|
|
Browse All
:
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) from 2005
|
Printer Friendly |
Hurricane Dennis on July 6,
…
| Title |
Hurricane Dennis on July 6, 2005 |
| Abstract |
The TRMM spacecraft captured this view of Hurricane Dennis as it passed just south of the Island of Hispaniola and headed for Cuba. |
| Completed |
2005-07-07 |
|
Hurricane Rita Rain Accumula
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita Rain Accumulation |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Rita from September 18 through 25, 2005 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. Satellite cloud data from NOAA/GOES is overlaid for context. The accumulation is shown in colors ranging from green (less than 30 mm of rain) through red (80 mm or more). The TRMM satellite, using the world's only spaceborne rain radar and other microwave instruments, measures rainfall over the ocean. |
| Completed |
2005-09-27 |
|
Hurricane Rita Rain Accumula
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita Rain Accumulation |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Rita from September 18 through 25, 2005 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. Satellite cloud data from NOAA/GOES is overlaid for context. The accumulation is shown in colors ranging from green (less than 30 mm of rain) through red (80 mm or more). The TRMM satellite, using the world's only spaceborne rain radar and other microwave instruments, measures rainfall over the ocean. |
| Completed |
2005-09-27 |
|
TRMM Microwave Brightness Te
…
| Title |
TRMM Microwave Brightness Temperature Swath during Hurricane Katrina: Vertical Polarization |
| Abstract |
The TMI instrument on the TRMM satellite measures microwaves emitted from the Earth's land and water. By comparing emission from different microwave frequencies, the characteristics of ice and water in the atmosphere can be determined. For example, 85 GHz microwaves are scattered by ice crystals in tropical cyclones, making cyclone rain bands appear 'colder' than the surrounding areas. By comparing 85 GHz temperatures in different polarizations with other frequency band measurements, accurate measurements of rainfall in the atmosphere can be made. This animation shows four days of TMI 85 GHz measurements, one orbit at a time. Hurricane Katrina was in the Gulf of Mexico at the time and clearly shows up in the measurements. |
| Completed |
2005-09-12 |
|
TRMM Microwave Brightness Te
…
| Title |
TRMM Microwave Brightness Temperature Swath during Hurricane Katrina: Horizontal Polarization |
| Abstract |
The TMI instrument on the TRMM satellite measures microwaves emitted from the Earth's land and water. By comparing emission from different microwave frequencies, the characteristics of ice and water in the atmosphere can be determined. For example, 85 GHz microwaves are scattered by ice crystals in tropical cyclones, making cyclone rain bands appear 'colder' than the surrounding areas. By comparing 85 GHz temperatures in different polarizations with other frequency band measurements, accurate measurements of rainfall in the atmosphere can be made. This animation shows four days of TMI 85 GHz measurements, one orbit at a time. Hurricane Katrina was in the Gulf of Mexico at the time and clearly shows up in the measurements. |
| Completed |
2005-09-12 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Rain Accum
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Rain Accumulation (WMS) |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Katrina from August 23 through 30, 2005 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. Satellite cloud data from NOAA/GOES is overlaid for context. The accumulation is shown in colors ranging from green (less than 30 mm of rain) through red (80 mm or more). The TRMM satellite, using the world's only spaceborne rain radar and other microwave instruments, measures rainfall over the ocean. |
| Completed |
2005-09-01 |
|
Hurricane Emily: July 20, 20
…
| Title |
Hurricane Emily: July 20, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used to understand Hurricane Emily. TRMM observed this view of Hurricane Emily just before the storm made landfall on July 20, 2005. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-07-20 |
|
Hurricane Emily: July 20, 20
…
| Title |
Hurricane Emily: July 20, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used to understand Hurricane Emily. TRMM observed this view of Hurricane Emily just before the storm made landfall on July 20, 2005. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-07-20 |
|
Hurricane Katrina from TRMM:
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina from TRMM: August 28, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Katrina on August 28, 2005. At the time the data was taken, the hurricane was a Category 5 hurricane, the most destructive and deadly. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. |
| Completed |
2005-08-28 |
|
TRMM Microwave Measurements
…
| Title |
TRMM Microwave Measurements during Hurricane Katrina: Vertical Polarization |
| Abstract |
The TMI instrument on the TRMM satellite measures microwaves emitted from the Earth's land and water. By comparing emission from different microwave frequencies, the characteristics of ice and water in the atmosphere can be determined. For example, 85 GHz microwaves are scattered by ice crystals in tropical cyclones, making cyclone rain bands appear 'colder' than the surrounding areas. By comparing 85 GHz temperatures in different polarizations with other frequency band measurements, accurate measurements of rainfall in the atmosphere can be made. This animation shows eight days of global TMI 85 GHz measurements in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane Katrina rainbands clearly show up in these images. |
| Completed |
2005-09-13 |
|
Connections: Terrestrial Gam
…
| Title |
Connections: Terrestrial Gamma Flashes and Lightning? |
| Abstract |
The RHESSI instrument not only views the Sun but can detect gamma-rays from sources on Earth as well. |
| Completed |
2005-02-10 |
|
TRMM captures Hot Towers Ign
…
| Title |
TRMM captures Hot Towers Igniting Hurricane Wilma's Heat Engine |
| Abstract |
