|
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies i
…
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies in the North Atlantic |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies (based on QuikSCAT data) from 31 December 2002 illustrate the wind patterns that exist during a North Atlantic Oscillation. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies i
…
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies in the North Atlantic |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies (based on QuikSCAT data) from 31 December 2002 illustrate the wind patterns that exist during a North Atlantic Oscillation. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies (
…
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Wind Vectors for Hurricane E
…
| Title |
Wind Vectors for Hurricane Erin (WMS) |
| Abstract |
This visualization shows wind vectors for Hurricane Erin on September 10, 2001. Wind direction and speed are represented by the direction and speed of moving arrows, respectively. This animation represents a single measurement taken by the SeaWinds instrument on the QuikSCAT satellite, taken at 14:27:00 UTC on September 10, 2001. The WMS version of this animation which is available through the SVS Image Server (http://aes.gsfc.nasa.gov) presents this animation with a different timestamp for each frame in order to more easily present the images as an animation. It should be noted that each frame really has a time stamp of 2001-09-10 14:27:00 UTC. |
| Completed |
2004-02-11 |
|
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomali
…
| Title |
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomalies |
| Abstract |
Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's Aqua and QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomali
…
| Title |
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomalies |
| Abstract |
Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's Aqua and QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomali
…
| Title |
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomalies |
| Abstract |
Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's Aqua and QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Recipe of a Hurricane (Part
…
| Title |
Recipe of a Hurricane (Part 2) -- Wind Vectors (match rendered) |
| Abstract |
This visualization was created in support of the 'Recipe for a Hurricane' live shot campaign. This is a visualization of Hurricane Erin on September 10, 2001. The visualization shows moving wind vectors from NASA's QuikSCAT spacecraft. This visualization was match-frame rendered (with alpha channel) to two other visualizations (winds and isosurfaces) and was intended to be shown edited together. |
| Completed |
2003-09-26 |
|
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies i
…
| Title |
Sea Surface Wind Anomalies in North Atlantic (with date) |
| Abstract |
Sea surface wind anomalies (based on QuikSCAT data) from 31 December 2003 illustrate the wind patterns that exist during a North Atlantic Oscillation. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomali
…
| Title |
SST Anomalies + Wind Anomalies (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and sea surface wind anomalies show the development of the 2002/2003 El Nino based on data from NASA's Aqua and QuikSCAT spacecraft. The wind data has been processed using the Variational Analysis Method (VAM). |
| Completed |
2003-02-03 |
|
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits
…
| Title |
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits 'Split Personality' |
| Abstract |
The central equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August 2004, which can indicate development of a weak to moderate El Nino. Yet in other locations, important signals have been absent, suggesting the climate pattern may be of two minds. NASA satellites show warm water anomalies concentrated in the central Pacific Ocean in August. By September, the anomalies are weaker. The SeaWinds instrument on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite has shown stronger than normal trade winds for this time of year on the eastern side of the Pacific basin. Since the 1997 to 1998 El Nino, these trade winds have exhibited a kind of 'split personality' condition during times when the central equatorial Pacific warmed. |
| Completed |
2004-10-07 |
|
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits
…
| Title |
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits 'Split Personality' |
| Abstract |
The central equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August 2004, which can indicate development of a weak to moderate El Nino. Yet in other locations, important signals have been absent, suggesting the climate pattern may be of two minds. NASA satellites show warm water anomalies concentrated in the central Pacific Ocean in August. By September, the anomalies are weaker. The SeaWinds instrument on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite has shown stronger than normal trade winds for this time of year on the eastern side of the Pacific basin. Since the 1997 to 1998 El Nino, these trade winds have exhibited a kind of 'split personality' condition during times when the central equatorial Pacific warmed. |
| Completed |
2004-10-07 |
|
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits
…
| Title |
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits 'Split Personality' |
| Abstract |
The central equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August 2004, which can indicate development of a weak to moderate El Nino. Yet in other locations, important signals have been absent, suggesting the climate pattern may be of two minds. NASA satellites show warm water anomalies concentrated in the central Pacific Ocean in August. By September, the anomalies are weaker. The SeaWinds instrument on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite has shown stronger than normal trade winds for this time of year on the eastern side of the Pacific basin. Since the 1997 to 1998 El Nino, these trade winds have exhibited a kind of 'split personality' condition during times when the central equatorial Pacific warmed. |
