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Satellite Imagery of Hurrica …
Title Satellite Imagery of Hurricane Dennis (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Dennis started as a tropical depression on August 23, 1999, became a tropical storm on August 24, and was classified as a hurricane early on August 26, near the Bahamas. From August 26 through August 31, Dennis proceeded up the coast of the United States until it stalled off the coast of North Carolina for four days because the pressure trough that was pushing it out to sea left it behind. This animation shows images of Dennis during its hurricane period from August 26 through August 31, 1999, when the stall began. The images were taken by the GOES-8 satellite, a weather satellite in geostationary orbit above the western hemisphere. The continuous white cloud progression came from infrared images from GOES, and the yellowish clouds that come and go with the daylight came from data taken in the visible spectrum, also from GOES. The GOES images were not taken at regular times, so the hurricane appears to slow down when the time between images gets small and speed up when the time between images gets large.
Completed 2004-02-10
Global Large-scale Precipita …
Title Global Large-scale Precipitation during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds. As moisture-laden air rises, the relative humidity increases until it saturates the air, at which time precipitation occurs. If the uplift of air is due to large-scale atmospheric motion, then the precipitation is called large-scale, or dynamic. This animation shows the large-scale precipitation for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. Large-scale precipitation tends to be continuous and to come from decks of stratus clouds rather than from thunderstorms.
Completed 2005-07-28
Global Large-scale Precipita …
Title Global Large-scale Precipitation during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds. As moisture-laden air rises, the relative humidity increases until it saturates the air, at which time precipitation occurs. If the uplift of air is due to large-scale atmospheric motion, then the precipitation is called large-scale, or dynamic. This animation shows the large-scale precipitation for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. Large-scale precipitation tends to be continuous and to come from decks of stratus clouds rather than from thunderstorms.
Completed 2005-07-28
Urban Signatures: Evaporatio …
Title Urban Signatures: Evaporation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows evaporation rates predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Evaporation is lower in the cities because water tends to run off pavement and into drains, rather than being absorbed by soil and plants from which it later evaporates. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-10
Urban Signatures: Evaporatio …
Title Urban Signatures: Evaporation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows evaporation rates predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Evaporation is lower in the cities because water tends to run off pavement and into drains, rather than being absorbed by soil and plants from which it later evaporates. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-10
Life Returns to the Galapago …
Title Life Returns to the Galapagos after El Nino (WMS)
Abstract During the El Nino in 1997 and 1998, the surface water in the eastern equatorial Pacific off the coast of South America was warmer than normal. This warm water trapped the ocean nutrients that normally come to the surface in the upwelling cold water, leading to a drastic decrease in phytonplankton and other ocean life in the region. The unique Galapagos ecosystem was severely affected and many species, including sea lions, seabirds, and baracudas, suffered a very high mortality level. During the second week of May, 1998, the ocean temperatures plummeted 10 degrees in one day, and the ocean productivity exploded with large phytoplankton blooms. After this time, many species recovered very rapidly and the land species started to reproduce immediately. The SeaWiFS instrument, which monitors global phytoplankton in the oceans by measuring the color of reflected light, caught this dramatic recovery. This visualization shws images from SeaWiFS starting on May 10, 1998 and ending on May 31, 1998, where ocean colors of blue or purple represents little or no ocean life and colors or yellow and red indicate significant ocean productivity. White and gray denote areas occluded by clouds in these images, and a relief image of the Galapagos Islands has been superimposed on the images to clarify the location of the islands.
Completed 2004-02-13
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Progression of Hurricane Isa …
Title Progression of Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by MODIS.
Completed 2004-03-03
Model of Clouds during Hurri …
Title Model of Clouds during Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract The NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) is used to produce a high-resolution weather prediction system. This model has an increased accuracy of predicting the strength and location of hurricanes over other prediction methods. Several variables are predicted, including cloud cover and precipitable water in the atmosphere. Data from Hurricane Isabel was used to validate the fvGCM model.