On October 17, 2005 at 0302 Zulu (11:02 EDT on October 16, 2005), Wilma was classified as a Tropical Storm with sustained wind speeds of only 30 knots (34 mph) and pressure reading of 1001 mb. Forty-Eight hours later the storm had increased its intensity to category five status with sustained winds of 150 knots (172 mph). The tall towers (in red) near the center of the circulation often indicate further strengthening. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
TRMM captures Hot Towers Ign
…
| Title |
TRMM captures Hot Towers Igniting Hurricane Wilma's Heat Engine |
| Abstract |
On October 17, 2005 at 0302 Zulu (11:02 EDT on October 16, 2005), Wilma was classified as a Tropical Storm with sustained wind speeds of only 30 knots (34 mph) and pressure reading of 1001 mb. Forty-Eight hours later the storm had increased its intensity to category five status with sustained winds of 150 knots (172 mph). The tall towers (in red) near the center of the circulation often indicate further strengthening. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
TRMM captures Hot Towers Ign
…
| Title |
TRMM captures Hot Towers Igniting Hurricane Wilma's Heat Engine |
| Abstract |
On October 17, 2005 at 0302 Zulu (11:02 EDT on October 16, 2005), Wilma was classified as a Tropical Storm with sustained wind speeds of only 30 knots (34 mph) and pressure reading of 1001 mb. Forty-Eight hours later the storm had increased its intensity to category five status with sustained winds of 150 knots (172 mph). The tall towers (in red) near the center of the circulation often indicate further strengthening. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilm
…
| Title |
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 at 1740Z. At this time the storm was classified as the most dangerous category five. Wilma had record low minimum pressure readings of 893 mb and sustained winds of 140 knots (161 mph). The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-10-19 |
|
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilm
…
| Title |
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 at 1740Z. At this time the storm was classified as the most dangerous category five. Wilma had record low minimum pressure readings of 893 mb and sustained winds of 140 knots (161 mph). The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-10-19 |
|
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilm
…
| Title |
TRMM Observes Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005 at 1740Z. At this time the storm was classified as the most dangerous category five. Wilma had record low minimum pressure readings of 893 mb and sustained winds of 140 knots (161 mph). The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-10-19 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Katrina's clouds to see the rain structure on August 28, 2005 at 0324Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Katrina's clouds to see the rain structure on August 28, 2005 at 0324Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Katrina's clouds to see the rain structure on August 28, 2005 at 0324Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Katrina's clouds to see the rain structure on August 28, 2005 at 0324Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: Se
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: September 23, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Rita on September 23, 2005 at 0852Z. At this time the storm was a category 4 hurricane with a minimum pressure of 924 mb, and sustained winds of 120 knots. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-09-23 |
|
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: Se
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: September 23, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Rita on September 23, 2005 at 0852Z. At this time the storm was a category 4 hurricane with a minimum pressure of 924 mb, and sustained winds of 120 knots. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-09-23 |
|
Hurricane Wilma Rain Accumul
…
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma Rain Accumulation |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Wilma from October 15 through 25, 2005 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. Satellite cloud data from NOAA/GOES is overlaid for context. The accumulation is shown in colors ranging from green (less than 30 mm of rain) through red (80 mm or more). The TRMM satellite, using the world's only spaceborne rain radar and other microwave instruments, measures rainfall over the ocean. |
| Completed |
2005-10-25 |
|
Global TRMM Rainmap 2005
| Title |
Global TRMM Rainmap 2005 |
| Abstract |
This is a three-hour global rainmap from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005, as compiled by the TRMM satellite's Multi-satellite Precipation Analysis. The TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis produces three hourly rain rates at 0.250 latitude by 0.250 longitude grid covering 500S to 500N. The input data for this merged product include a merged intercalibrated microwave-only product (3B40RT) and an Infrared rain product that is calibrated using microwave rain rates (3B41RT). Currently, 3B40RT is generated using rain rate estimates from microwave measurements from the TRMM sensors and the Special Sensor Microwave Imagers on board the DMSP satellites using the Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF). 3B41RT is based on infrared measurements from geostationary satellites that are calibrated using microwave rain estimates. The 3B42RT estimate consists of the merged microwave estimate within the 3 hourly 0.25 degree space/time grid when available, and the calibrated IR rain rates otherwise. |
| Completed |
2007-09-13 |
|
Global TRMM Rainmap 2005
| Title |
Global TRMM Rainmap 2005 |
| Abstract |
This is a three-hour global rainmap from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005, as compiled by the TRMM satellite's Multi-satellite Precipation Analysis. The TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis produces three hourly rain rates at 0.250 latitude by 0.250 longitude grid covering 500S to 500N. The input data for this merged product include a merged intercalibrated microwave-only product (3B40RT) and an Infrared rain product that is calibrated using microwave rain rates (3B41RT). Currently, 3B40RT is generated using rain rate estimates from microwave measurements from the TRMM sensors and the Special Sensor Microwave Imagers on board the DMSP satellites using the Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF). 3B41RT is based on infrared measurements from geostationary satellites that are calibrated using microwave rain estimates. The 3B42RT estimate consists of the merged microwave estimate within the 3 hourly 0.25 degree space/time grid when available, and the calibrated IR rain rates otherwise. |