| Completed |
2004-10-07 |
|
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits
…
| Title |
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits 'Split Personality' |
| Abstract |
The central equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August 2004, which can indicate development of a weak to moderate El Nino. Yet in other locations, important signals have been absent, suggesting the climate pattern may be of two minds. NASA satellites show warm water anomalies concentrated in the central Pacific Ocean in August. By September, the anomalies are weaker. The SeaWinds instrument on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite has shown stronger than normal trade winds for this time of year on the eastern side of the Pacific basin. Since the 1997 to 1998 El Nino, these trade winds have exhibited a kind of 'split personality' condition during times when the central equatorial Pacific warmed. |
| Completed |
2004-10-07 |
|
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits
…
| Title |
Indecisive El Nino Exhibits 'Split Personality' |
| Abstract |
The central equatorial Pacific Ocean warmed by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August 2004, which can indicate development of a weak to moderate El Nino. Yet in other locations, important signals have been absent, suggesting the climate pattern may be of two minds. NASA satellites show warm water anomalies concentrated in the central Pacific Ocean in August. By September, the anomalies are weaker. The SeaWinds instrument on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite has shown stronger than normal trade winds for this time of year on the eastern side of the Pacific basin. Since the 1997 to 1998 El Nino, these trade winds have exhibited a kind of 'split personality' condition during times when the central equatorial Pacific warmed. |
| Completed |
2004-10-07 |
|
Typhoon Nanmadol
PIA07100
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Typhoon Nanmadol |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
1 Dec. 2004 This image, produced from data collected by the SeaWinds scatterometer instrument onboard NASA's QuikScat mission reveals the details of the surface winds and rain in Typhoon Nanmadol as it moves westward. The data was collected on 1 Dec. 2004 at approximately 8 in the morning. SeaWinds uses radar to peer through clouds and darkness to measure the near-surface wind speed over the ocean on a daily global basis. In this image of Typhoon Nanmadol, ocean wind speed is shown in color with wind barbs showing the wind direction. The Typhoon eye is visible as a brown patch within the purple area of most intense wind speeds (50+ knots) and rain. The red area of high winds (30+ knots) extends over 800 km around the eye. The grey area in the center left is the Island of Yap. The typhoon is moving about 28 mph to the west-northwest and is gathering strength before it hits the Phillipines a few days later, leading to 1000 casulties according to Reuters. In recent years, the ability to detect and track severe storms has been dramatically enhanced by the advent of weather satellites. Data from the SeaWinds scatterometer is augmenting traditional satellite images of clouds by providing direct measurements of surface winds to compare with the observed cloud patterns in an effort to better determine a hurricane's location, direction, structure, and strength. Specifically, these wind data are helping meteorologists to more accurately identify the extent of gale-force winds associated with a storm, while supplying inputs to numerical models that provide advanced warning of high waves and flooding. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07100 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
|
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 |
|
QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/At
…
PIA09110
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/Atmospheric Conditions at Time of Two Java Sea Disasters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities., A ferry carrying more than 600 passengers sank in the Java Sea between the island of Java and Borneo just before midnight on December 29, 2006, during high winds and rough seas. On January 1, 2007, a plane carrying more than 100 people crashed on its flight over the Java Sea, high winds and turbulent weather are being investigated as possible causes. The origin of surges of deadly winds in this usually relatively calm region is poorly monitored and understood. However, ocean winds data from NASA's QuikScat satellite show potential for helping alleviate such deficiencies. Data obtained from QuikScat on December 30 and January 1 shed new insights into the atmospheric conditions at the time of these incidents. QuikScat data are available in near real time to operational weather forecasting agencies around the world. The data from December 30 and January 1 observed that the strong winds in the Java Sea originated from the surge of a strong winter monsoon from the Asian continent. The monsoon winds blew south across the South China Sea and deflected eastward after they crossed the equator due to the rotation of Earth. The winds strengthened as they were channeled through the land masses of Indonesia. The winds in the Java Sea remained strong through January 1, 2007. Associated with the eastward winds, twin cyclones (a counter-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere and a clockwise circulation in the Southern Hemisphere) were also observed by QuikScat, the stronger one was south of the equator (summer hemisphere) between Java and Australia, and a weaker one was north of the equator (winter hemisphere) west of Borneo. In this image from January 1, the different colors denote different wind speeds. White arrows are wind vectors showing both direction and speed. The large-scale, broad and simultaneous observations by QuikScat make it possible to put the local weather into the context of the large-scale circulation, and confirm one of the assumptions that links the cold surge of the Asian monsoon with tropical cyclones in the western Pacific. QuikScat, managed by JPL, measures ocean surface wind/stress by sending radar pulses to the surface and measuring the strength of the signals returned. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09110 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ] |
