|
|
Hurricane Isidore
| Description |
Hurricane Isidore |
| Full Description |
A view of Hurricane Isidore from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounding System (AIRS) on Aqua. At the time Aqua passed over Isidore, it was classified as a Category 3 (possibly 4) hurricane, with minimum pressure of 934 mbar, maximum sustained wind speeds of 110 knots (gusting to 135) and an eye diameter of 20 nautical miles. Isidore was later downgraded to a Tropical Storm before gathering strength again. This is a visible/near-infrared image, made with the AIRS instrument. Its 2 km resolution shows fine details of the cloud structure, and can be used to help interpret the other images. For example, some relatively cloud-free regions in the eye of the hurricane can be distinguished. This image was made with wavelengths slightly different than those seen by the human eye, causing plants to appear very red. In the near future, weather data derived from these images will allow us to improve our forecasts and track the paths of hurricanes more accurately. The AIRS sounding system provides 2400 such images, or channels, continuously. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. *Image Credit:* NASA/JPL |
| Date |
September 14, 2002 |
|
Fires in Greece as seen by A
…
| Title |
Fires in Greece as seen by Aqua/AIRS |
| Abstract |
A series of fires across Greece in August of 2007 burned 469,000 acres and claimed the lives of 65 people. The fires, in which an estimated 4,000 people lost their homes, mostly occurred in the southern part of of the country. In this visualization, the carbon monoxide signature from the fires in Greece is revealed in data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua spacecraft. Forest fires create large amounts of carbon monoxide. AIRS provides daily global maps of carbon monoxide from space, allowing scientists to follow the global transport of this gas day-to-day. This visualization shows the amount of Carbon monoxide that has risen 2 to 8 kilometers (6,500 ft to 26,200 ft altitude) from August 24-28, 2007. More carbon monoxide generally means more pollution, either natural from wildfires or from industrial and domestic sources. Beginning August 24, a significant plume emanates from the extensive fires burning in Greece. This plume moves southeast across the Mediterranean Sea and over North Africa from August 24 to 28. It crosses to Africa and arcs westward over the Sahara Desert and continues to curl around over the Eastern Mediterranean toward Sardinia and Corsica. |
| Completed |
2007-08-30 |
|
The A-Train Observes Tropica
…
| Title |
The A-Train Observes Tropical Storm Debby |
| Abstract |
The A-Train is a group of spacecraft flying in close formation allowing data taken by each instrument to be correlated to the other instruments providing data synergy. The A-Train includes Aqua, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Parasol, and Aura. The animation begins showing the Earth with moving clouds and with a day/night terminator. Time slows down, and A-train spacecraft orbits are added during a daytime pass. The orbits progress around the globe for 12 hours. During a night time pass the camera zooms into Tropical Storm Debby as the A-train flys over on August 24, 2006. Data sets from some of the A-train's spacecraft/instruments are shown including Aqua/MODIS, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, and Aqua/AIRS. This visualization was created to support an A-Train session at the 2007 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). |
| Completed |
2007-06-27 |
|
The A-Train Observes Tropica
…
| Title |
The A-Train Observes Tropical Storm Debby |
| Abstract |
The A-Train is a group of spacecraft flying in close formation allowing data taken by each instrument to be correlated to the other instruments providing data synergy. The A-Train includes Aqua, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Parasol, and Aura. The animation begins showing the Earth with moving clouds and with a day/night terminator. Time slows down, and A-train spacecraft orbits are added during a daytime pass. The orbits progress around the globe for 12 hours. During a night time pass the camera zooms into Tropical Storm Debby as the A-train flys over on August 24, 2006. Data sets from some of the A-train's spacecraft/instruments are shown including Aqua/MODIS, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, and Aqua/AIRS. This visualization was created to support an A-Train session at the 2007 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). |
| Completed |
2007-06-27 |
|
The A-Train Observes Tropica
…
| Title |
The A-Train Observes Tropical Storm Debby |
| Abstract |
The A-Train is a group of spacecraft flying in close formation allowing data taken by each instrument to be correlated to the other instruments providing data synergy. The A-Train includes Aqua, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Parasol, and Aura. The animation begins showing the Earth with moving clouds and with a day/night terminator. Time slows down, and A-train spacecraft orbits are added during a daytime pass. The orbits progress around the globe for 12 hours. During a night time pass the camera zooms into Tropical Storm Debby as the A-train flys over on August 24, 2006. Data sets from some of the A-train's spacecraft/instruments are shown including Aqua/MODIS, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, and Aqua/AIRS. This visualization was created to support an A-Train session at the 2007 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). |
| Completed |
2007-06-27 |
|
The A-Train Observes Tropica
…
| Title |
The A-Train Observes Tropical Storm Debby |
| Abstract |
The A-Train is a group of spacecraft flying in close formation allowing data taken by each instrument to be correlated to the other instruments providing data synergy. The A-Train includes Aqua, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, Parasol, and Aura. The animation begins showing the Earth with moving clouds and with a day/night terminator. Time slows down, and A-train spacecraft orbits are added during a daytime pass. The orbits progress around the globe for 12 hours. During a night time pass the camera zooms into Tropical Storm Debby as the A-train flys over on August 24, 2006. Data sets from some of the A-train's spacecraft/instruments are shown including Aqua/MODIS, Cloudsat, CALIPSO, and Aqua/AIRS. This visualization was created to support an A-Train session at the 2007 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS). |