| Completed |
2007-09-13 |
|
TRMM Satellite and TMI Swath
| Title |
TRMM Satellite and TMI Swath |
| Abstract |
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was launched on November 27, 1997, as a joint mission of NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA. TRMM has five Earth-observing instruments on board and circles the Earth every 92 minutes in an equatorial orbit between 35 degrees north and south latitude so that those instruments can measure precipitation in the tropics. One of the instuments, TMI, observes five frequencies of microwave emissions in a 780-kilometer wide swath along the orbit in order to measure the amount of rain and ice in the atmosphere. This animation shows the TRMM satellite orbiting for one day, August 27, 2005, showing a set of TRMM measurements at a frequency of 85.5 GHz. In this frequency band, atmospheric ice crystals scatter microwaves and so areas with ice crystals appear colder than areas with no ice. Both Hurricane Katrina, just to the west of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, and Typhoon Talim, in the westerm Pacific between Japan and New Guinea, show up as bright swirling patterns. This measurement is just one of the TMI measurements that go into calculating the total instantaneous rainfall in the tropics. |
| Completed |
2006-04-04 |
|
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: Se
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: September 22, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Rita on September 22, 2005 at 0810Z. At this time the storm was the most destructive category 5 hurricane with a minimum pressure of 898mb, sustained winds of 150 knots, and a 15 nautical mile eye diameter. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-09-22 |
|
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: Se
…
| Title |
Hurricane Rita from TRMM: September 22, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Rita on September 22, 2005 at 0810Z. At this time the storm was the most destructive category 5 hurricane with a minimum pressure of 898mb, sustained winds of 150 knots, and a 15 nautical mile eye diameter. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-09-22 |
|
Hurricane Katrina from TRMM:
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina from TRMM: August 29, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used to understand Hurricane Katrina. TRMM observed this view of Hurricane Katrina just before the storm made landfall on August 29, 2005. Katrina remains an extremely large and dangerous hurricane. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the storm's center. Coastal storm surge flooding of 18 to 22 feet above normal tide levels are expected. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-08-25 |
|
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Sout
…
| Title |
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Southern California Mudslides (WMS) |
| Abstract |
In January 2005, heavy rains in southern California caused flooding and mudslides. A flow of moisture known as a 'Pineapple Express' because it originates in the Pacific subtropics near Hawaii can cause severe winter storms in California when conditions are right. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observered heavy rainfall near San Diego during a five-day period in January 2005. This visualization shows accumulation of rainfall--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. |
| Completed |
2005-04-22 |
|
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Sout
…
| Title |
Heavy Rainfall Leads to Southern California Mudslides (WMS) |
| Abstract |
In January 2005, heavy rains in southern California caused flooding and mudslides. A flow of moisture known as a 'Pineapple Express' because it originates in the Pacific subtropics near Hawaii can cause severe winter storms in California when conditions are right. NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observered heavy rainfall near San Diego during a five-day period in January 2005. This visualization shows accumulation of rainfall--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. |
| Completed |
2005-04-22 |
|
Hurricane Wilma's Hot Towers
…
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma's Hot Towers seen by TRMM 10/17/2005 at 1754Z |
| Abstract |
On October 17, 2005 at 1754 Zulu, Wilma was classified as a Tropical Storm with sustained wind speeds of only 45 knots. Forty hours later the storm had increased its intensity to category five status with sustained winds of 150 knots. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'Hot Towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
Hurricane Wilma's Hot Towers
…
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma's Hot Towers seen by TRMM 10/17/2005 at 1754Z |
| Abstract |
On October 17, 2005 at 1754 Zulu, Wilma was classified as a Tropical Storm with sustained wind speeds of only 45 knots. Forty hours later the storm had increased its intensity to category five status with sustained winds of 150 knots. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'Hot Towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. |
| Completed |
2005-09-14 |
|
NASA's TRMM Satellite Captur
…
| Title |
NASA's TRMM Satellite Captures Hurricane Wilma Data on October 20, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Wilma on October 20, 2005 at 0152Z. At this time the storm was classified as the most dangerous category five. Wilma had record low minimum pressure readings of 892 mb and sustained winds of 140 knots. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-10-20 |
|
NASA's TRMM Satellite Captur
…
| Title |
NASA's TRMM Satellite Captures Hurricane Wilma Data on October 20, 2005 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Wilma on October 20, 2005 at 0152Z. At this time the storm was classified as the most dangerous category five. Wilma had record low minimum pressure readings of 892 mb and sustained winds of 140 knots. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2005-10-20 |
|