|
Super Typhoon Haitang
PIA07968
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Super Typhoon Haitang |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Typhoon Haitang is shown here churning steadily towards Taiwan and China. This image shows the storm's swirling wind patterns as observed by NASA's QuikScat satellite on July 14, 2005, at 19:19 UTC (14:19 Eastern Daylight Time). At this time, the typhoon was located hundreds of kilometers from the nearest major land masses. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. Measurements of the wind strength of Typhoon Haitang show sustained winds of around 85 knots and gusts up to 105 knots at the time of the QuickScat observations. The images, however, reveal lower wind speeds. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons), however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 kilometers per hour or 58 miles per hour). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07968 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
|
Hurricane Emily
PIA07969
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Hurricane Emily |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
When NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) captured this image on July 13, 2005, Emily was just a few hours away from becoming a hurricane. The tropical storm was approaching Trinidad with winds of 95 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour or 50 knots) when this image was taken at 5:05 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time (21:05 UTC). The image reveals the structure of the storm, with wind speed shown in color and direction indicated by barbs. The white barbs indicate regions of heavy rain. Both the heaviest downpours and the strongest winds, shown in purple, are just east of the center of the storm. Compared to an image taken in the morning of July 13, this powerful section of the storm has expanded and moved closer to the center as Emily developed through the day. Emily is the fifth tropical storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second storm to reach hurricane status. By July 15, Emily reached Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson scale with winds of 205 km/hr (125 mph). "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07969 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
|
Wilma's Winds Whip Mexico's
…
PIA03056
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Wilma's Winds Whip Mexico's Yucatan |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The eye of Hurricane Wilma, a menacing Category 4 storm, approaches the northeastern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in this October 21 image from NASA's QuikScat satellite, depicting relative wind speeds and direction. The storm is projected to make landfall in south Florida on Monday. Ground measurements of the wind strength of Hurricane Wilma show sustained winds somewhat higher than those shown by QuikScat observations. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons), however, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 km/hr or 58 mph). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03056 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
|
Distribution Patterns of Lan
…
PIA03029
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Distribution Patterns of Land Surface Water from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The above images, derived from NASA QuikScat [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] satellite data, show the extensive pattern of rain water deposited by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on land surfaces over several states in the southern and eastern United States. These results demonstrate the capability of satellite scatterometers to monitor changes in surface water on land. The color scale depicts increases in radar backscatter (in decibels) between the current measurement and the mean of measurements obtained during the previous two weeks. The backscatter can be calibrated to measure increases in surface soil moisture resulting from rainfall. The yellow color corresponds to an increase of approximately 10 percent or more in surface soil moisture according to the calibration site of Lonoke, Ark. The two hurricanes deposited excessive rainfall over extensive regions of the Mississippi River basin. Basins the size of the Mississippi can take up to several weeks before such excess rainfall significantly increases the amount of river discharge in large rivers such as the Mississippi. With hurricane season not over until November 30, the potential exists for significant flooding, particularly if new rain water is deposited by new hurricanes when river discharge peaks up as a result of previous rainfalls. River discharge should be closely monitored to account for this factor in evaluating potential flood conditions in the event of further hurricanes. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03029 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
|
Typhoon Bilis
PIA01048
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Typhoon Bilis |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
As super Typhoon Bilis, equal in strength to a category 5 hurricane, bore down on Taiwan, these images from August 21, 2000, show the massive storm's most devastating components: rain and wind. Conventional satellite data provide imagery of the clouds at the top of a storm. These images, however, were created by combining data from two NASA instruments capable of looking through a storm's clouds and seeing what is going on at the surface. These two instruments passed over the same location about one hour apart. The images show the surface winds, measured by SeaWinds on QuikScat's radar scatterometer, as red arrows. The wind data are superimposed on rainfall measurements made by the microwave imager on the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM). The scale on the right shows the amount of rainfall in millimeters per hour. QuikSCAT, launched in June 1999, and TRMM, launched 18 months earlier, provide the opportunity to observe both wind and rain before landfall. The SeaWinds on QuikScat project is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. TRMM is a joint US/Japanese mission managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. |