Completed 2004-10-22
Model of Clouds during Hurri …
Title Model of Clouds during Hurricane Isabel, 2003 (WMS)
Abstract The NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) is used to produce a high-resolution weather prediction system. This model has an increased accuracy of predicting the strength and location of hurricanes over other prediction methods. Several variables are predicted, including cloud cover and precipitable water in the atmosphere. Data from Hurricane Isabel was used to validate the fvGCM model.
Completed 2004-10-22
Progression of Hurricane Kat …
Title Progression of Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (WMS)
Abstract Low earth-orbiting satellites, such as Aqua and Terra, usually see any place on Earth no more than once a day. This sequence of color images from the MODIS instruments on Aqua and Terra shows the progression of Hurricane Katrina, from August 24 to August 31, 2005, whenever one of the two instruments captured the hurricane.
Completed 2005-09-08
Urban Signatures: Thermal Ra …
Title Urban Signatures: Thermal Radiation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows outgoing thermal radiation predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Cities are warmer, so they emit more longwave (infrared) radiation. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
Urban Signatures: Thermal Ra …
Title Urban Signatures: Thermal Radiation (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows outgoing thermal radiation predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Cities are warmer, so they emit more longwave (infrared) radiation. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-16
GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane …
Title GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane Katrina: Full Disk Lower Level Temperature (WMS)
Abstract The GOES-12 satellite sits at 75 degrees west longitude at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the equator, in geosynchronous orbit. At this position its Imager instrument takes pictures of cloud patterns in several wavelengths for all of North and South America, a primary measurement used in weather forecasting. Every three hours the Imager takes a picture of the full disk of the Earth. This animation shows a sequence of these full disk images in the wavelength band from 12.9 to 13.8 microns, during the period that Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf of Mexico. This wavelength band is useful for determining cloud characteristics such as cloud top pressure.
Completed 2005-08-29
GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane …
Title GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane Katrina: Full Disk Water Vapor (WMS)
Abstract The GOES-12 satellite sits at 75 degrees west longitude at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the equator, in geosynchronous orbit. At this position its Imager instrument takes pictures of cloud patterns in several wavelengths for all of North and South America, a primary measurement used in weather forecasting. Every three hours the Imager takes a picture of the full disk of the Earth. This animation shows a sequence of these full disk images in the 6.47 to 7.02 micron wavelength band, during the period that Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf of Mexico. This wavelength band is useful for estimating mid-level water vapor content and for observing atmospheric motion in that level.
Completed 2005-08-29
Rainfall Accumulation from H …
Title Rainfall Accumulation from Hurricane Isabel (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Isabel generated large amounts of rain over the Atlantic ocean as it approached East coast of the United States in September 2003. In fact, unlike many hurricanes, most of the Isabel's rainfall did not occur over land, flooding on land was caused mainly by storm surge. This animation shows accumulation of rainfall from the hurricane--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. Rain from other sources has been masked out, so the hurricane track is clearly visible as the storm moves across the Atlantic.
Completed 2005-04-12
Rainfall Accumulation from H …
Title Rainfall Accumulation from Hurricane Isabel (WMS)
Abstract Hurricane Isabel generated large amounts of rain over the Atlantic ocean as it approached East coast of the United States in September 2003. In fact, unlike many hurricanes, most of the Isabel's rainfall did not occur over land, flooding on land was caused mainly by storm surge. This animation shows accumulation of rainfall from the hurricane--each frame shows the total amount of rain since the start of the measurement period. Rain from other sources has been masked out, so the hurricane track is clearly visible as the storm moves across the Atlantic.
Completed 2005-04-12
Global Cloud Cover during Hu …
Title Global Cloud Cover during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. Warm, moisture-laden air moving out from the tropics brings clouds and rainfall to the temperate zones. This animation shows the cloud cover for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The cloud cover in any region significantly affects the energy balance since sunlight reflected from the clouds is not available to heat the surface. The motion of clouds in this animation clearly indicates the speed and direction of winds around the globe.
Completed 2005-07-25
Global Cloud Cover during Hu …
Title Global Cloud Cover during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. Warm, moisture-laden air moving out from the tropics brings clouds and rainfall to the temperate zones. This animation shows the cloud cover for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The cloud cover in any region significantly affects the energy balance since sunlight reflected from the clouds is not available to heat the surface. The motion of clouds in this animation clearly indicates the speed and direction of winds around the globe.
