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Encountering Titan Again
| Description |
Encountering Titan Again |
| Full Description |
This map of Titan's surface illustrates the regions that will be imaged by the Cassini spacecraft during the spacecraft's second close flyby of Titan on Dec. 13, 2004. The colored lines delineate the regions that will be imaged at differing resolutions. The lower-resolution imaging sequences (outlined in blue) are designed to study the atmosphere, clouds, and surface in a variety of spectral filters, and to make movies of the evolution of clouds over time scales of hours. Other areas have been specifically targeted for moderate and high resolution mosaicking of surface features. These include the site where the European Space Agency's Huygens probe is predicted to touch down in mid-January (marked with the yellow X), part of the bright region named Xanadu (easternmost extent of the coverage area), and a boundary between dark and bright regions. The map shows only brightness variations on Titan's surface. (The illumination is such that there is no shading due to topographic variations). Previous observations indicate that due to Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere, the sizes of surface features that can be resolved are a few to five times the actual pixel scale labeled on the map. The December encounter is similar in geometry to the first close Titan flyby in October (see PIA06116), so Cassini scientists have taken advantage of this to retarget some of the same areas in order to look for changes and to cover new territory as well. This is the reason for the rather irregular shape of the green outline. The map was made from global images taken in June 2004 at image scales of 35 to 88 kilometers (22 to 55 miles) per pixel and from south polar coverage from July 2004 at an image scale of 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) per pixel. The images were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers - a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) that can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to the surface. The images have been processed to enhance surface details. It is currently northern winter on Titan, so Titan's high northern latitudes are not illuminated, resulting in the jagged upper boundary. Clouds near the south pole (see PIA06110) have also been removed (south of minus 75 degrees). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
|
Encountering Titan Again
| Description |
Encountering Titan Again |
| Full Description |
This map of Titan's surface illustrates the regions that will be imaged by the Cassini spacecraft during the spacecraft's second close flyby of Titan on Dec. 13, 2004. The colored lines delineate the regions that will be imaged at differing resolutions. The lower-resolution imaging sequences (outlined in blue) are designed to study the atmosphere, clouds, and surface in a variety of spectral filters, and to make movies of the evolution of clouds over time scales of hours. Other areas have been specifically targeted for moderate and high resolution mosaicking of surface features. These include the site where the European Space Agency's Huygens probe is predicted to touch down in mid-January (marked with the yellow X), part of the bright region named Xanadu (easternmost extent of the coverage area), and a boundary between dark and bright regions. The map shows only brightness variations on Titan's surface. (The illumination is such that there is no shading due to topographic variations). Previous observations indicate that due to Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere, the sizes of surface features that can be resolved are a few to five times the actual pixel scale labeled on the map. The December encounter is similar in geometry to the first close Titan flyby in October (see PIA06116), so Cassini scientists have taken advantage of this to retarget some of the same areas in order to look for changes and to cover new territory as well. This is the reason for the rather irregular shape of the green outline. The map was made from global images taken in June 2004 at image scales of 35 to 88 kilometers (22 to 55 miles) per pixel and from south polar coverage from July 2004 at an image scale of 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) per pixel. The images were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers - a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) that can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to the surface. The images have been processed to enhance surface details. It is currently northern winter on Titan, so Titan's high northern latitudes are not illuminated, resulting in the jagged upper boundary. Clouds near the south pole (see PIA06110) have also been removed (south of minus 75 degrees). The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
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Iapetus Thermal Radiation Im
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| Description |
Iapetus Thermal Radiation Image |
| Full Description |