|
Typhoon Bilis
PIA01047
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Typhoon Bilis |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
As super Typhoon Bilis, equal in strength to a category 5 hurricane, bore down on Taiwan, these images from August 21, 2000, show the massive storm's most devastating components: rain and wind. Conventional satellite data provide imagery of the clouds at the top of a storm. These images, however, were created by combining data from two NASA instruments capable of looking through a storm's clouds and seeing what is going on at the surface. These two instruments passed over the same location about one hour apart. The images show the surface winds, measured by SeaWinds on QuikScat's radar scatterometer, as red arrows. The wind data are superimposed on rainfall measurements made by the microwave imager on the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM). The scale on the right shows the amount of rainfall in millimeters per hour. QuikSCAT, launched in June 1999, and TRMM, launched 18 months earlier, provide the opportunity to observe both wind and rain before landfall. The SeaWinds on QuikScat project is managed for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. TRMM is a joint US/Japanese mission managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. |
|
SeaWinds Watches for Breakup
…
PIA02329
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
SeaWinds Watches for Breakup of Giant Iceberg |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A NASA satellite instrument is keeping an eye on an iceberg the size of Rhode Island, the first time this space technology has been used to track a potential threat to international shipping. NASA's new orbiting SeaWinds radar instrument, flying aboard the QuikScat satellite, will monitor Iceberg B10A, which snapped off Antarctica seven years ago and has since drifted into a shipping lane. Iceberg B10A, which measures about 38 by 77 kilometers (about 24 miles by 48 miles), was spotted by the Instrument during its first pass over Antarctica, demonstrating SeaWinds' all-weather and day-night observational capabilities. The massive iceberg extends about 90 meters (300 feet) above water and may reach as deep as 300 meters (1,000 feet) below the ocean's surface. It is breaking up into smaller pieces that could pose a threat to commercial, cruise and fishing ships if the pieces are blown back into the shipping lane by high winds."Although the iceberg isn't posing a threat to ships in the area right now, pieces of B10A could be blown back into the shipping lane and become a danger to ships using the Antarctic's Drake Passage," said Dr. David Long, a member of the SeaWinds science team from Utah's Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. Long said that the SeaWinds instrument will be able to help scientists at the National Ice Center, Suitland, MD, track pieces of the iceberg down to 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles) in size. B10A, which took hundreds of thousands of years to form, broke off the end of the Thwaites glacier of Antarctica in 1992 and has been drifting in the ocean ever since, driven by ocean currents and wind. In 1995, the iceberg broke in half, but was being tracked on a regular basis. Although conventional methods of tracking sea-surface ice -- using ships' radar, shipping reports, optical images from satellites and microwave sensor data -- are usually sufficient for tracking large pieces of ice, icebergs can sometimes disappear in the poor visibility of dark, cloudy Antarctic winters."That happened earlier this year, when we lost track of B10A's exact whereabouts," Long said. "Even though a ship was dispatched to the iceberg's last known position, we were unable to find it until we started receiving data from the SeaWinds instrument in July." Scientists were surprised at its location when they found B10A, but it was clearly identified as a very large iceberg that posed a considerable threat to ships in the area. A check with the Naval Ice Center confirmed the iceberg's identity and has enabled scientists to continue tracking its journey through the Drake Passage. When it was rediscovered earlier this month heading northeast between Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula, the National Ice Center issued an iceberg navigation warning to the Argentine government."Ironically, the iceberg that took many millennia to form is expected to break up within about three months because it is drifting into, warmer waters," Long said. "We will be able to watch the iceberg's breakup for the first time with daily radar observations and better understand the effects of ocean winds and climate on melting polar ice. The polar regions play a central role in regulating global climate, and it is important to accurately record and monitor the extent and surface conditions of Earth's major ice masses." More information about the SeaWinds mission and observations is available at the following URL:http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsindex.html [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsindex.html ] The orbiting SeaWinds radar instrument, launched on the QuikScat satellite on June 19, is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. |
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SeaWinds Radar Clocks Hurric
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PIA02404
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