| Completed |
2007-06-27 |
|
Hurricane Alex
| Title |
Hurricane Alex |
| Description |
This image and movie of Tropical Storm Alex was made with the infrared sensor in the AIRS instrument suite on August 2, 2004. Located in the Atlantic Ocean located about 80 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, the storm is moving in a north/northeast path at 5 knots (6 mph). At the time of this observation, the storm had a maximum sustained wind speed of 35 knots (40 mph) with gusts to 45 knots (52 mph). The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Image and movie courtesy of the AIRS Science Team [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
|
Hurricane Alex
| Title |
Hurricane Alex |
| Description |
This image and movie of Tropical Storm Alex was made with the infrared sensor in the AIRS instrument suite on August 2, 2004. Located in the Atlantic Ocean located about 80 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, the storm is moving in a north/northeast path at 5 knots (6 mph). At the time of this observation, the storm had a maximum sustained wind speed of 35 knots (40 mph) with gusts to 45 knots (52 mph). The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Image and movie courtesy of the AIRS Science Team [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
|
Hurricane Celia
| Title |
Hurricane Celia |
| Description |
The image above shows Tropical Storm Celia on July 21, 2004, in visible light, as you would perceive it from space. Located in the eastern north Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, Celia has a small eye with an 80-90 percent closed eyewall. Celia briefly reached hurricane status on July 22 when sustained winds reached 75 miles per hour and gusts reached 92 mph, making it the first hurricane of the eastern north Pacific season. This image was acquired by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth?s weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth?s surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA?s Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] spacecraft. For more images and information about Hurricane Celia, please visit the AIRS [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/image_releases/2004/tropical_storm_celia.html ] web site. Image courtesy AIRS team [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], NASA JPL |
|
Hurricane Darby
| Title |
Hurricane Darby |
| Description |
The image above shows Tropical Depression 5E on July 26 before it evolved into Tropical Storm Darby. This daylight image was made with the visible sensor in the AIRS instrument suite. Located in the eastern north Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, Darby is in the upper right-hand corner. Circulation is not apparent because the storm was not organized sufficiently to allow the nascent eye to appear. At this time, winds were approximately 35 mph. In the early morning of July 28th, Darby was upgraded to hurricane status. About the Movie The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Image courtesy AIRS team [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], NASA JPL |
|
Hurricane Darby
| Title |
Hurricane Darby |
| Description |
The image above shows Tropical Depression 5E on July 26 before it evolved into Tropical Storm Darby. This daylight image was made with the visible sensor in the AIRS instrument suite. Located in the eastern north Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, Darby is in the upper right-hand corner. Circulation is not apparent because the storm was not organized sufficiently to allow the nascent eye to appear. At this time, winds were approximately 35 mph. In the early morning of July 28th, Darby was upgraded to hurricane status. About the Movie The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Image courtesy AIRS team [ http://airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ ], NASA JPL |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
AIRS Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory., These images generated from data retrieved by the sensors in the AIRS instrument suite show Hurricane Frances on Monday, August 30. With sustaining winds of 125 mph (195 km/hr) reaching out 85 miles from the eye, this powerful storm was a category 3 hurricane at the time this image was taken. Located in the Atlantic about 265 miles (425 km) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, Frances on August 30 was moving westward north of Puerto Rico towards the Bahamas at 12 mph (19 km/hr). The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Frances is taking place - these are the blue areas surrounding the eye of the storm. Rain appears cold in the microwave, and blue in this image. (The extensive blue patches away from Frances indicate clear skies. A clear ocean surface looks very cold in the microwave, the warmer green patches are areas where clouds obscure the ocean surface.) An interesting and unusual aspect of these images is cold microwave temperatures associated with warm infrared temperatures in an arc north of the eye of the storm. Normally, very cold microwave temperatures in cloudy regions indicate the presence of convection and precipitation. Corresponding infrared temperatures are then also low, indicating high, cold clouds. In this case, the infrared temperatures are warmer than the surrounding regions. The warm anomaly is about 15 degrees Kelvin (27 F), which is what one would observe if the cloud tops were 50-100 mb lower in the atmosphere (where it is that much warmer). One explanation for such a lowering would be an upper level downdraft that lowers the cirrus shield that is always present over a hurricane. Another explanation would be that the latent heat released by the intense convection may cause the local air temperature to rise by that much. Finally, it is also possible that the area is almost clear. The microwave instrument would then see the ocean surface (which appears very cold and sometimes looks similar to the precipitation signature), and the infrared instrument would see a mix of cold cloud tops and warm ocean surface, which would appear warmer than surrounding areas that are completely covered by clouds. The AIRS retrieved quantities are silent on this issue since the system is unable to peer deeply into this region of wild winds, heavy rain and thick clouds. NASA image courtesy of the |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