Hurricane Rita's Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Rita's Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Rita's clouds to see the rain structure on September 19, 2005 at 15Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. At the time the data was taken, this storm was classified as a Tropical Storm with winds off 55 knots and a pressure of 994mb. The existence of these 18 km towers in the eye wall alerted researchers that this storm was going to rapidly intensify. Within 48 hours of this dataset, the storm was a very strong category 4 hurricane. |
| Completed |
2005-09-20 |
|
Hurricane Rita's Hot Towers
| Title |
Hurricane Rita's Hot Towers |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft allows us to look under Hurricane Rita's clouds to see the rain structure on September 19, 2005 at 15Z. Spikes in the rain structure known as 'hot towers' indicate storm intensity. 'Hot Towers' refers to tall cumulonimbus clouds and has been seen as one of the mechanisms by which the intensity of a tropical cyclone is maintained. Because of the size (1-20 km) and short duration (30 minute to 2 hours) of these hot towers, studies of these events have been limited to descriptive studies from aircraft observations, although a few have attempted to use the presence of hot towers in a predictive capacity. Before TRMM, no data set existed that could show globally and definitively the presence of these hot towers in cyclone systems. Aircraft radar studies of individual storms lack global coverage. Global microwave or Infrared sensor observations do not provide the needed spatial resolution. With a ground resolution of 5 km, the TRMM Precipitation Radar provided the needed data set for examining the predictive value of hot towers in cyclone intensification. At the time the data was taken, this storm was classified as a Tropical Storm with winds off 55 knots and a pressure of 994mb. The existence of these 18 km towers in the eye wall alerted researchers that this storm was going to rapidly intensify. Within 48 hours of this dataset, the storm was a very strong category 4 hurricane. |
| Completed |
2005-09-20 |
|
Floods in Southern China
| Title |
Floods in Southern China |
| Description |
Seasonal rains during June 2005 have resulted in widespread flooding across southern and eastern China. The floods and associated mudslides have left hundreds dead and forced thousands from their homes, with the most severe damage in Guangxi and Guangdong in southern China. The rains are a normal part of life in southern China, where May and June are "Meiyu" season. "Meiyu" literally means ?plum rain,? which refers to the widespread rains that can occur at the time when plums ripen. This image shows rainfall totals over southeastern China between June 13 and June 28, 2005. A broad band of red, representing the highest totals, stretches across southern China, including the provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong, and the northern part of the South China Sea and into Taiwan. This area received between 80 (green areas) and 400 (dark red areas) millimeters (about 4-16 inches) of rain during this two-week period. The data used to create this image are from NASA?s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite. TRMM was launched in November 1997 to provide better estimates of rainfall over the global Tropics. The satellite can cover vast areas of the Tropics where rainfall is poorly measured, such as over oceans and land areas where radar coverage is poor or lacking. Since that time, TRMM has been providing unprecedented estimates of rainfall over the Tropics using its array of passive and active sensors. This image was produced by the TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which provides rainfall estimates over the global Tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Guyana Flooded by Heavy Rain
…
| Title |
Guyana Flooded by Heavy Rains |
| Description |
Since late December, Guyana has been hit by three distinct episodes of heavy rain that have resulted in some coastal areas of Guyana receiving upwards of 100 cm (40 inches) of rainfall?the most rainfall for a similar period in over 100 years. The heavy rain left two-thirds of Guyana?s capital, Georgetown, flooded, affecting over 120,000 and killing six. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The image shows MPA rainfall totals for Guyana and the surrounding region of northeastern South America between December 24, 2004, and January 20, 2005. The highest rainfall totals on the order of 20 inches of rain (red areas) occur just offshore and right along the coastline of Guyana near the mouth of the Essequibo River and Georgetown.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Guyana Flooded by Heavy Rain
…
| Title |
Guyana Flooded by Heavy Rains |
| Description |
Since late December, Guyana has been hit by three distinct episodes of heavy rain that have resulted in some coastal areas of Guyana receiving upwards of 100 cm (40 inches) of rainfall?the most rainfall for a similar period in over 100 years. The heavy rain left two-thirds of Guyana?s capital, Georgetown, flooded, affecting over 120,000 and killing six. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center monitors rainfall over the global tropics. The image shows MPA rainfall totals for Guyana and the surrounding region of northeastern South America between December 24, 2004, and January 20, 2005. The highest rainfall totals on the order of 20 inches of rain (red areas) occur just offshore and right along the coastline of Guyana near the mouth of the Essequibo River and Georgetown.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Adeline-Juliet
| Title |
Cyclone Adeline-Juliet |
| Description |
On April 6, 2005, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite flew directly over Cyclone Adeline-Juliet, capturing this image. The image shows a snapshot of the rainfall rates within the storm as seen by the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) in the inner swath and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) in the outer swath. The rainrates are overlaid on a visible image from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). A region of extremely heavy rain, red, circles the eye on the north, and bands of lighter rain swirl characteristically out from the center. As the image shows, Cyclone Adeline-Juliet is a small, but well-organized storm. With winds gusting up to 260 kilometers per hour (160 mph), the storm is moving west across the Indian Ocean at 17 kph (10 mph). This small, but powerful storm is churning the Indian Ocean, generating waves that reach up to 14 meters or 45 feet high. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center [ https://metoc.npmoc.navy.mil//jtwc.html ], Adeline-Juliet will continue to strengthen over the next two days.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA image courtesy Hal Pierce, SSAI/NASA GSFC. |
