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Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visua …
Title Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visualized from AIRS Instrument Suite Data
Abstract Packing gusts of nearly 300 kilometers per hour (184 miles per hour) and sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super-Typhoon Pongsona struck the U.S. Island of Guam on December 8, 2002. This 3D model of the hurricane shows the outline of the clouds, based on cloud top heights derived from AIRS observations. The color overlay represents the brightness temperatures observed in one of the HSB channels. Blue areas indicate intense convection and rain, while green and yellow reflect the internal temperature of the clouds. Microwaves, unlike infrared radiation, penetrate clouds and look into them or even through them. Red, most of which has been removed from the picture for clarity, represents areas where HSB penetrates all the way to the surface.
Completed 2003-01-27
Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visua …
Title Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visualized from AIRS Instrument Suite Data
Abstract Packing gusts of nearly 300 kilometers per hour (184 miles per hour) and sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super-Typhoon Pongsona struck the U.S. Island of Guam on December 8, 2002. This 3D model of the hurricane shows the outline of the clouds, based on cloud top heights derived from AIRS observations. The color overlay represents the brightness temperatures observed in one of the HSB channels. Blue areas indicate intense convection and rain, while green and yellow reflect the internal temperature of the clouds. Microwaves, unlike infrared radiation, penetrate clouds and look into them or even through them. Red, most of which has been removed from the picture for clarity, represents areas where HSB penetrates all the way to the surface.
Completed 2003-01-27
Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visua …
Title Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visualized from AIRS Instrument Suite Data
Abstract Packing gusts of nearly 300 kilometers per hour (184 miles per hour) and sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super-Typhoon Pongsona struck the U.S. Island of Guam on December 8, 2002. This 3D model of the hurricane shows the outline of the clouds, based on cloud top heights derived from AIRS observations. The color overlay represents the brightness temperatures observed in one of the HSB channels. Blue areas indicate intense convection and rain, while green and yellow reflect the internal temperature of the clouds. Microwaves, unlike infrared radiation, penetrate clouds and look into them or even through them. Red, most of which has been removed from the picture for clarity, represents areas where HSB penetrates all the way to the surface.
Completed 2003-01-27
Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visua …
Title Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visualized from AIRS Instrument Suite Data
Abstract Packing gusts of nearly 300 kilometers per hour (184 miles per hour) and sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super-Typhoon Pongsona struck the U.S. Island of Guam on December 8, 2002. This 3D model of the hurricane shows the outline of the clouds, based on cloud top heights derived from AIRS observations. The color overlay represents the brightness temperatures observed in one of the HSB channels. Blue areas indicate intense convection and rain, while green and yellow reflect the internal temperature of the clouds. Microwaves, unlike infrared radiation, penetrate clouds and look into them or even through them. Red, most of which has been removed from the picture for clarity, represents areas where HSB penetrates all the way to the surface.
Completed 2003-01-27
Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visua …
Title Super-Typhoon Pongsona Visualized from AIRS Instrument Suite Data
Abstract Packing gusts of nearly 300 kilometers per hour (184 miles per hour) and sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour (150 miles per hour), Super-Typhoon Pongsona struck the U.S. Island of Guam on December 8, 2002. This 3D model of the hurricane shows the outline of the clouds, based on cloud top heights derived from AIRS observations. The color overlay represents the brightness temperatures observed in one of the HSB channels. Blue areas indicate intense convection and rain, while green and yellow reflect the internal temperature of the clouds. Microwaves, unlike infrared radiation, penetrate clouds and look into them or even through them. Red, most of which has been removed from the picture for clarity, represents areas where HSB penetrates all the way to the surface.
Completed 2003-01-27
Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near s …
Title Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near southern California #2
Abstract This visualization shows 3D volumetric water vapor data from the Aqua/Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. As the camera moved down and around the data set, the low data values are faded out revealing only the highest concentrations of water vapor data. This version (#2) ends with a slightly lower threshold than the original version - showing more of the highest water vapor concentrations. The color and opacity at each 3D voxel are driven by the water vapor data. The data set was obtained by Aqua on January 1, 2003. Only data from the sea level to about 10km are shown. This visualization was created to support a JPL press release about how assimilated AIRS data is improving global atmospheric simulation model forecasts by about 6 hours (from about 5 days to about 5 days and 6 hours).