AIRS Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory., These images generated from data retrieved by the sensors in the AIRS instrument suite show Hurricane Frances on Monday, August 30. With sustaining winds of 125 mph (195 km/hr) reaching out 85 miles from the eye, this powerful storm was a category 3 hurricane at the time this image was taken. Located in the Atlantic about 265 miles (425 km) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, Frances on August 30 was moving westward north of Puerto Rico towards the Bahamas at 12 mph (19 km/hr). The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Frances is taking place - these are the blue areas surrounding the eye of the storm. Rain appears cold in the microwave, and blue in this image. (The extensive blue patches away from Frances indicate clear skies. A clear ocean surface looks very cold in the microwave, the warmer green patches are areas where clouds obscure the ocean surface.) An interesting and unusual aspect of these images is cold microwave temperatures associated with warm infrared temperatures in an arc north of the eye of the storm. Normally, very cold microwave temperatures in cloudy regions indicate the presence of convection and precipitation. Corresponding infrared temperatures are then also low, indicating high, cold clouds. In this case, the infrared temperatures are warmer than the surrounding regions. The warm anomaly is about 15 degrees Kelvin (27 F), which is what one would observe if the cloud tops were 50-100 mb lower in the atmosphere (where it is that much warmer). One explanation for such a lowering would be an upper level downdraft that lowers the cirrus shield that is always present over a hurricane. Another explanation would be that the latent heat released by the intense convection may cause the local air temperature to rise by that much. Finally, it is also possible that the area is almost clear. The microwave instrument would then see the ocean surface (which appears very cold and sometimes looks similar to the precipitation signature), and the infrared instrument would see a mix of cold cloud tops and warm ocean surface, which would appear warmer than surrounding areas that are completely covered by clouds. The AIRS retrieved quantities are silent on this issue since the system is unable to peer deeply into this region of wild winds, heavy rain and thick clouds. NASA image courtesy of the |
|
Eruption of Soufriere Hills
…
| Title |
Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano |
| Description |
In the early morning hours of May 20, 2006, the eruption at the Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat Island in the Caribbean escalated from intermittent ash plumes to an explosive eruption as the volcano's collapsing lava dome shed about 90 million cubic meters of rock in less than three hours, reported the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. Avalanches of ash, mud, and rock mingled with heavy rain and rushed down river valleys into the ocean. The eruption also sent a cloud of ash and volcanic gas nearly 17 kilometers (55,000 feet) into the atmosphere. Flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) tracked the cloud as it drifted west over the Caribbean Sea and Central America. Among the gases mixed in the ash cloud was sulfur dioxide, one of the gases that AIRS detects as it measures the composition of the atmosphere. AIRS measured high levels of sulfur dioxide west of the volcano as the sensor passed over the region during three consecutive overpasses on May 21, May 22, and May 23. In this image, the highest concentrations of sulfur dioxide are red, while the lowest concentrations are pale purple. (The scale is logarithmic, in which the numbers represent an exponential increase in concentration. On this scale, the exponential increase makes the sulfur dioxide concentrations at the top end of this scale not just 4.5 times bigger than the concentration at the low end, but more than 33 times bigger.) Though the gas slowly dissipated between measurements, the center of the cloud still contained a high concentration of sulfur dioxide on May 23. Aside from irritating the eyes and nose, making breathing difficult, and having a strong smell, sulfur dioxide can impact climate. Once in the atmosphere, chemical reactions (oxidation) turn sulfur dioxide into sulfate aerosol particles that create a bright haze that reflects sunlight back into space. Since less sunlight reaches the Earth, the sulfate aerosols have a cooling effect on the climate. The effect is typically regional, but if enough of the gas reaches high into the stratosphere, the part of the atmosphere that is 20 to 50 kilometers above the surface of the Earth, temperatures around the world can drop. AIRS was built to help scientists gain a better understanding of weather and climate, including how gases like sulfur dioxide and the aerosols they produce impact temperatures and weather patterns. The instrument measures air temperature, humidity, clouds, surface temperature, and atmospheric composition—all components of the atmosphere that influence weather and climate. Image courtesy Fred Prata, Norwegian Institute for Air Research [ http://www.nilu.no/index.cfm?lan_id=3 ] |
|
Heaven on Earth
| Title |
Heaven on Earth |
| Explanation |
If sometimes it appears that the entire Milky Way Galaxy [ http://www.seds.org/messier/more/mw.html ] is raining down on your head, do not despair. It happens twice a day. As the Sun rises [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990817.html ] in the East, wonders of the night sky become less bright than the sunlight scattered [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991110.html ] by our own Earth's atmosphere [ http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html ], and so fade from view. They will only rotate back into view when the Earth again eclipses our bright Sun at dusk [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980526.html ]. This battle between heaven and Earth was captured dramatically above [ http://www.ne.jp/asahi/stellar/scenes/milky_e/mw03.htm ] during the last few minutes of daylight on 1999 August 10 in Koumi [ http://www.yahoo.co.jp/Regional/Japanese_Regions/Shinetu/Nagano/Cities/Koumi/ ], Japan [ http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ja.html ]. Dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990509.html ], millions of stars [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/brightest.html ], and bright glowing red gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ] highlight the plane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990224.html ] of our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971229.html ], which lies on average thousands of light years [ http://einstein.stcloudstate.edu/Dome/constellns/lightyear.html ] behind Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990131.html ]'s yellow and green reflecting clouds [ http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/html/edu/clouds/What_are_clouds.html ]. |