This image of the infrared heat radiation from Saturn's moon Iapetus was obtained by the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer instrument 16 hours before Cassini's closest approach to this mysterious moon, on December 31, 2004. The thermal radiation is shown as both a grayscale image, equivalent to what we would see if our eyes were sensitive to infrared wavelengths near 15 microns, and as a color-coded temperature map. A previously-released mosaic obtained by Cassini's imaging camera shortly before the composite infrared spectrometer observation, with similar scale and orientation, is also shown for comparison. Temperatures reach nearly 130 Kelvin (-226 Fahrenheit) at noon on the equator on the dark material that covers most of this side of Iapetus, making high noon on Iapetus's dark side probably the warmest places in the Saturn system. This is much warmer than temperatures on another Saturnian moon, Phoebe, measured by composite infrared spectrometer in June 2004. Those Phoebe temperature measurements peaked near 112 Kelvin (-258 Fahrenheit), because though Phoebe is almost as dark as Iapetus's dark material and absorbs nearly as much sunlight, Phoebe rotates much more quickly (once every 9 hours, compared to 79 days for Iapetus). That means the surface has less time to heat up during the day. Temperatures on Iapetus's bright material are much colder, peaking near 100 Kelvin (-280 Fahrenheit), both because the bright material absorbs less sunlight and because it is further from the equator on this side of Iapetus. Temperatures in the large crater near the center of the disc are slightly different from those in surrounding areas, because sloping surfaces within the crater are warmer where they are tilted towards the Sun and cooler when tilted away from the Sun. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://cirs.gsfc.nasa.gov/. *Credit*: NASA/JPL/GSFC |
| Date |
January 10, 2005 |
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Titan Flyby Number Four
| Description |
Titan Flyby Number Four |
| Full Description |
NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For additional images visit the Cassini imaging team homepage http://ciclops.org . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute, This map of the surface of Saturn's moon Titan illustrates the regions that will be imaged by Cassini during the spacecraft's fourth (and third very close) flyby of the smoggy moon on Feb. 15, 2005. At closest approach, Cassini is expected to pass approximately 1,580 kilometers (982 miles) above the moon's surface. The colored lines delineate the regions that will be imaged at differing resolutions. The lower resolution imaging sequences (outlined in blue) are designed to study the atmosphere, clouds and surface in a variety of spectral filters. Other areas have been specifically targeted for creation of mosaics based on moderate resolution images of surface features. Two small areas (outlined in yellow) will be seen at high resolution by Cassini's narrow angle camera, and will be jointly covered by the visual and mapping spectrometer experiment. These high resolution targets also overlap areas covered by the Cassini radar altimetry and synthetic aperture radar experiments. The site where the Huygens probe landed in mid-January will be imaged at lower resolution during this flyby and is within the terrain in the extreme western part of the coverage area. The low-resolution imaging coverage will extend farther east than the previous two close flybys in October and December 2004. Some areas covered at moderate resolution during previous flybys have been targeted again to allow Cassini scientists to look for changes. The map shows only brightness variations on Titan's surface (the illumination is such that there are no shadows and no shading due to topographic variations). Previous observations indicate that, due to Titan's thick, hazy atmosphere, the sizes of surface features that can be resolved are a few to five times larger than the actual pixel scale labeled on the map. The map was made from global images taken in June 2004, at image scales of 35 to 88 kilometers (22 to 55 miles) per pixel, and south polar coverage from July 2004, at an image scale of 2 kilometers (1.3 miles) per pixel. The images were obtained using a narrow band filter centered at 938 nanometers -- a near-infrared wavelength (invisible to the human eye) at which light can penetrate Titan's atmosphere to reach the surface and return through the atmosphere to be detected by the camera. The images have been processed to enhance surface details. It is currently northern winter on Titan, so the moon's high northern latitudes are not illuminated, resulting in the lack of coverage north of 45 degrees north latitude. Clouds near the south pole (see http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06110) have also been removed (south of -75 degrees). At 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) across, Titan is one of the solar system's largest moons. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for |
| Date |
February 14, 2005 |
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Phoebian Explorers 2
| Description |
Phoebian Explorers 2 |
| Full Description |