Completed 2005-02-09
Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near s …
Title Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near southern California #2
Abstract This visualization shows 3D volumetric water vapor data from the Aqua/Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. As the camera moved down and around the data set, the low data values are faded out revealing only the highest concentrations of water vapor data. This version (#2) ends with a slightly lower threshold than the original version - showing more of the highest water vapor concentrations. The color and opacity at each 3D voxel are driven by the water vapor data. The data set was obtained by Aqua on January 1, 2003. Only data from the sea level to about 10km are shown. This visualization was created to support a JPL press release about how assimilated AIRS data is improving global atmospheric simulation model forecasts by about 6 hours (from about 5 days to about 5 days and 6 hours).
Completed 2005-02-09
Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near s …
Title Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near southern California #2
Abstract This visualization shows 3D volumetric water vapor data from the Aqua/Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. As the camera moved down and around the data set, the low data values are faded out revealing only the highest concentrations of water vapor data. This version (#2) ends with a slightly lower threshold than the original version - showing more of the highest water vapor concentrations. The color and opacity at each 3D voxel are driven by the water vapor data. The data set was obtained by Aqua on January 1, 2003. Only data from the sea level to about 10km are shown. This visualization was created to support a JPL press release about how assimilated AIRS data is improving global atmospheric simulation model forecasts by about 6 hours (from about 5 days to about 5 days and 6 hours).
Completed 2005-02-09
Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near s …
Title Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near southern California #2
Abstract This visualization shows 3D volumetric water vapor data from the Aqua/Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. As the camera moved down and around the data set, the low data values are faded out revealing only the highest concentrations of water vapor data. This version (#2) ends with a slightly lower threshold than the original version - showing more of the highest water vapor concentrations. The color and opacity at each 3D voxel are driven by the water vapor data. The data set was obtained by Aqua on January 1, 2003. Only data from the sea level to about 10km are shown. This visualization was created to support a JPL press release about how assimilated AIRS data is improving global atmospheric simulation model forecasts by about 6 hours (from about 5 days to about 5 days and 6 hours).
Completed 2005-02-09
Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near s …
Title Aqua/AIRS Water Vapor near southern California #2
Abstract This visualization shows 3D volumetric water vapor data from the Aqua/Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument. As the camera moved down and around the data set, the low data values are faded out revealing only the highest concentrations of water vapor data. This version (#2) ends with a slightly lower threshold than the original version - showing more of the highest water vapor concentrations. The color and opacity at each 3D voxel are driven by the water vapor data. The data set was obtained by Aqua on January 1, 2003. Only data from the sea level to about 10km are shown. This visualization was created to support a JPL press release about how assimilated AIRS data is improving global atmospheric simulation model forecasts by about 6 hours (from about 5 days to about 5 days and 6 hours).
Completed 2005-02-09
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
Mars Express Close-Up of the …
Title Mars Express Close-Up of the Face on Mars
Explanation Wouldn't it be fun if clouds [ http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/html/edu/clouds/What_are_clouds.html ] were turtles [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles ]? Wouldn't it be fun if the laundry on the bedroom chair was a friendly monster [ http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/monsters.html ]? Wouldn't it be fun if rock mesas on Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] were faces or interplanetary monuments? Clouds [ http://seaborg.nmu.edu/clouds/types.html ], though, are small water droplets, floating on air. Laundry is cotton [ http://www.cotton.org/ncc/education/cotton_faq.htm ], wool [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wool ], or plastic [ http://www.plasticsresource.com/plastics_101/index.html ], woven into garments. Famous Martian rock mesas [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa ] known by names like the Face on Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980406.html ] appear quite natural [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast24may_1.htm ] when seen more clearly, as the above recently-released digital-perspective image [ http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM09F8LURE_index_1.html#subhead5 ] shows. Is reality boring [ http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewforum.php?f=9 ]? Nobody knows how clouds make lightning [ http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/primer/ ]. Nobody knows the geological history [ http://calspace.ucsd.edu/Mars99/docs/library/science/geological_history/water1.html ] of Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060730.html ]. Nobody knows why the laundry on the bedroom chair smells like root beer [ http://www.rootbeerworld.com/ ]. Understanding reality brings more questions. Mystery [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001008.html ] and adventure [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970528.html ] are never far behind. Perhaps fun [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ StarChild/StarChild.html ] and discovery [ http://discovery.nasa.gov/ ] are just beginning [ http://science.hq.nasa.gov/missions/phase.html ].