|
Cyclone Harvey Moves Over Au
…
| Title |
Cyclone Harvey Moves Over Australia |
| Description |
Cyclone Harvey hit the northern coast Australia on Monday, February 7, 2005, near the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland along the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts of up to 220 kph (132 mph). The storm was rated as a Category 3 Cyclone at landfall by the Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center. In November of 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite was launched to measure rainfall over the global Tropics. Armed with both passive and active sensors including the first and only precipitation radar in space, TRMM as has proven itself to be a valuable tool for examining tropical cyclones. TRMM was able to capture these unique images of Cyclone Harvey as it traversed the Gulf of Carpentaria and struck the coast of Australia. The first image, top left, was taken at 08:52 UTC (6:22 pm Australian CST) on February 6, 2005, just as Harvey was becoming better organized in the central Gulf of Carpentaria. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates (top down view) by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The center of Harvey falls within the TMI swath in this image. Only light (blue areas) to occasional moderate (green areas) rain intensity is present, and most of the rain is located west of the center of Harvey. Little or no banding is visible in the rainfield indicating that the system is still in the early stages of development. At the time of this image, Harvey was rated as a Category 1 Cyclone by the Bureau of Meteorology?s Tropical Cyclone Warning Center indicating peak wind gusts of less than 125 kph (78 mph)--equivalent to a tropical storm. The next image, top left, was taken at 07:57 UTC (5:27 pm Australian CST) on February 7, just as Harvey was hitting the coast. While the rain field still appears to be skewed to the west of the storm, the center is now surrounded by several areas of very intense rainfall (dark red areas) on the order of 2 inches per hour. Tropical cyclones rely on the heat that is released when water vapor condenses into cloud droplets, known as latent heating, to drive their circulation. These smaller cloud droplets eventually form into larger raindrops that are easier to observe. This heating is most effective at powering the storm when it is released near the center of circulation. The final image is a vertical cross section looking east through the center of Harvey taken by the PR. It shows that the area of intense rain in the previous image is associated with what scientists call a ?chimney cloud,? a deep, convective tower that extends high into the atmosphere well above the freezing level. Chimney clouds have been associated with the intensification of tropical cyclones. This particular chimney cloud extends up to an, altitude of 20 km. It can be detected by the PR as precipitation-sized particles are lofted up high by updrafts within the cloud. So far Harvey has resulted in only minor flooding in eastern parts of the Northern Territory.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Harvey Moves Over Au
…
| Title |
Cyclone Harvey Moves Over Australia |
| Description |
Cyclone Harvey hit the northern coast Australia on Monday, February 7, 2005, near the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland along the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts of up to 220 kph (132 mph). The storm was rated as a Category 3 Cyclone at landfall by the Bureau of Meteorology's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center. In November of 1997, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission or TRMM satellite was launched to measure rainfall over the global Tropics. Armed with both passive and active sensors including the first and only precipitation radar in space, TRMM as has proven itself to be a valuable tool for examining tropical cyclones. TRMM was able to capture these unique images of Cyclone Harvey as it traversed the Gulf of Carpentaria and struck the coast of Australia. The first image, top left, was taken at 08:52 UTC (6:22 pm Australian CST) on February 6, 2005, just as Harvey was becoming better organized in the central Gulf of Carpentaria. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain rates (top down view) by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The center of Harvey falls within the TMI swath in this image. Only light (blue areas) to occasional moderate (green areas) rain intensity is present, and most of the rain is located west of the center of Harvey. Little or no banding is visible in the rainfield indicating that the system is still in the early stages of development. At the time of this image, Harvey was rated as a Category 1 Cyclone by the Bureau of Meteorology?s Tropical Cyclone Warning Center indicating peak wind gusts of less than 125 kph (78 mph)--equivalent to a tropical storm. The next image, top left, was taken at 07:57 UTC (5:27 pm Australian CST) on February 7, just as Harvey was hitting the coast. While the rain field still appears to be skewed to the west of the storm, the center is now surrounded by several areas of very intense rainfall (dark red areas) on the order of 2 inches per hour. Tropical cyclones rely on the heat that is released when water vapor condenses into cloud droplets, known as latent heating, to drive their circulation. These smaller cloud droplets eventually form into larger raindrops that are easier to observe. This heating is most effective at powering the storm when it is released near the center of circulation. The final image is a vertical cross section looking east through the center of Harvey taken by the PR. It shows that the area of intense rain in the previous image is associated with what scientists call a ?chimney cloud,? a deep, convective tower that extends high into the atmosphere well above the freezing level. Chimney clouds have been associated with the intensification of tropical cyclones. This particular chimney cloud extends up to an, altitude of 20 km. It can be detected by the PR as precipitation-sized particles are lofted up high by updrafts within the cloud. So far Harvey has resulted in only minor flooding in eastern parts of the Northern Territory.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