These two montages of images of Saturn's moon Phoebe, taken by Cassini in June 2004, show the names provisionally assigned to 24 craters on this Saturnian satellite by the International Astronomical Union. The craters are named for the Argonauts, explorers of Greek mythology who sought the golden fleece. Argo was the name of their ship. The largest crater, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) across, is named after the leading Argonaut, Jason. Phoebe is an outer moon of Saturn and is 220 kilometers (136 miles) across. The two-image montage (See Phoebian Explorers 1) displays mosaics made of individual, very high resolution images: 80 meters (260 feet) per pixel on the left, 200 meters (660 feet) per pixel on the right. This montage shows eight images of much lower resolution, ranging from 0.5 to 1 kilometer (0.3 to 0.6 mile) per pixel. The images in this montage show Phoebe as it rotated, and include regions of the moon not visible in the higher resolution montage. The images have been slightly rescaled from their original formats and contrast-enhanced. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
February 24, 2005 |
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Phoebian Explorers 1
| Description |
Phoebian Explorers 1 |
| Full Description |
These two montages of images of Saturn's moon Phoebe, taken by Cassini in June 2004, show the names provisionally assigned to 24 craters on this Saturnian satellite by the International Astronomical Union. The craters are named for the Argonauts, explorers of Greek mythology who sought the golden fleece. Argo was the name of their ship. The largest crater, approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) across, is named after the leading Argonaut, Jason. Phoebe is an outer moon of Saturn and is 220 kilometers (136 miles) across. The two-image montage displays mosaics made of individual, very high resolution images: 80 meters (260 feet) per pixel on the left, 200 meters (660 feet) per pixel on the right. The other montage (see Phoebian Explorers 2) shows eight images of much lower resolution, ranging from 0.5 to 1 kilometer (0.3 to 0.6 mile) per pixel. The images in this montage show Phoebe as it rotated, and include regions of the moon not visible in the higher resolution montage. The images have been slightly rescaled from their original formats and contrast-enhanced. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . For images visit the Cassini imaging team home page http://ciclops.org . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
February 24, 2005 |
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Iapetus Temperature Map
| Description |
Iapetus Temperature Map |
| Full Description |
This temperature map of Saturn's moon Iapetus is constructed from observations of Iapetus's infrared heat radiation taken with the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer instrument during the Dec. 31, 2004 flyby. The orange asterisk marks the point on Iapetus where the Sun is directly overhead. Temperatures reach nearly 130 Kelvin (-226 Fahrenheit) at noon on the equator on the dark material that covers most of this side of Iapetus, making high noon on Iapetus's dark side probably the warmest places in the Saturn system. This is much warmer than temperatures on the moon Phoebe measured by the composite infrared spectrometer in June 2004, which peaked near 112 Kelvin (-258 Fahrenheit). That's because, although Phoebe is almost as dark as Iapetus's dark material and absorbs nearly as much sunlight, Phoebe rotates much more quickly (once every 9 hours, compared to 79 days for Iapetus). That means the surface has less time to heat up during the day. Temperatures on Iapetus' bright material are much colder, peaking near 100 Kelvin (-280 Fahrenheit), both because the bright material absorbs less sunlight and because it is further from the equator on this side of Iapetus. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The composite infrared spectrometer team is based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the instrument team's home page, http://cirs.gsfc.nasa.gov/. *Credit*: NASA/JPL/GSFC |
| Date |
January 10, 2005 |
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Map of Phoebe - December 200
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| Description |
This global digital map of Saturn's moon Phoebe was created using data taken during the Cassini spacecraft's close flyby of the small moon in June 2004. |
| Full Description |
This global digital map of Saturn's moon Phoebe was created using data taken during the Cassini spacecraft's close flyby of the small moon in June 2004. The map is an equidistant projection and has a scale of 233 meters (764 feet) per pixel. The mean radius of Phoebe used for projection of this map is 107 kilometers (66 miles). The resolution of the map is 8 pixels per degree. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
December 22, 2005 |
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Phoebe: Cartographic Project
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| Description |
This map is part of a group release of Mercator and polar stereographic projections of Saturn's moon Phoebe. |
| Full Description |