|
Okmok Volcano Erupts: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On July 12, 2008, Okmok Volc
…
okmok_air_2008202
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-07-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
okmok_air_2008202 |
|
Cirrus Plume over the Sierra
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In this satellite image, wha
…
cirrus_tmo_2002303
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-10-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ MODIS Rapid Response team. |
| identifier |
cirrus_tmo_2002303 |
|
Hurricane Frances: Natural H
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
These images generated from
…
Frances_AIRS20040830
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-08-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Frances_AIRS20040830 |
|
Visualization of Fires in Gr
…
PIA09923
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
| Title |
Visualization of Fires in Greece as seen by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
[ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/archive/PIA09923.m1v ] Click on the image for visualization Four-Day Time Series A series of fires across Greece in August of 2007 burned 469,000 acres and claimed the lives of 65 people. The fires, in which an estimated 4,000 people lost their homes, mostly occurred in the southern part of the country. In the visualization (see above), the carbon monoxide signature from the fires in Greece is revealed in data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, AIRS. Forest fires create large amounts of carbon monoxide. AIRS provides daily global maps of carbon monoxide from space, allowing scientists to follow the global transport of this gas day-to-day. The visualization covers data retrieved over the period from August 24-28, 2007, and shows the amount of CO that has risen into the broad layer within the free troposphere. More carbon monoxide generally means more pollution, either natural from wildfires or from industrial and domestic sources. Beginning August 24, a significant plume emanates from the extensive fires burning in Greece. This plume moves southeast across the Mediterranean Sea and over North Africa from August 24 to 28. It crosses to Africa and arcs westward over the Sahara Desert and continues to curl around over the Eastern Mediterranean toward Sardinia and Corsica. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment (AIRS) [ http://airs/ ], with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Katrina as Observe
…
PIA04178
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: click on image for larger AIRS microwave image At 1:30 a.m. local time this morning, the remnants of (now Tropical Depression) Katrina were centered on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. This microwave image from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecrat shows that the area of most intense precipitation was concentrated to the north of the center of activity. The infrared image shows how the storms look through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image (figure 1) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in the hurricane is taking place. The blue areas within the storm show the location of this heavy precipitation. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are moderate or no clouds are where the cold (in the microwave sense) sea surface shines through. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Katrina as Observe
…
PIA04178
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1: click on image for larger AIRS microwave image At 1:30 a.m. local time this morning, the remnants of (now Tropical Depression) Katrina were centered on the Mississippi-Tennessee border. This microwave image from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecrat shows that the area of most intense precipitation was concentrated to the north of the center of activity. The infrared image shows how the storms look through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image (figure 1) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in the hurricane is taking place. The blue areas within the storm show the location of this heavy precipitation. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are moderate or no clouds are where the cold (in the microwave sense) sea surface shines through. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Rita as Observed b
…
PIA00449
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita as Observed byNASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
). The big blue swath was a relatively clear area ahead of Rita that was over the Gulf and the Atlantic. Now Rita has moved closer to land and all the area over the ocean is taken up by the storm. If there is clear air in front, it is over land and thus will show up hot because of the emissivity of the land. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. The blue areas around the eye are indicative of very high, cold cloud tops crowned by ice. These cloud towers are indicative of strong convection and rain - these are strong high altitude thunderstorms in the eye wall. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena., Microwave Image Rita was a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and a central pressure of 897 millibar at the time the data used to create these AIRS images were retrieved. Storm position is approximately 470 southeast of Galveston, Texas. The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures in dark purple are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. The infrared image reveals a very well developed eye at the center of the storm. The red at the center of the eye indicates medium altitude clouds are obscuring the eye, and the blue ring delineates the towering thunderstorms of the eye wall ring. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures except over open water (which appears colder due to lower emissivity). Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. Notice that some high cold clouds as indicated in the infrared do not show up much in the microwave. Microwaves are strongly affected by rain and ice crystals, so some high clouds are almost certainly not raining and may be pretty thin (like cirrus). In the microwave image created from the AIRS microwave sensor (see figure 1), the large blue swath that previously extended into the Gulf is gone (refer to AIRS Image Log [ http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/Multimedia/Images/HurricaneRita22Sep05/ ] |
