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Tropical Storm Ernesto over …
PIA00510
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Tropical Storm Ernesto over Cuba
Original Caption Released with Image Microwave Image These infrared, microwave, and visible images were created with data retrieved by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Infrared Image Because infrared radiation does not penetrate through clouds, AIRS infrared images show either the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the storm. In cloud-free areas the AIRS instrument will receive the infrared radiation from the surface of the Earth, resulting in the warmest temperatures (orange/red). Microwave Image In the AIRS microwave imagery, deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. On the other hand, land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. Microwave radiation from Earth's surface and lower atmosphere penetrates most clouds to a greater or lesser extent depending upon their water vapor, liquid water and ice content. Precipitation, and ice crystals found at the cloud tops where strong convection is taking place, act as barriers to microwave radiation. Because of this barrier effect, the AIRS microwave sensor detects only the radiation arising at or above their location in the atmospheric column. Where these barriers are not present, the microwave sensor detects radiation arising throughout the air column and down to the surface. Liquid surfaces (oceans, lakes and rivers) have "low emissivity" (the signal isn't as strong) and their radiation brightness temperature is therefore low. Thus the ocean also appears "low temperature" in the AIRS microwave images and is assigned the color blue. Therefore deep blue areas in storms show where the most precipitation occurs, or where ice crystals are present in the convective cloud tops. Outside of these storm regions, deep blue areas may also occur over the sea surface due to its low radiation emissivity. Land appears much warmer due to its high radiation emissivity. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared, and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in, Pasadena.
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.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Ivan as Observed b …
PIA00431
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Ivan as Observed by NASA's Spaceborne Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Original Caption Released with Image Hurricane Ivan is the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in 10 years. On September 7 and 8 it damaged 90 percent of the homes in Grenada and killed at least 16 people as it swept over Grenada, Barbados and the other islands in the area. By Thursday morning on September 9, Ivan's sustained winds reached 160 mph making it a rare category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. By Monday September 13, Ivan is blamed for 67 deaths and skirts western Cuba with winds clocked at 156 mph. The National Hurricane Center predicted the eye of Ivan will make landfall across Mobile Bay in Alabama late Wednesday or early Thursday. These images of Hurricane Ivan were acquired by the AIRS infrared, microwave, and visible sensors on September 15 at 1:30 pm local time as the storm moves in to Alabama. Ivan at category 4 strength is about 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama and is moving north at 14 mph. Maximum sustained winds are reported to be at 135 mph and extend 105 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend 290 miles from the center. Ivan pounded the Gulf coast all day Wednesday, and is expected to make landfall between midnight and 3am in Mobile Bay, Alabama. This image shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel, and reveals a very large eye - about 75 km (50 miles) across. 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 2) reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Ivan 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 image shows that the largest area of intense convection/precipitation is in the NE quadrant, centered near New Orleans. There is a smaller but still quite intense area in the SE quadrant trailing the center of the storm that might impact the Alabama coast. Image Journal, September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared 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., September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 7, Tuesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - infrared, 12micron The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color reveals the cool cloud tops of the hurricane. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Ivan becomes better organized as it approaches the Windward Islands. The center of the storm is 170 miles (275 km) southeast of Barbados and moving west at 21 mph (33 km/hr). Maximum sustained winds near 105 mph which extend outward at this force for 70 miles (110 km). September 8, Wednesday, 1:30 am. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan closes in on Jamaica. With only 85 miles between the storm and the island, Ivan's winds at category 4 are sustained at 145 mph (230 km/hr). Hurricane-strength winds extend up to 60 miles from the center of Ivan, and tropical-storm force winds are up to 175 miles from the center. Ivan is now better organized and has a well-defined eye. After Ivan leaves Jamaica, it is expected to hit western Cuba, probably making landfall later Sunday as a CAT 4 hurricane. September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz September 10, Friday, 1:30 pm. - visible/near-infrared September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - infrared, 12micron Ivan's winds at category 5 strength are sustained at 160 mph (260 km/hr) and extend out to 105 miles from the center. Tropical-storm force winds are up to 205 miles from the center. The infrared image shows that the eye has grown quite large - perhaps 40 km (25 miles) across - which is sometimes an indication of weakening but may not be in this case. The surface pressure at the time of this image was estimated by the National Hurricane Center at 915 mb and falling - consistent with a very intense and strengthening hurricane. September 13, Friday, 1:30 pm. - microwave, 89GHz The microwave image shows that Ivan has again developed two distinct convective centers, separated by about 250 km. That pattern developed on September 5 and persisted for 4 days. It disappeared while the storm was passing over Jamaica, but it has now re-formed.