This map is part of a group release of Mercator and polar stereographic projections of Saturn's moon Phoebe. A Mercator projection is a map that preserves directions on a body, but distorts sizes, especially near the poles. For the other maps, see PIA07795 and PIA07796. This global digital map of Phoebe was created using data taken during the Cassini spacecraft's close flyby of the small moon in June 2004. The mosaic is projected into the Mercator projection within the latitude range of 57 degrees south to 57 degrees north latitude, the stereographic projections represent latitudes greater and lower than plus or minus 55 degrees. Thus, this map meets the standard scale of 1:1,000,000 recommended by the U.S. Geological Survey. The projections are conformal, the quadrangles overlap and the scale of the poles was chosen such that the circumference of the stereographic projection is identical to the width of the Mercator projection. The nomenclature (naming scheme) was proposed by the Cassini imaging team and has yet to be validated by the International Astronomical Union. Resolution of the digital mosaic is 233 meters (764 feet) per pixel, although the highest resolution images have resolutions of 70 meters (230 feet) per pixel. The mean radius of Phoebe is 106.8 kilometers (66 miles). See PIA07775 for a global mosaic of Phoebe in Equidistant projection. Equidistant projections preserve distances on a body, with some distortion of area and direction. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
March 27, 2006 |
|
Phoebe: Cartographic Project
…
| Description |
Phoebe: Cartographic Projections (North Polar Map) |
| Full Description |
This map is part of a group release of Mercator and polar stereographic projections of Saturn's moon Phoebe. A Mercator projection is a map that preserves directions on a body, but distorts sizes, especially near the poles. For the other maps, see PIA07795 and PIA07797. This global digital map of Phoebe was created using data taken during the Cassini spacecraft's close flyby of the small moon in June 2004. The mosaic is projected into the Mercator projection within the latitude range of 57 degrees south to 57 degrees north latitude, the stereographic projections represent latitudes greater and lower than plus or minus 55 degrees. Thus, this map meets the standard scale of 1:1,000,000 recommended by the U.S. Geological Survey. The projections are conformal, the quadrangles overlap and the scale of the poles was chosen such that the circumference of the stereographic projection is identical to the width of the Mercator projection. The nomenclature (naming scheme) was proposed by the Cassini imaging team and has yet to be validated by the International Astronomical Union. Resolution of the digital mosaic is 233 meters (764 feet) per pixel, although the highest resolution images have resolutions of 70 meters (230 feet) per pixel. The mean radius of Phoebe is 106.8 kilometers (66 miles). See PIA07775 for a global mosaic of Phoebe in Equidistant projection. Equidistant projections preserve distances on a body, with some distortion of area and direction. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
March 27, 2006 |
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Hubble Pans Across Heavens t
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| Title |
Hubble Pans Across Heavens to Harvest 50,000 Evolving Galaxies |
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Hubble Pans Across Heavens t
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| Title |
Hubble Pans Across Heavens to Harvest 50,000 Evolving Galaxies |
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Average Clear-sky Outgoing L
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| 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 |
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Average Clear-sky Albedo (WM
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| 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 |
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Average Total-sky Incoming S
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| Title |
Average Total-sky Incoming Solar 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 incoming solar radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This average data set is contant in longitude because of the Earth's rotation, but clearly shows the seasonal cycle as the sun heats the Northern Hemisphere more in summer than in winter. Note that the polar regions are abnormally bright in the local summer and dark in the local winter because whole day is either light or dark in those seasons. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
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Average Total-sky Net Radian
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| Title |
Average Total-sky Net Radiant 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 net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Cloud-free summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that regions that reflect a lot of sunlight, such as the polar ice sheets and the Sahara desert are almost always in equilibrium or are cooling regions. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Outgoing Shortwave 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 outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by clouds, ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth. Although clouds are very reflective, they come and going during the month, so more reflection is seen on average from ice sheets, which change very little during a monthly period. Note that the cloud-free parts of the ocean are relatively dark, indicating that oceans absorb more sunlight than they reflect. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
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Average Clear-sky Net Radian
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Net Radiant 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 clear-sky average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that the Earth's ice sheets are almost always regions of cooling. On average, the heating and cooling amounts must balance, or the Earth will change temperature and the climate will change. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