|
Hurricane Rita as Observed b
…
PIA00449
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita as Observed byNASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
). The big blue swath was a relatively clear area ahead of Rita that was over the Gulf and the Atlantic. Now Rita has moved closer to land and all the area over the ocean is taken up by the storm. If there is clear air in front, it is over land and thus will show up hot because of the emissivity of the land. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. The blue areas around the eye are indicative of very high, cold cloud tops crowned by ice. These cloud towers are indicative of strong convection and rain - these are strong high altitude thunderstorms in the eye wall. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena., Microwave Image Rita was a category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph and a central pressure of 897 millibar at the time the data used to create these AIRS images were retrieved. Storm position is approximately 470 southeast of Galveston, Texas. The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures in dark purple are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. The infrared image reveals a very well developed eye at the center of the storm. The red at the center of the eye indicates medium altitude clouds are obscuring the eye, and the blue ring delineates the towering thunderstorms of the eye wall ring. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures except over open water (which appears colder due to lower emissivity). Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. Notice that some high cold clouds as indicated in the infrared do not show up much in the microwave. Microwaves are strongly affected by rain and ice crystals, so some high clouds are almost certainly not raining and may be pretty thin (like cirrus). In the microwave image created from the AIRS microwave sensor (see figure 1), the large blue swath that previously extended into the Gulf is gone (refer to AIRS Image Log [ http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/Multimedia/Images/HurricaneRita22Sep05/ ] |
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Hurricane Frances as Observe
…
PIA00435
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Frances as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and SeaWinds Scatterometer |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena., This image shows Hurricane Frances as captured by instruments onboard two different satellites: the AIRS infrared instrument onboard Aqua, and the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard QuikSCAT. Both are JPL-managed instruments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction over the ocean. The red vectors in the image show Frances' surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on QuikSCAT. The background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface as viewed in the infrared by AIRS, with cooler areas pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The color scale on the right gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin. (The top of the scale, 320 degrees Kelvin, corresponds to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and the bottom, 180 degrees K is -135 degrees F.) The powerful circulation of this storm is evident from the combined data as well as the development of a clearly-defined central "eye". The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the light blue areas reveal the cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. In cloud-free areas the infrared signal comes from Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. The power of the SeaWinds scatterometer data set lies in its ability to generate global maps of wind speed and direction, giving us a snapshot of how the atmosphere is circulating. Weather prediction centers, including the Tropical Prediction Center - a branch of NOAA that monitors the creation of ocean-born storms, use scatterometer data to help it "see" where these storms are brewing so that warnings can be issued and the storms, with often erratic motions, can be tracked. While the SeaWinds instrument isn't designed to gather hurricane data, having difficulty seeing the surface in heavy rain, it's data can be used in combination with other data sets to give us an insight into these storms. In this combination image, the AIRS infrared data reveals the temperature of the atmosphere around the storm, but doesn't tell us about the wind direction or relative intensity. The directional vectors of the SeaWinds data set show how the air is circulating around the storm. Scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction by bouncing microwave pulses off the ocean's surface. The SeaWinds instruments measure the backscattered radar energy from wind-generated ocean waves. By making multiple measurements from different looks at the same location, we can infer the vector wind averaged over each 25 km resolution cell. The primary mission objective of the SeaWinds and QuikSCAT scatterometers is to obtain long-term, global coverage of the ocean vector winds for oceanographic and climate research. While not specifically designed for detailed mapping and tracking of hurricanes, both instruments have been found to be useful resources for operational forecasters. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Bonnie as Obs
…
PIA00441