Completed 2005-07-25
Tropical Storm Allison Progr …
Title Tropical Storm Allison Progression (WMS)
Abstract Tropical Storm Allison began just five days into the 2001 hurricane season. Allison formed in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and dumped an enormous amount of rain on Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and other states in the southeastern United States.
Completed 2004-03-11
GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane …
Title GOES-12 Imagery of Hurricane Katrina: Full Disk Longwave Infrared (WMS)
Abstract The GOES-12 satellite sits at 75 degrees west longitude at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers over the equator, in geosynchronous orbit. At this position its Imager instrument takes pictures of cloud patterns in several wavelengths for all of North and South America, a primary measurement used in weather forecasting. Every three hours the Imager takes a picture of the full disk of the Earth. This animation shows a sequence of these full disk images in the longwave infrared wavelengths, from 10.2 to 11.2 microns, during the period that Hurricane Katrina passed through the Gulf of Mexico. This wavelength band is the most common one for observing cloud motions and severe storms throughout the day and night.
Completed 2005-08-29
Urban Signatures: Temperatur …
Title Urban Signatures: Temperature (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows average surface temperature predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-09
Urban Signatures: Temperatur …
Title Urban Signatures: Temperature (WMS)
Abstract Big cities influence the environment around them. For example, urban areas are typically warmer than their surroundings. Cities are strikingly visible in computer models that simulate the Earth's land surface. This visualization shows average surface temperature predicted by the Land Information System (LIS) for a day in June 2001. Only part of the global computation is shown, focusing on the highly urbanized northeast corridor in the United States, including the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.
Completed 2005-05-09
Minimum Sea Ice Extent (WMS)
Title Minimum Sea Ice Extent (WMS)
Abstract Each year, the ice covering the Arctic Ocean grows during the northern hemisphere winter and shrinks with the northern hemisphere summer. The ice extent is usually greatest during the month of March and is the least during the month of September. This image shows the average minimum extent of sea ice over the northern hemisphere during the month of September over 24 seasons, from 1979 - 2002. The red line shows the area where the average sea ice concentration is 15%.
Completed 2005-07-01
Minimum Sea Ice Extent (WMS)
Title Minimum Sea Ice Extent (WMS)
Abstract Each year, the ice covering the Arctic Ocean grows during the northern hemisphere winter and shrinks with the northern hemisphere summer. The ice extent is usually greatest during the month of March and is the least during the month of September. This image shows the average minimum extent of sea ice over the northern hemisphere during the month of September over 24 seasons, from 1979 - 2002. The red line shows the area where the average sea ice concentration is 15%.
Completed 2005-07-01
Cumulative Earthquake Activi …
Title Cumulative Earthquake Activity from 1980 through 1995 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows a cumulative view of earthquake activity for the whole world from 1980 through 1995. Each dot on the image represents the number of earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.2 that have occurred in a 0.35 by 0.35 degree area of the globe since January 1, 1980. A yellow dot represents 1 or 2 earthquakes, an orange dot represents about 10 earthquakes, and a red dot represents 50 to 200 earthquakes. The background image, if present, shows the topography of the ocean floor. As the animation proceeds, the earthquakes clearly accumulate around the topographic features that represent the boundaries of the Earth's crustal plates. This animation is based on data from world-wide seismic networks and was obtained from the National Earthquake Center of the United States Geological Survey.
Completed 2004-02-10
Cumulative Earthquake Activi …
Title Cumulative Earthquake Activity from 1980 through 1995 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows a cumulative view of earthquake activity for the whole world from 1980 through 1995. Each dot on the image represents the number of earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.2 that have occurred in a 0.35 by 0.35 degree area of the globe since January 1, 1980. A yellow dot represents 1 or 2 earthquakes, an orange dot represents about 10 earthquakes, and a red dot represents 50 to 200 earthquakes. The background image, if present, shows the topography of the ocean floor. As the animation proceeds, the earthquakes clearly accumulate around the topographic features that represent the boundaries of the Earth's crustal plates. This animation is based on data from world-wide seismic networks and was obtained from the National Earthquake Center of the United States Geological Survey.