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Continental Effects of 2004
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| Title |
Continental Effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires (WMS) |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probe spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2005-03-11 |
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Continental Effects of 2004
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| Title |
Continental Effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires (WMS) |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probe spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2005-03-11 |
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TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
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TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
TOMS sees continental effect
…
| Title |
TOMS sees continental effects of 2004 Alaskan Fires |
| Abstract |
Wildfires started by lightning burned more than 80,000 acres in Alaska in June 2004. The effects of these fires can be seen across North America with the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on the Earth Probes spacecraft. TOMS detects the presence of UV-absorbing tropospheric aerosols across the globe. |
| Completed |
2004-07-02 |
|
Average Total-sky Outgoing L
…
| Title |
Average Total-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 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. The Earth's rotation and the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles make the Earth roughly uniform in temperature. The most visible features are the cold poles in winter and the cold clouds along the equator which trap the outgoing thermal radiation. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Albedo (WM
…
| Title |
Average Total-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 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. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions and regions where there is significant cloud cover during the year. Oceans have the lowest albedo. 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 |
|
2004 Global Vegetation from
…
| Title |
2004 Global Vegetation from Blue Marble Next Generation |
| Abstract |
The Blue Marble Next Generation dataset provides a monthly global cloud-free true-color picture of the Earth's landcover at a 500-meter spatial resolution. This visualization of the dataset shows seasonal variations such as snowfall, spring greening and droughts in a seamless fashion, thereby heightening awareness of changes in the Earth's climate. The image here shows a global view of the data. This dataset is derived from imagery taken in 2004 by the MODIS instrument on the Terra satellite. |
| Completed |
2005-10-07 |
|
Average Clear-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Shortwave 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 shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. The ice sheets can be clearly seen to reflect the most sunlight, with desert areas next. Oceans absorb the most sunlight, more than the vegetated land areas such as the tropical rain forest and temperate forests and plains. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
| Photo Description |
NASA's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft flew instrumentation in June 2004 called the Local Mach Investigation (LMI), designed to gather local airflow data for future research projects using the aircraft's Propulsion Flight Test Fixture (PFTF). The PFTF is the black rectangular fixture attached to the aircraft's belly. The LMI package was located in the orange device attached to the PFTF. |
| Photo Date |
June 1, 2004 |
|
| Photo Description |
NASA's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft flew instrumentation in June 2004 called the Local Mach Investigation (LMI), designed to gather local airflow data for future research projects using the aircraft's Propulsion Flight Test Fixture (PFTF). The PFTF is the black rectangular fixture attached to the aircraft's belly. The LMI package was located in the orange device attached to the PFTF. |
| Photo Date |
June 1, 2004 |
|
| Photo Description |
NASA's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft flew instrumentation in June 2004 called the Local Mach Investigation (LMI), designed to gather local airflow data for future research projects using the aircraft's Propulsion Flight Test Fixture (PFTF). The PFTF is the black rectangular fixture attached to the aircraft's belly. The LMI package was located in the orange device attached to the PFTF. |
| Photo Date |
June 1, 2004 |
|
Cold and Snow in South Ameri
…
| Title |
Cold and Snow in South America |
| Description |