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Bonnie as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of tropical storm Bonnie was captured on August 11 at 1:30am CDT. Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the center of the storm is positioned about 280 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 45 mph and extending 30 miles from the storm center. It is moving northward at 5 mph. About the Movies The major contribution to radiation (infrared light) that AIRS infrared channels sense comes from different levels in the atmosphere, depending upon the channel wavelength. To create the movies, a set of AIRS infrared channels were selected which probe the atmosphere at progressively deeper levels. If there were no clouds, the color in each frame would be nearly uniform until the Earth's surface is encountered. The tropospheric air temperature warms at a rate of 6 K (about 11 F) for each kilometer of descent toward the surface. Thus the colors would gradually change from cold to warm as the movie progresses. Clouds block the infrared radiation. Thus wherever there are clouds we can penetrate no deeper in infrared. The color remains fixed as the movie progresses, for that area of the image is "stuck" to the cloud top temperature. The coldest temperatures around 220 K (about -65 F) come from altitudes of about 10 miles. We therefore see in a 'surface channel' at the end of the movie, signals from clouds as cold as 220 K and from Earth's surface at 310 K (about 100 F). The very coldest clouds are seen in deep convection thunderstorms over land. Images August 11, 2004 Infrared image. August 10, 2004 Daylight snapshot from AIRS visible/near-infrared sensor. August 11, 2004 At this time, Bonnie is a small tropical storm with wind speeds sustained at 50 mph (85 km/h), and it moving northward at 6 mph. August 10, 2004 Infrared image. (Larger image not currently available.) Movies Slice down the atmosphere with the AIRS infrared sensor. August 10, 2004, 1:30pm ET (Movie not currently available.)"" August 10, 2004, 1:30am ET"" August 9, 2004, 1:30pm ET The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Ernesto over
…
PIA00510
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Ernesto over Cuba |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Microwave Image These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in, Pasadena. |
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Tropical Storm Ernesto over
…
PIA00510
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Storm Ernesto over Cuba |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Microwave Image These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in, Pasadena. |
|
Typhoon Ioke in the Western
…
PIA00511
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Ioke in the Western Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures radiation in four bands of the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagetic spectrum. Data from three of these bands are combined to create "visible" images similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather., Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Typhoon Ioke in the Western
…
PIA00511
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Ioke in the Western Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures radiation in four bands of the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagetic spectrum. Data from three of these bands are combined to create "visible" images similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather., Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Typhoon Ioke in the Western
…
PIA00511
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Ioke in the Western Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures radiation in four bands of the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagetic spectrum. Data from three of these bands are combined to create "visible" images similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather., Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression Debbie i
…
PIA00508
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared Image These images show Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made the eye had not yet opened but the storm is now well organized. The location of the future eye appears as a circle at 275 K brightness temperature in the microwave image just to the SE of the Azores. Microwave Image The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Tropical Depression Debbie captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression Debbie i
…
PIA00508
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared Image These images show Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made the eye had not yet opened but the storm is now well organized. The location of the future eye appears as a circle at 275 K brightness temperature in the microwave image just to the SE of the Azores. Microwave Image The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Tropical Depression Debbie captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression Debbie i
…
PIA00508
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared Image These images show Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made the eye had not yet opened but the storm is now well organized. The location of the future eye appears as a circle at 275 K brightness temperature in the microwave image just to the SE of the Azores. Microwave Image The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Tropical Depression Debbie captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression 6 (Flore
…
PIA00512
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression 6 (Florence) in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image AIRS data used to create the microwave images come from the microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere which is then received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm, where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures light in the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. These "visible" images are similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression 6 (Flore
…
PIA00512
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression 6 (Florence) in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image AIRS data used to create the microwave images come from the microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere which is then received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm, where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures light in the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. These "visible" images are similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Tropical Depression 6 (Flore
…
PIA00512