Completed 2004-02-10
Global Atmospheric Water Vap …
Title Global Atmospheric Water Vapor during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. Warm, moisture-laden air moving out from the tropics brings rainfall to the temperate zones. This animation shows the atmospheric water vapor for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The band of water vapor over the tropics is the intertropical convergence zone, where converging trade winds and high temperatures force large amounts of water high into the atmosphere. Both Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda exhibit significant spiral bands of high water vapor.
Completed 2005-07-25
Global Atmospheric Water Vap …
Title Global Atmospheric Water Vapor during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds which both warm and cool the Earth in different circumstances. Warm, moisture-laden air moving out from the tropics brings rainfall to the temperate zones. This animation shows the atmospheric water vapor for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The band of water vapor over the tropics is the intertropical convergence zone, where converging trade winds and high temperatures force large amounts of water high into the atmosphere. Both Hurricane Frances and Typhoon Songda exhibit significant spiral bands of high water vapor.
Completed 2005-07-25
Global Infrared Cloud Cover, …
Title Global Infrared Cloud Cover, September 2001 (WMS)
Abstract This animation is a mosaic of cloud cover data taken by several different satellites in the infrared band. One of the most prominent cloud features during this time was Hurricane Erin near the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Completed 2004-02-11
Vegetation Images Show Droug …
Title Vegetation Images Show Drought in Western US (WMS)
Abstract Satellite data can gauge the health of plants, which is a good indicator of drought. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) measures how dense and green plant leaves are. NDVI images are useful as a measure of drought when compared to 'normal' plant health. Scientists calculate average NDVI values for an area to find out what is normal at a particular time of year. This animation uses satellite imagery to show changes in vegetation between 1999 and 2003. In 2002, drought had settled across the Midwest. Large dark brown sections of eastern Colorado show where vegetation was less lush and healthy than normal. This version of the visualization is a wide view showing the western United States. The data were measured by the vegetation instrument on Europe's SPOT-4 satellite, and were provided by DigitalGlobe/SPOT under agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS).
Completed 2005-02-16
Average Clear-sky Outgoing L …
Title Average Clear-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth when the sky is cloud free. The Earth's rotation and the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles make the Earth roughly uniformin temperature. The most visible features are the cold poles in winter and the significant regions of snow coverage in the northern hemisphere, also in winter.
Completed 2005-02-01
Average Clear-sky Outgoing L …
Title Average Clear-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth when the sky is cloud free. The Earth's rotation and the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles make the Earth roughly uniformin temperature. The most visible features are the cold poles in winter and the significant regions of snow coverage in the northern hemisphere, also in winter.
Completed 2005-02-01
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WM …
Title Average Clear-sky Albedo (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth on cloud-free days. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions. Oceans have the lowest albedo, and reflect very little of the incoming solar radiation. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times.
Completed 2005-02-01
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WM …
Title Average Clear-sky Albedo (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth on cloud-free days. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions. Oceans have the lowest albedo, and reflect very little of the incoming solar radiation. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times.
Completed 2005-02-01
Global Lightning Flash Rate …
Title Global Lightning Flash Rate Density (WMS)
Abstract Lightning is a brief but intense electrical discharge between positive and negative regions of a thunderstorm.The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was designed to study the distribution and variability of total lightning on a global basis. The Optical Transient Detector (OTD) was an earlier lightning detector flying aboard the Microlab-1 spacecraft. The data shown here are compiled from LIS (1998-2002) and OTD (1995-1999) observations. Because each satellite saw only a part of the Earth at any one time, these data use complex algorithms to estimate total flash rate density (number of flashes per square kilometer per year) based on the flashes observed and the amount of time the satellite views each area.