As winter settles over the Southern Hemisphere, South America has been lashed with snow, heavy rain and intense cold since the final week of June 2004. In southern Peru, heavy snow has collapsed hundreds of homes and buildings, and killed over 75,000 farm animals. The country is struggling to provide emergency provisions to people in the poverty-stricken region, many of whom are being treated for cold-related illnesses such as pneumonia. In many mountain regions, the temperature has plummeted to -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit). The cold weather also caused deaths in Argentina and Chile. Unusually cold temperatures, down to -7 Celsius (19.4 Fahrenheit), chilled southern Brazil. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image shows the snow in the mountains of southern Peru and northern Chile and Bolivia. Unlike the clouds that litter the scene, the snow clings to the contours of the mountain peaks. The image was acquired on July 13, 2004, by MODIS on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Eruption of Anatahan
| Title |
Eruption of Anatahan |
| Description |
A thick cloud of ash erupts from the Anatahan Volcano in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image collected on April 5, 2005. According to the Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center, a series of low-level eruptions starting on April 4 have created this plume. The same processes that fueled this eruption created Anatahan and the other islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. The island arc frames the eastern edge of the Philippine plate, a large section of the Earth?s crust that floats on a layer of softer rock. To the east of the Marianas, the slab of crust that carries the Pacific Ocean crashes against the Philippine Plate. In the clash, the colder, denser Pacific Plate sinks beneath the Philippine Plate, forming the Mariana Trench, a deep gorge that plunges to a depth of 10,920 meters (35,827 feet), the deepest known point in any ocean. Plummeting deep into the Earth, the Pacific Plate crumbles, and the pressure heats some of the breaking rock. The hot rock forces its way back to the surface through weak points in the overriding Philippine Plate, creating the arc of volcanoes that make up the Northern Mariana Islands. Among the 14 small islands in the Northern Mariana Islands, there are 12 major volcanoes, including Anatahan. When geologists explored Anatahan in 1990, layers of rock on the volcano pointed to explosive eruptions with fast-moving ash and rock, though the volcano had shown no signs of life for centuries. The volcano?s first recorded eruption occurred on May 30, 2003 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=10664 ]. It erupted for a second time between April and June 2004, and commenced its third recorded eruption in January 2005. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Anatahan/2005095 ]. |
|
Fires In Alaska and Northern
…
| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Numerous forest fires were burning in the Yukon Flats region of east-central Alaska in mid-June 2004. The fires are burning in the wake of an incredibly active week of lightning, with a record-breaking, single-day total of 8,500 strikes on June 14, followed by another 6,200 strikes the next day (according to local news reports). This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite shows some of the largest, most rapidly growing fires on June 20. Areas where MODIS detected fires are outlined in red. The two northernmost fires in the scene, the Pingo and Winter Trail Fires, are the largest of several lightning-caused fires that are being collectively called the Solstice Complex. The Pingo was estimated to be 20,350 acres as of June 20, and the Winter Trail was 11,040. The other fires pictured here are not part of the complex: Preacher Creek?20,000 acres, Edward Creek?5,300 acres, Fort Hamlin Hills?3,300 acres, Boundary?4,000 acres, and Wolf Creek?5,200. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires In Alaska and Northern
…
| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Numerous lightning-ignited fires have been burning in east-central Alaska since mid-June 2004. The carbon monoxide generated by the fires is blowing south over western Canada and the northwestern United States, as shown by this image, which is based on a composite of data collected over a 10 day period, from June 14 to June 24, 2004, by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The colors represent the mixing ratio of carbon monoxide in parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at an altitude of roughly 3 km (700 mbar). Red and yellow indicate high levels of pollution. NASA image created from data provided by the NCAR MOPITT Team |
|
Fires In Alaska and Northern
…
| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Alaska?s firefighters were busy in mid-June 2004, as extreme lightning activity earlier in the month triggered dozens of wildfires across the state. The largest fires were burning in the Yukon Flats region in the east-central part of the state. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the sensor on the Aqua satellite shows the region on June 22, with areas where the sensor detected active fire circled in red. The largest fire is in the northern part of the scene. According to daily briefings from the Alaska Fire Service, the Pingo Fire (top of the image) made ?significant runs to the northeast, gaining 15,890 acres? between mapping periods on June 20 and 22. Image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires In Alaska and Northern
…
| Title |
Fires In Alaska and Northern Canada |
| Description |
Since mid-June 2004, dozens of wildfires, mostly triggered by lightning, have been burning across east-central Alaska in the Yukon Flats region. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite shows the fires and thick smoke on July 13. Areas where MODIS detected active fires are outlined in red. Image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in Central Africa
