me to find beauty and emotion in almost anything. 

My camera has helped me become a photographer, which has made me more patient and present and thoughtful.

It's has also given be a hobby and has challenged me to master a skill. 

It has changed my life, as cheesy as that sounds.

Needless to say, I'm glad I walked into Best Buy that day. But I should mention: I never did get those two DVDs.

Read about the best money successful people ever spent in Business Insider's Success Series.

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If you're looking for a good place to find beautiful iPhone wallpapers, you need to check out WLPPR.

The new website pulls from existing satellite images of the Earth and transforms them into gorgeous iPhone backgrounds.

Each HD image contains an incredible amount of detail, and below each wallpaper are some handy links for downloading cropped versions that will perfectly fit an iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus.

If you're curious and want to learn more about the exact section of Earth the satellite image comes from, there are also direct links to NASA, ESA, or Yandex with detailed background info for every photo.

While most of WLPPR's images are satellite images of Earth, there's also a small section devoted to images of Mars.

WLPPR was created in only a day by Sergey Minkin, a user interface designer for Russian internet company Yandex. While WLPPR only exists in website form for now, Minkin wrote on Product Hunt that a WLPPR mobile app is on the way.

For now, if you want to save a WLPPR image as your new iPhone background, here's what you do.

From your iPhone, click on this link to bring up WLPPR's mobile site. Find a wallpaper you like and click the download link for your specific iPhone model. Once the image loads, hold down a finger on the image and save it to your Photos app. You can now go back into Photos and select "Use as Wallpaper" from the menu. 

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