SeaWinds Radar Clocks Hurricane Dora's Wind Speeds |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The SeaWinds instrument onboard NASA's new QuikScat ocean-viewing satellite captured this image of Hurricane Dora in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean on August 10, as it was blowing at speeds of nearly 40 meters per second (90 miles per hour). The image shows surface wind speed (colored background) and wind direction (arrows) in the vicinity of the hurricane, which was centered near 14.5 degrees north latitude and 117.8 degrees west longitude. With its broad, 1,800-kilometer-wide (1,116-mile-wide) swath and nearly all-weather capabilities, the SeaWinds scatterometer is providing unprecedented, frequent surface wind speed and direction measurements over the global oceans. Coupled with other satellite measurements of cloud patterns, water vapor and rain, the data are contributing to scientists' ability to predict the intensity, location and movements of hurricanes and other severe marine weather patterns. More information about the SeaWinds radar instrument is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsindex.html The orbiting SeaWinds radar instrument is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. NOAA has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. |
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Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infra
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PIA00429
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infrared and SeaWinds Scatterometer Data Combined |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These two images show Hurricane Isabel as viewed by AIRS and each of the two SeaWinds scatterometers on the ADEOS-2 and QuikScat satellites, all JPL-managed experiments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction. Figure 1 shows Isabel on September 13, 2003, when it was a Category 5 storm threatening the Caribbean and southern United States. At the time Isabel was the strongest Atlantic storm since hurricane Mitch killed thousands in central America in 1997. The red vectors in the image show Isabel's surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on ADEOS-2, and the background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface, as viewed in the infrared by AIRS. The hurricane's powerful swirling winds are apparent. These winds circle the hurricane's eye, seen as the red dot near the middle top of the image. Light blue areas shows adjacent cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. Figure 2 shows Isabel as it approached landfall on the outer banks of North Carolina on September 18. The hurricane weakened in the five days since the earlier image was observed, as indicated by a less clearly defined eye. Nevertheless, it was still a powerful storm. The winds blowing onshore north of the eye knocked over trees, blew roofs off buildings, and drove large waves that breached the coastal barrier islands in many places. Water, transportation and power are still not fully restored to many of the areas in the image. The winds apparently blowing away from the eye of the storm are an artifact of one of the hurricane's other destructive phenomena: rain. The darkest blue clouds observed by AIRS show the most intense thunderstorms, and hence the heaviest rains. Hard rain fools the the SeaWinds on QuikSCAT system into thinking the winds are blowing directly across the viewing 'swath.' Nevertheless, the two systems give a consistent picture of this storm. |
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Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infra
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PIA00429
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infrared and SeaWinds Scatterometer Data Combined |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These two images show Hurricane Isabel as viewed by AIRS and each of the two SeaWinds scatterometers on the ADEOS-2 and QuikScat satellites, all JPL-managed experiments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction. Figure 1 shows Isabel on September 13, 2003, when it was a Category 5 storm threatening the Caribbean and southern United States. At the time Isabel was the strongest Atlantic storm since hurricane Mitch killed thousands in central America in 1997. The red vectors in the image show Isabel's surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on ADEOS-2, and the background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface, as viewed in the infrared by AIRS. The hurricane's powerful swirling winds are apparent. These winds circle the hurricane's eye, seen as the red dot near the middle top of the image. Light blue areas shows adjacent cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. Figure 2 shows Isabel as it approached landfall on the outer banks of North Carolina on September 18. The hurricane weakened in the five days since the earlier image was observed, as indicated by a less clearly defined eye. Nevertheless, it was still a powerful storm. The winds blowing onshore north of the eye knocked over trees, blew roofs off buildings, and drove large waves that breached the coastal barrier islands in many places. Water, transportation and power are still not fully restored to many of the areas in the image. The winds apparently blowing away from the eye of the storm are an artifact of one of the hurricane's other destructive phenomena: rain. The darkest blue clouds observed by AIRS show the most intense thunderstorms, and hence the heaviest rains. Hard rain fools the the SeaWinds on QuikSCAT system into thinking the winds are blowing directly across the viewing 'swath.' Nevertheless, the two systems give a consistent picture of this storm. |
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Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infra
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PIA00429
Sol (our sun)
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder
…