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Tropical Depression 6 (Florence) in the Atlantic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image AIRS data used to create the microwave images come from the microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere which is then received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm, where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image The AIRS instrument suite contains a sensor that captures light in the visible/near-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. These "visible" images are similar to a snapshot taken with your camera. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Hector in the East
…
PIA00507
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Hector in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared, microwave, and visible/near-infrared images of Hurricane Hector in the eastern Pacific were created with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 17, 2006. The infrared AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Hector is a well organized storm, with the strongest convection in the SE quadrant. The increasing vertical wind shear in the NW quadrant is appearing to have an effect. Maximum sustained winds are at 85 kt, gusts to 105 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mbar. The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. The "visible" image is created from data acquired by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Hector in the East
…
PIA00507
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Hector in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared, microwave, and visible/near-infrared images of Hurricane Hector in the eastern Pacific were created with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 17, 2006. The infrared AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Hector is a well organized storm, with the strongest convection in the SE quadrant. The increasing vertical wind shear in the NW quadrant is appearing to have an effect. Maximum sustained winds are at 85 kt, gusts to 105 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mbar. The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. The "visible" image is created from data acquired by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Hector in the East
…
PIA00507
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Hector in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Infrared, microwave, and visible/near-infrared images of Hurricane Hector in the eastern Pacific were created with data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 17, 2006. The infrared AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Hector is a well organized storm, with the strongest convection in the SE quadrant. The increasing vertical wind shear in the NW quadrant is appearing to have an effect. Maximum sustained winds are at 85 kt, gusts to 105 kt. Estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mbar. The microwave image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. The "visible" image is created from data acquired by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Ileana in the East
…
PIA00509
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Ileana is still intensifying. Peak winds were 100 knots and the minimum pressure 960mb. Major convection/rain bands can be seen in the NE quadrant of the storm. Infrared Image This is an infrared image of Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Microwave Image The second image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Hurricane Ileana captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
|
Hurricane Ileana in the East
…
PIA00509
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Ileana is still intensifying. Peak winds were 100 knots and the minimum pressure 960mb. Major convection/rain bands can be seen in the NE quadrant of the storm. Infrared Image This is an infrared image of Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Microwave Image The second image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Hurricane Ileana captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Hurricane Ileana in the East
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PIA00509
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, Ileana is still intensifying. Peak winds were 100 knots and the minimum pressure 960mb. Major convection/rain bands can be seen in the NE quadrant of the storm. Infrared Image This is an infrared image of Hurricane Ileana in the Eastern Pacific, from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Microwave Image The second image is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. Vis/NIR Image Hurricane Ileana captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI
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PIA08652
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AIRS |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This is an infrared image of Typhoon Saomai from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 10, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the typhoon. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Figure 1 is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. In figure 3, Typhoon Saomai is captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, the Typhoon Saomai was nearly on-shore in China with winds of 130mph, and the storm has a well developed eye. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI
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PIA08652
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AIRS |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This is an infrared image of Typhoon Saomai from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 10, 2006. This AIRS image shows the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the typhoon. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer temperatures (red). Figure 1 is created from microwave radiation emitted by Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas outside of the storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the sea surface shines through. In figure 3, Typhoon Saomai is captured by the visible light/near-infrared sensor on the AIRS instrument. At the time the data were taken from which these images were made, the Typhoon Saomai was nearly on-shore in China with winds of 130mph, and the storm has a well developed eye. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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