Completed 2005-04-11
Global Lightning Flash Rate …
Title Global Lightning Flash Rate Density (WMS)
Abstract Lightning is a brief but intense electrical discharge between positive and negative regions of a thunderstorm.The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was designed to study the distribution and variability of total lightning on a global basis. The Optical Transient Detector (OTD) was an earlier lightning detector flying aboard the Microlab-1 spacecraft. The data shown here are compiled from LIS (1998-2002) and OTD (1995-1999) observations. Because each satellite saw only a part of the Earth at any one time, these data use complex algorithms to estimate total flash rate density (number of flashes per square kilometer per year) based on the flashes observed and the amount of time the satellite views each area.
Completed 2005-04-11
Global Convective Precipitat …
Title Global Convective Precipitation during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds. As moisture-laden air rises, the relative humidity increases until it saturates the air, at which time precipitation occurs. If the uplift of air is due to strong updrafts and unstable air systems, as in thunderstorms, then the precipitation is called convective. This animation shows the convective precipitation for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. Convective precipitation is more intense but less long-lasting than large-scale precipitation.
Completed 2005-07-28
Global Convective Precipitat …
Title Global Convective Precipitation during Hurricane Frances (WMS)
Abstract Water vapor is a small but significant constituent of the atmosphere, warming the planet due to the greenhouse effect and condensing to form clouds. As moisture-laden air rises, the relative humidity increases until it saturates the air, at which time precipitation occurs. If the uplift of air is due to strong updrafts and unstable air systems, as in thunderstorms, then the precipitation is called convective. This animation shows the convective precipitation for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. Convective precipitation is more intense but less long-lasting than large-scale precipitation.
Completed 2005-07-28
Scene Identification Compare …
Title Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time.
Completed 2005-06-21
Scene Identification Compare …
Title Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS)
Abstract The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time.
Completed 2005-06-21
Population Density of the Wo …
Title Population Density of the World, 1990-2015 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows the population density of the world in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, as well as a population density estimated for the year 2015. These figures have been adjusted to match United Nations totals. The most dramatic differences in population are not readily visible in this animation because they are located in cities. The maximum population density in 1990 was about 79,000 people per square kilometer, while the estimated maximum population density in 2015 will be about 236,000 people per square kilometer. Developing areas in Africa, Latin America, and Asia change the most visibly.
Completed 2005-05-16
Population Density of the Wo …
Title Population Density of the World, 1990-2015 (WMS)
Abstract This animation shows the population density of the world in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, as well as a population density estimated for the year 2015. These figures have been adjusted to match United Nations totals. The most dramatic differences in population are not readily visible in this animation because they are located in cities. The maximum population density in 1990 was about 79,000 people per square kilometer, while the estimated maximum population density in 2015 will be about 236,000 people per square kilometer. Developing areas in Africa, Latin America, and Asia change the most visibly.
Completed 2005-05-16
Global Atmospheric Carbon Mo …
Title Global Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide in 2000 (WMS)
Abstract This visualization shows global carbon monoxide concentrations at the 500 millibar altitude in the atmosphere from March 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000. Areas in red have 200 parts per billion of carbon monoxide or more at that altitude (around 5,500 meters), while areas in blue are 50 parts per billion or less. Carbon monoxide is an atmospheric pollutant and the highest concentrations come from grassland and forest fires in Africa and South America, although there is evidence that industrial sources may also be a factor. Atmospheric circulation rapidly moves the carbon monoxide to other parts of the world once it has reached this altitude. This data was measured by the MOPITT instrument on the Terra satellite.
Completed 2004-02-12
Global Atmospheric Carbon Mo …
Title Global Atmospheric Carbon Monoxide in 2000 (WMS)
Abstract This visualization shows global carbon monoxide concentrations at the 500 millibar altitude in the atmosphere from March 1, 2000 through December 31, 2000. Areas in red have 200 parts per billion of carbon monoxide or more at that altitude (around 5,500 meters), while areas in blue are 50 parts per billion or less. Carbon monoxide is an atmospheric pollutant and the highest concentrations come from grassland and forest fires in Africa and South America, although there is evidence that industrial sources may also be a factor. Atmospheric circulation rapidly moves the carbon monoxide to other parts of the world once it has reached this altitude. This data was measured by the MOPITT instrument on the Terra satellite.
Completed 2004-02-12
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