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel, AIRS Infrared and SeaWinds Scatterometer Data Combined |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These two images show Hurricane Isabel as viewed by AIRS and each of the two SeaWinds scatterometers on the ADEOS-2 and QuikScat satellites, all JPL-managed experiments. AIRS data are used to create global three-dimensional maps of temperature, humidity and clouds, while scatterometers measure surface wind speed and direction. Figure 1 shows Isabel on September 13, 2003, when it was a Category 5 storm threatening the Caribbean and southern United States. At the time Isabel was the strongest Atlantic storm since hurricane Mitch killed thousands in central America in 1997. The red vectors in the image show Isabel's surface winds as measured by SeaWinds on ADEOS-2, and the background colors show the temperature of clouds and surface, as viewed in the infrared by AIRS. The hurricane's powerful swirling winds are apparent. These winds circle the hurricane's eye, seen as the red dot near the middle top of the image. Light blue areas shows adjacent cold clouds tops associated with strong thunderstorms embedded within the storm. Figure 2 shows Isabel as it approached landfall on the outer banks of North Carolina on September 18. The hurricane weakened in the five days since the earlier image was observed, as indicated by a less clearly defined eye. Nevertheless, it was still a powerful storm. The winds blowing onshore north of the eye knocked over trees, blew roofs off buildings, and drove large waves that breached the coastal barrier islands in many places. Water, transportation and power are still not fully restored to many of the areas in the image. The winds apparently blowing away from the eye of the storm are an artifact of one of the hurricane's other destructive phenomena: rain. The darkest blue clouds observed by AIRS show the most intense thunderstorms, and hence the heaviest rains. Hard rain fools the the SeaWinds on QuikSCAT system into thinking the winds are blowing directly across the viewing 'swath.' Nevertheless, the two systems give a consistent picture of this storm. |
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Cyclones in the Pacific
PIA07415
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Cyclones in the Pacific |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The SeaWinds scatterometer aboard NASA's QuikScat satellite collected the data used to create this colorful image of Cyclone Olaf churning in the South Pacific on February 16, 2005. The colored background shows the near-surface wind speeds at 2.5-kilometer resolution. The strongest winds, shown in purple, are at the center of the storm, with gradually weakening winds forming rings around the center. The black barbs indicate wind speed and direction at QuikScat's nominal, 25-kilometer resolution, white barbs indicate areas of heavy rain. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07415 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ]. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. |
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NASA's Newest SeaWinds Instr
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PIA03896
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
NASA's Newest SeaWinds Instrument Breezes Into Operation |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
One of NASA's newest Earth-observing instruments, the SeaWinds scatterometer aboard Japan's Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (Adeos) 2--now renamed Midori 2--has successfully transmitted its first radar data to our home planet, generating its first high-quality images. From its orbiting perch high above Earth, SeaWinds on Midori 2 ('midori' is Japanese for the color green, symbolizing the environment) will provide the world's most accurate, highest resolution and broadest geographic coverage of ocean wind speed and direction, sea ice extent and properties of Earth's land surfaces. It will complement and eventually replace an identical instrument orbiting since June 1999 on NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) satellite. Its three- to five-year mission will augment a long-term ocean surface wind data series that began in 1996 with launch of the NASA Scatterometer on Japan's first Adeos spacecraft. Climatologists, meteorologists and oceanographers will soon routinely use data from SeaWinds on Midori 2 to understand and predict severe weather patterns, climate change and global weather abnormalities like El Niño. The data are expected to improve global and regional weather forecasts, ship routing and marine hazard avoidance, measurements of sea ice extent and the tracking of icebergs, among other uses.'Midori 2, its SeaWinds instrument and associated ground processing systems are functioning very smoothly,' said Moshe Pniel, scatterometer projects manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Following initial checkout and calibration, we look forward to continuous operations, providing vital data to scientists and weather forecasters around the world.""These first images show remarkable detail over land, ice and oceans," said Dr. Michael Freilich, Ocean Vector Winds Science Team Leader, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. "The combination of SeaWinds data and measurements from other instruments on Midori 2 with data from other international satellites will enable detailed studies of ocean circulation, air-sea interaction and climate variation simply not possible until now." The released image, obtained from data collected January 28-29, depicts Earth's continents in green, polar glacial ice-covered regions in blue-red and sea ice in gray. Color and intensity changes over ice and land are related to ice melting, variations in land surface roughness and vegetation cover. Ocean surface wind speeds, measured during a 12-hour period on January 28, are shown by colors, with blues corresponding to low wind speeds and reds to wind speeds up to 15 meters per second (30 knots). Black arrows denote wind direction. White gaps over the oceans represent unmeasured areas between SeaWinds swaths (the instrument measures winds over about 90 percent of the oceans each day). SeaWinds transmits high-frequency microwave pulses to Earth's land masses, ice cover and ocean surface and measures the strength of the radar pulses that bounce, back to the instrument. It takes millions of radar measurements covering about 93 percent of Earth's surface every day, operating under all weather conditions, day and night. Over the oceans, SeaWinds senses ripples caused