It is extremely rare for a powerful tropical cyclone to make landfall, weaken significantly, then later re-intensify back into a powerful storm again, but Cyclone Ingrid did just that. After crossing Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on the 10th of March 2005, Cyclone Ingrid appeared to have all but dissipated (please see our related TRMM story). On March 11, 2005, a greatly-weakened Ingrid re-emerged over open water in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In a phenomenal re-birth, Ingrid rapidly re-intensified, going from tropical storm strength back to a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in the span of just 12 hours. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured the top image of a rejuvenated Ingrid just off of the northeastern tip of Australia's Northern Territory at 16:05 UTC on March 11 (2:05 a.m. on March 12, Australian CST). The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). Ingrid's center appears well-defined with a tight, symmetrical eye. Heavy rain rates (red areas) are embedded in the eyewall, and good banding is evident in the arcs of moderate rain intensity (green arcs) surrounding the eye. Ingrid continued to move due west, paralleling the coast and remaining over water. This also allowed the storm to strengthen even further, becoming a Category 5 Super Cyclone on the evening of March 12 (local time). During the night and early morning of the following day, March 13 (local time), Ingrid hammered Croker Island with reports of recorded winds reaching 320 kph (198 mph), devastating the island. Fortunately, there were no reported deaths or injuries as residents took shelter. Continuing westward, Ingrid next crossed northern portions of the Cobourg Peninsula followed by Melville and Bathurst Islands north of Darwin. The center image, taken by TRMM at 15:50 UTC on March 13 (1:50 am on March 14, Australian CST) shows Ingrid right over the northern tip of Melville Island. At the time, Ingrid was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 100 knots (115 mph). An eye is not readily apparent with the storm's circulation having been disrupted by its passage over the Cobourg Peninsula and Melville Island. However, a large area of intense rain (red area) still exists near the center with prominent banding still visible in the surrounding rain field. After passing over the northern tip of Bathurst Island, Ingrid entered the Timor Sea and was once more over open water. The storm now took a more southerly course heading southwest and began to strengthen yet again. On March 14, remarkably, Ingrid reached Category 4 intensity for the 3rd time, with winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph). The final image was taken at 05:45 UTC (3:45 pm Australian CST) on March 15. Although the storm's center only falls within the TMI swath, a complete eye is clearly visible once again (green circle) with localized areas of heavy rain (red areas) embedded in the eyewall. Near the time of this image, Ingrid's sustained winds were estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). Ingrid finally came ashore on the northern coastline of Kimberley in Western Australia on the night of March 15 (local time) near Faraway Bay.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
It is extremely rare for a powerful tropical cyclone to make landfall, weaken significantly, then later re-intensify back into a powerful storm again, but Cyclone Ingrid did just that. After crossing Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on the 10th of March 2005, Cyclone Ingrid appeared to have all but dissipated (please see our related TRMM story). On March 11, 2005, a greatly-weakened Ingrid re-emerged over open water in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In a phenomenal re-birth, Ingrid rapidly re-intensified, going from tropical storm strength back to a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in the span of just 12 hours. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured the top image of a rejuvenated Ingrid just off of the northeastern tip of Australia's Northern Territory at 16:05 UTC on March 11 (2:05 a.m. on March 12, Australian CST). The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). Ingrid's center appears well-defined with a tight, symmetrical eye. Heavy rain rates (red areas) are embedded in the eyewall, and good banding is evident in the arcs of moderate rain intensity (green arcs) surrounding the eye. Ingrid continued to move due west, paralleling the coast and remaining over water. This also allowed the storm to strengthen even further, becoming a Category 5 Super Cyclone on the evening of March 12 (local time). During the night and early morning of the following day, March 13 (local time), Ingrid hammered Croker Island with reports of recorded winds reaching 320 kph (198 mph), devastating the island. Fortunately, there were no reported deaths or injuries as residents took shelter. Continuing westward, Ingrid next crossed northern portions of the Cobourg Peninsula followed by Melville and Bathurst Islands north of Darwin. The center image, taken by TRMM at 15:50 UTC on March 13 (1:50 am on March 14, Australian CST) shows Ingrid right over the northern tip of Melville Island. At the time, Ingrid was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 100 knots (115 mph). An eye is not readily apparent with the storm's circulation having been disrupted by its passage over the Cobourg Peninsula and Melville Island. However, a large area of intense rain (red area) still exists near the center with prominent banding still visible in the surrounding rain field. After passing over the northern tip of Bathurst Island, Ingrid entered the Timor Sea and was once more over open water. The storm now took a more southerly course heading southwest and began to strengthen yet again. On March 14, remarkably, Ingrid reached Category 4 intensity for the 3rd time, with winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph). The final image was taken at 05:45 UTC (3:45 pm Australian CST) on March 15. Although the storm's center only falls within the TMI swath, a complete eye is clearly visible once again (green circle) with localized areas of heavy rain (red areas) embedded in the eyewall. Near the time of this image, Ingrid's sustained winds were estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). Ingrid finally came ashore on the northern coastline of Kimberley in Western Australia on the night of March 15 (local time) near Faraway Bay.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