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 ].
Colorful Water Clouds Over M …
Title Colorful Water Clouds Over Mars
Explanation One place where water can be found on Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ] is in clouds [ http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/html/edu/clouds/What_are_clouds.html ]. In the above picture [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA03213 ] colorful water clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971013.html ] are visible just after sunrise in and around a maze of canyons [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980212.html ] known as Noctis Labyrinthus [ http://ic-www.arc.nasa.gov/ic/projects/bayes-group/Atlas/Mars/features/n/noctis_labyrinthus.html ] (the labyrinth of the night). Scientists don't yet know, however, why these clouds formed [ http://apod.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?clouds+and+mars ], and why some stick to the canyons [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1997LPI....28.1413T ]. One exciting possibility is that water sometimes condenses [ http://faldo.atmos.uiuc.edu/w_unit/LESSONS/condensation.html ] in shaded regions [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980306.html ] of the canyon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950720.html ]s, only to evaporate [ http://school.discovery.com/homeworkhelp/worldbook/atozscience/e/187400.html ] into clouds when exposed to the morning Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991110.html ]. Water in any form on the Martian surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000514.html ] might be important to sustaining life and possible future human exploration [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/science/human/index.html ]. Viking Orbiter 1 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/viking.html ], which visited Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] in 1976, took the above picture [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenCatalogPage.pl?PIA03213 ]. The region shown is about 100 kilometers across.
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/ ]
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI …
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.
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI …
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.
Typhoon Saomai as seen by AI …
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.
Sulfur Dioxide Plume from Mt …
PIA09937
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Sulfur Dioxide Plume from Mt. Etna Eruption 2002 as Detected with AIRS Data
Original Caption Released with Image Mt. Etna, a volcano on the island of Sicily, erupted on October 26, 2002. Preliminary analysis of data taken by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on October 28 shows the instrument can provide an excellent means to study the evolution and structure of the sulfur dioxide plume emitted from volcanoes. These data also demonstrate that AIRS can be used to obtain the total mass of sulfur dioxide injected into the atmosphere during a volcanic event, information that may help us to better understand these dangerous natural occurrences in the future. The image clearly shows the sulfur dioxide plume. This image was created by comparing data taken at two different frequencies, or channels, and creating one image that highlights the differences between these two channels. Both channels are sensitive to water vapor, but one of the channels is also sensitive to sulfur dioxide. By subtracting out the common water vapor signal in both channels, the sulfur dioxide feature remains and shows up as an enhancement in the difference image. 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.
AIRS Detection of Dust: Glob …
PIA09940
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title AIRS Detection of Dust: Global Map for July 2003
Original Caption Released with Image The averaged brightness temperature differences between the 961 and 1231 cm-1 AIRS channels for July 2003, reveal long range transport of Sahara Dust across the Atlantic. 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.
AIRS-Retrieved Global Tropos …
PIA09941
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title AIRS-Retrieved Global Tropospheric Methane for August 2005
Original Caption Released with Image This image is the AIRS-retrieved global tropospheric methane for August 2005. This AIRS research product will aid in the identification of natural and anthropogenic sources of this greenhouse gas, its seasonal and multi-year variation and its transport around the globe at several altitudes in the troposphere.
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