Hurricane Isabel
PIA00428
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Isabel
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1: AIRS infrared channel 2333 (2616 cm-1), Figure 2: Total Water Vapor retrieved from AIRS infrared and AMSU-A microwave data September 18, 2003 These two false-color images show Hurricane Isabel viewed by the AIRS and AMSU-A instruments at 1:30 EDT in the morning of Thursday September 18, 2003. Isabel will be ashore within 12 hours, bringing widespread flooding and destructive winds. In figure 1 on the left, data retrieved by the AIRS infrared sensor shows the hurricane's eye as the small ring of pale blue near the upper left corner of the image. The dark blue band around the eye shows the cold tops of hundreds of powerful thunderstorms. These storms are embedded in the 120 mile per hour winds swirling counterclockwise around Isabel's eye. Cape Hatteras is the finger of land north-northwest of the eye. Isabel's winds will soon push ashore a 4- to 8-foot high mound of 'storm surge' and accompanying high surf, leading to flooding of Cape Hatteras and other islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Also seen in the image are several organized bands of cold, (blue) thunderstorm tops being pulled into the storm center. Other thunderstorm are forming north of the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico near the bottom of the picture. Figure 2 shows the geographical distribution and total amount of atmospheric water vapor associated with Isabel as inferred by AIRS and AMSU-A. Very humid areas appear deep red and surround the storm's eye in the ring of thunderstorms, as seen above. The enhancement of atmospheric water vapor in the storm is maintained by evaporation from the wind-churned sea surface. In turn, the water vapor powers the thunderstorms by condensing as rain and releasing the ocean's warmth into the atmosphere to drive strong convection. This makes Isabel and other hurricanes 'heat engines,' converting ocean water's warmth into atmospheric gales. Isabel is weakening as it move ashore and loses its supply of energy from warm water, but not before raining an expected 6-12 inch thick layer of its water over an area extending from South Carolina and New England to the midwest and southern Canada. Paler blue areas in the water vapor image show less humid heights of the atmosphere, which are associated with the colder thunderstorm tops seen in the infrared 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
Hurricane Isabel
PIA00428
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Isabel
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1: AIRS infrared channel 2333 (2616 cm-1), Figure 2: Total Water Vapor retrieved from AIRS infrared and AMSU-A microwave data September 18, 2003 These two false-color images show Hurricane Isabel viewed by the AIRS and AMSU-A instruments at 1:30 EDT in the morning of Thursday September 18, 2003. Isabel will be ashore within 12 hours, bringing widespread flooding and destructive winds. In figure 1 on the left, data retrieved by the AIRS infrared sensor shows the hurricane's eye as the small ring of pale blue near the upper left corner of the image. The dark blue band around the eye shows the cold tops of hundreds of powerful thunderstorms. These storms are embedded in the 120 mile per hour winds swirling counterclockwise around Isabel's eye. Cape Hatteras is the finger of land north-northwest of the eye. Isabel's winds will soon push ashore a 4- to 8-foot high mound of 'storm surge' and accompanying high surf, leading to flooding of Cape Hatteras and other islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Also seen in the image are several organized bands of cold, (blue) thunderstorm tops being pulled into the storm center. Other thunderstorm are forming north of the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico near the bottom of the picture. Figure 2 shows the geographical distribution and total amount of atmospheric water vapor associated with Isabel as inferred by AIRS and AMSU-A. Very humid areas appear deep red and surround the storm's eye in the ring of thunderstorms, as seen above. The enhancement of atmospheric water vapor in the storm is maintained by evaporation from the wind-churned sea surface. In turn, the water vapor powers the thunderstorms by condensing as rain and releasing the ocean's warmth into the atmosphere to drive strong convection. This makes Isabel and other hurricanes 'heat engines,' converting ocean water's warmth into atmospheric gales. Isabel is weakening as it move ashore and loses its supply of energy from warm water, but not before raining an expected 6-12 inch thick layer of its water over an area extending from South Carolina and New England to the midwest and southern Canada. Paler blue areas in the water vapor image show less humid heights of the atmosphere, which are associated with the colder thunderstorm tops seen in the infrared 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
Hurricane Isabel
PIA00428
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder …
Title Hurricane Isabel
Original Caption Released with Image Figure 1: AIRS infrared channel 2333 (2616 cm-1), Figure 2: Total Water Vapor retrieved from AIRS infrared and AMSU-A microwave data September 18, 2003 These two false-color images show Hurricane Isabel viewed by the AIRS and AMSU-A instruments at 1:30 EDT in the morning of Thursday September 18, 2003. Isabel will be ashore within 12 hours, bringing widespread flooding and destructive winds. In figure 1 on the left, data retrieved by the AIRS infrared sensor shows the hurricane's eye as the small ring of pale blue near the upper left corner of the image. The dark blue band around the eye shows the cold tops of hundreds of powerful thunderstorms. These storms are embedded in the 120 mile per hour winds swirling counterclockwise around Isabel's eye. Cape Hatteras is the finger of land north-northwest of the eye. Isabel's winds will soon push ashore a 4- to 8-foot high mound of 'storm surge' and accompanying high surf, leading to flooding of Cape Hatteras and other islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Also seen in the image are several organized bands of cold, (blue) thunderstorm tops being pulled into the storm center. Other thunderstorm are forming north of the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico near the bottom of the picture. Figure 2 shows the geographical distribution and total amount of atmospheric water vapor associated with Isabel as inferred by AIRS and AMSU-A. Very humid areas appear deep red and surround the storm's eye in the ring of thunderstorms, as seen above. The enhancement of atmospheric water vapor in the storm is maintained by evaporation from the wind-churned sea surface. In turn, the water vapor powers the thunderstorms by condensing as rain and releasing the ocean's warmth into the atmosphere to drive strong convection. This makes Isabel and other hurricanes 'heat engines,' converting ocean water's warmth into atmospheric gales. Isabel is weakening as it move ashore and loses its supply of energy from warm water, but not before raining an expected 6-12 inch thick layer of its water over an area extending from South Carolina and New England to the midwest and southern Canada. Paler blue areas in the water vapor image show less humid heights of the atmosphere, which are associated with the colder thunderstorm tops seen in the infrared 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
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