It is extremely rare for a powerful tropical cyclone to make landfall, weaken significantly, then later re-intensify back into a powerful storm again, but Cyclone Ingrid did just that. After crossing Queensland's Cape York Peninsula on the 10th of March 2005, Cyclone Ingrid appeared to have all but dissipated (please see our related TRMM story). On March 11, 2005, a greatly-weakened Ingrid re-emerged over open water in the Gulf of Carpentaria. In a phenomenal re-birth, Ingrid rapidly re-intensified, going from tropical storm strength back to a Category 4 cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in the span of just 12 hours. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite captured the top image of a rejuvenated Ingrid just off of the northeastern tip of Australia's Northern Territory at 16:05 UTC on March 11 (2:05 a.m. on March 12, Australian CST). The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). Ingrid's center appears well-defined with a tight, symmetrical eye. Heavy rain rates (red areas) are embedded in the eyewall, and good banding is evident in the arcs of moderate rain intensity (green arcs) surrounding the eye. Ingrid continued to move due west, paralleling the coast and remaining over water. This also allowed the storm to strengthen even further, becoming a Category 5 Super Cyclone on the evening of March 12 (local time). During the night and early morning of the following day, March 13 (local time), Ingrid hammered Croker Island with reports of recorded winds reaching 320 kph (198 mph), devastating the island. Fortunately, there were no reported deaths or injuries as residents took shelter. Continuing westward, Ingrid next crossed northern portions of the Cobourg Peninsula followed by Melville and Bathurst Islands north of Darwin. The center image, taken by TRMM at 15:50 UTC on March 13 (1:50 am on March 14, Australian CST) shows Ingrid right over the northern tip of Melville Island. At the time, Ingrid was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds estimated at 100 knots (115 mph). An eye is not readily apparent with the storm's circulation having been disrupted by its passage over the Cobourg Peninsula and Melville Island. However, a large area of intense rain (red area) still exists near the center with prominent banding still visible in the surrounding rain field. After passing over the northern tip of Bathurst Island, Ingrid entered the Timor Sea and was once more over open water. The storm now took a more southerly course heading southwest and began to strengthen yet again. On March 14, remarkably, Ingrid reached Category 4 intensity for the 3rd time, with winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph). The final image was taken at 05:45 UTC (3:45 pm Australian CST) on March 15. Although the storm's center only falls within the TMI swath, a complete eye is clearly visible once again (green circle) with localized areas of heavy rain (red areas) embedded in the eyewall. Near the time of this image, Ingrid's sustained winds were estimated at 130 knots (150 mph). Ingrid finally came ashore on the northern coastline of Kimberley in Western Australia on the night of March 15 (local time) near Faraway Bay.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
Cyclone Ingrid crossed the eastern shoreline of Queensland, Australia just south of the town of Lockhart River on the morning of March 10, 2005, (local time) as a powerful Category 4 storm. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone Warning Centre in Queensland estimated the storm's wind gusts to be as strong as 240 kilometers per hour (149 mph). Fortunately, damage was not widespread because of the compact size of the storm and the sparse population in the impacted region. Five people did drown, however, when their boat capsized in heavy seas south of Papua New Guinea. This series of images shows Cyclone Ingrid as it developed in the Coral Sea and moved over Queensland. The images were acquired by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, which, since its launch in the fall of 1997, has provided unprecedented and valuable information on tropical cyclones around the tropics. With an active radar and a passive microwave sensor, TRMM can peer into the heart of these storms and relay important details on storm structure and location to forecasters. The upper left image was taken at 17:31 UTC on March 6, as Ingrid was intensifying over the Coral Sea. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The center of Ingrid falls within the TMI swath in this image. TRMM shows that Ingrid already has a well-defined eye outlined by an area of moderate rain intensity (green areas) with evidence of good banding surrounding the eye (green arcs). At the time of this image, Ingrid was the equivalent of a minimal typhoon with maximum sustained winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The upper right image was taken on March 7, at 08:29 UTC. The PR shows that there are heavy rain rates (red areas) in the southwestern part of the eyewall and in a rainband just south of the center. The eye is small and symmetrical. In addition, Ingrid itself is shown to be a small storm. These rather small, compact cyclones are often referred to as "midget" cyclones. Ingrid, however, was now an intense cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph), equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon. As Ingrid continued to move east towards Australia it strengthened further before starting to weaken as it neared the coast and made landfall on the March 10. The lower left image shows Ingrid on March 9, just before the storm's center moved ashore. The lower right image was taken at 07:11 UTC (5:11 pm Australian CST) on March 10. After having crossed to the western side of the Cape York Peninsula, Ingrid weakened substantially. There is no longer any evidence of an eye and no signs of organization in the rain field., Ingrid is expected to re-emerge over the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and head for the Northern Territory.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