by the winds, from which scientists can compute wind speed and direction. These ocean surface winds drive Earth's oceans and control the exchange of heat, moisture and gases between the atmosphere and the sea. Launched December 14, 2002, from Japan, the instrument was first activated on January 10 and transitioned to its normal science mode on January 28. A four-day dedicated checkout period was completed on January 31. A six-month calibration/validation phase will begin in April, with regular science operations scheduled to begin this October. SeaWinds on Midori 2 is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, D.C., by JPL, which developed the instrument and performs instrument operations and science data processing, archiving and distribution. NASA also provides U.S. ground system support. The National Space Development Agency of Japan, or NASDA, provided the Midori 2 spacecraft, H-IIA launch vehicle, mission operations and the Japanese ground network. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides near-real-time data processing and distribution for SeaWinds operational data users. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. |
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Tropical Storm Katrina
PIA07432
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
Tropical Storm Katrina |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities., Tropical Storm Katrina is shown here as observed by NASA's QuikScat satellite on August 25, 2005, at 08:37 UTC (4:37 a.m. in Florida). At this time, the storm had 80 kilometers per hour (50 miles per hour, 43 knots) sustained winds. The storm does not appear to yet have reached hurricane strength. The greater danger may be not with her winds, but with Katrina's rains. The storm is moving slowly, just 13 km/hr (8 mph), and is expected to slow as it moves over land. This means that Katrina 's heavy rains will linger longer over one area, dumping 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) of rain over Florida and the Bahamas and possibly up to 38 cm (15 inches) in some regions, the National Hurricane Center warns. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. Measurements of the wind strength of Tropical Storm Katrina show sustained winds similar to those shown by these QuikScat observations, though not identical. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons) and to a lesser extent, weaker storm systems like Katrina, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 km/hr or 58 mph). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07432 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ] |
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SeaWinds Radar Stares Into T
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PIA02334
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
SeaWinds Radar Stares Into The Eye Of Angry Hurricane Floyd |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's SeaWinds radar instrument eyed the center of a massive hurricane -- Floyd -- as it ripped past Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday afternoon, September 15, then marched toward a midnight strike at Cape Fear, North Carolina. Heralded as one of the most destructive U.S. hurricanes in the 20th century, Floyd has caused the nation's largest peacetime evacuation, forcing approximately 2.6 million people to flee their homes, shutting down airports along the eastern seaboard and, combined with Hurricane Dennis two weeks ago, producing the worst flooding in the country's history. Taken from data collected between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 15, the image shows the fastest ocean wind speeds in yellow and wind direction is indicated by arrows. At the time of the image, Hurricane Floyd was centered at about 79 degrees west longitude and 31 degrees north latitude. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported winds that were blowing at speeds of about 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) at that time. This ""animation uses data from the evening of September 15, 1999. The orbiting SeaWinds radar instrument is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the QuikScat satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. NOAA has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. |
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SeaWinds Radar Stares Into T
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PIA02334
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
SeaWinds Radar Stares Into The Eye Of Angry Hurricane Floyd |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
NASA's SeaWinds radar instrument eyed the center of a massive hurricane -- Floyd -- as it ripped past Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday afternoon, September 15, then marched toward a midnight strike at Cape Fear, North Carolina. Heralded as one of the most destructive U.S. hurricanes in the 20th century, Floyd has caused the nation's largest peacetime evacuation, forcing approximately 2.6 million people to flee their homes, shutting down airports along the eastern seaboard and, combined with Hurricane Dennis two weeks ago, producing the worst flooding in the country's history. Taken from data collected between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on September 15, the image shows the fastest ocean wind speeds in yellow and wind direction is indicated by arrows. At the time of the image, Hurricane Floyd was centered at about 79 degrees west longitude and 31 degrees north latitude. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported winds that were blowing at speeds of about 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) at that time. This ""animation uses data from the evening of September 15, 1999. The orbiting SeaWinds radar instrument is managed for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the QuikScat satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. NOAA has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities. NASA's Earth Science Enterprise is a long-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. |
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