Cyclone Ingrid crossed the eastern shoreline of Queensland, Australia just south of the town of Lockhart River on the morning of March 10, 2005, (local time) as a powerful Category 4 storm. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone Warning Centre in Queensland estimated the storm's wind gusts to be as strong as 240 kilometers per hour (149 mph). Fortunately, damage was not widespread because of the compact size of the storm and the sparse population in the impacted region. Five people did drown, however, when their boat capsized in heavy seas south of Papua New Guinea. This series of images shows Cyclone Ingrid as it developed in the Coral Sea and moved over Queensland. The images were acquired by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, which, since its launch in the fall of 1997, has provided unprecedented and valuable information on tropical cyclones around the tropics. With an active radar and a passive microwave sensor, TRMM can peer into the heart of these storms and relay important details on storm structure and location to forecasters. The upper left image was taken at 17:31 UTC on March 6, as Ingrid was intensifying over the Coral Sea. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The center of Ingrid falls within the TMI swath in this image. TRMM shows that Ingrid already has a well-defined eye outlined by an area of moderate rain intensity (green areas) with evidence of good banding surrounding the eye (green arcs). At the time of this image, Ingrid was the equivalent of a minimal typhoon with maximum sustained winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The upper right image was taken on March 7, at 08:29 UTC. The PR shows that there are heavy rain rates (red areas) in the southwestern part of the eyewall and in a rainband just south of the center. The eye is small and symmetrical. In addition, Ingrid itself is shown to be a small storm. These rather small, compact cyclones are often referred to as "midget" cyclones. Ingrid, however, was now an intense cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph), equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon. As Ingrid continued to move east towards Australia it strengthened further before starting to weaken as it neared the coast and made landfall on the March 10. The lower left image shows Ingrid on March 9, just before the storm's center moved ashore. The lower right image was taken at 07:11 UTC (5:11 pm Australian CST) on March 10. After having crossed to the western side of the Cape York Peninsula, Ingrid weakened substantially. There is no longer any evidence of an eye and no signs of organization in the rain field., Ingrid is expected to re-emerge over the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and head for the Northern Territory.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Cyclone Ingrid
| Title |
Cyclone Ingrid |
| Description |
Cyclone Ingrid crossed the eastern shoreline of Queensland, Australia just south of the town of Lockhart River on the morning of March 10, 2005, (local time) as a powerful Category 4 storm. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Cyclone Warning Centre in Queensland estimated the storm's wind gusts to be as strong as 240 kilometers per hour (149 mph). Fortunately, damage was not widespread because of the compact size of the storm and the sparse population in the impacted region. Five people did drown, however, when their boat capsized in heavy seas south of Papua New Guinea. This series of images shows Cyclone Ingrid as it developed in the Coral Sea and moved over Queensland. The images were acquired by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, which, since its launch in the fall of 1997, has provided unprecedented and valuable information on tropical cyclones around the tropics. With an active radar and a passive microwave sensor, TRMM can peer into the heart of these storms and relay important details on storm structure and location to forecasters. The upper left image was taken at 17:31 UTC on March 6, as Ingrid was intensifying over the Coral Sea. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity (top down view) as viewed by the TRMM satellite. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The center of Ingrid falls within the TMI swath in this image. TRMM shows that Ingrid already has a well-defined eye outlined by an area of moderate rain intensity (green areas) with evidence of good banding surrounding the eye (green arcs). At the time of this image, Ingrid was the equivalent of a minimal typhoon with maximum sustained winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The upper right image was taken on March 7, at 08:29 UTC. The PR shows that there are heavy rain rates (red areas) in the southwestern part of the eyewall and in a rainband just south of the center. The eye is small and symmetrical. In addition, Ingrid itself is shown to be a small storm. These rather small, compact cyclones are often referred to as "midget" cyclones. Ingrid, however, was now an intense cyclone with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 knots (138 mph), equivalent to a Category 4 typhoon. As Ingrid continued to move east towards Australia it strengthened further before starting to weaken as it neared the coast and made landfall on the March 10. The lower left image shows Ingrid on March 9, just before the storm's center moved ashore. The lower right image was taken at 07:11 UTC (5:11 pm Australian CST) on March 10. After having crossed to the western side of the Cape York Peninsula, Ingrid weakened substantially. There is no longer any evidence of an eye and no signs of organization in the rain field., Ingrid is expected to re-emerge over the warm waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria and head for the Northern Territory.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
|