| Title |
Fires in Central Africa |
| Description |
Widespread fires in West Central Africa produced high levels of pollution that drifted westward over the Atlantic Ocean in June 2004. The false-color image above shows the measure of carbon monoxide in the lower atmosphere averaged for the entire month of June 2004. Red and yellow indicate high carbon monoxide levels, while light and dark blue hues represent low values (the unit here is molecules of carbon monoxide per square centimeter). Carbon monoxide is a good tracer of pollution since it is produced as a by-product of the combustion associated with wildfires and agricultural fires. The data for this image were collected by the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. NASA image by Jesse Allen using data courtesy of NCAR/UCAR MOPITT instrument team |
|
Smoke from Alaska Fires
| Title |
Smoke from Alaska Fires |
| Description |
Airborne levels of smoke and pollution are high over eastern Alaska and northwestern Canada because of intense wildfires that have been burning for much of the past two months. While the Alaska fires, which started in mid-June 2004, are waning, the fires in Canada are increasing in magnitude. The smoke and pollution coming out of these fires have been spread all across North America and are being carried eastwards over the Atlantic. This is clearly evident in the above image, which shows the total column amount of carbon monoxide as measured by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere [ http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/MOPITT/home.html ] (MOPITT) remote sensing instrument on board NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The data represent a composite of 14 days from July12 to July 26, 2004. High levels of pollution are indicated by yellow and red colors, and blue indicates low pollution. Images [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/shownh.php3?img_id=12281 ] from the MODIS instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites show the locations of the numerous fires across the region during this same time period as well as the thick, widespread pall of smoke they produced. NASA image created by Jesse Allen using data courtesy the NCAR/UCAR MOPITT Instrument Team [ http://www.eos.ucar.edu/mopitt/ ] |
|
Smoke from Alaska Fires
| Title |
Smoke from Alaska Fires |
| Description |
Smoke from large forest fires in Alaska has made the rounds across several parts of the Northern Hemisphere since the fires began in mid-June 2004. The plumes of grayish-yellow smoke have drifted across Canada and out to the Atlantic, southward to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico, and eastward over the Bering Strait to Russia. In this scene, smoke from fires located in the top center of the scene, in east-central Alaska, is spreading southward along the western arc of the Alaska Range Mountains and the Alaska Peninsula. Below and to the left of center, the smoke breaks eastward across the mountain barrier and streams out over the Gulf of Alaska in two parallel paths?north and south of Kodiak Island. The smoke is getting swirled into a counter clockwise-spinning region of low atmospheric pressure in Gulf. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite on August 29, 2004. NASA image by Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Super Typhoon Dianmu
| Title |
Super Typhoon Dianmu |
| Description |
At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. TRMM 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
|
Super Typhoon Dianmu
| Title |
Super Typhoon Dianmu |
| Description |
At one time Dianmu was a very powerful super typhoon packing winds of 155 knots (178 mph) over the central Philippine Sea back on the 16th and 17th of June 2004. As forecast, Dianmu weakened significantly as as it approached the main islands of Japan. Dianmu made landfall near the city of Muroto on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan early on the morning of the 21st of June 2004 (local time) as a minimal typhoon. The center of Dianmu passed over the center of the main Japanese island of Honshu before emerging into the Sea of Japan. The system continued to weaken and rapidly accelerate northward crossing over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before heading out into the north Pacific. The storm was responsible for 3 deaths and 3 missing in Japan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite continued to monitor Dianmu as it approached Japan. The first image was taken at 11:08 UTC on 19 June 2004 and shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. 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). At the time of this image, Dianmu was east of the central Ryukyu Islands and still a strong storm with winds estimated at 105 knots (121 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center soon after this image was taken. However, Dianmu was already in the process of rapidly weakening. TRMM shows Dianmu has a rather large eye with very little rain surrounding the center (blue areas represent light rain). Tropical cyclones are like large heat engines and require strong heating near their core to maintain their circulation. Rainfall provides a measure of that heating, and so without it, Dianmu can only continue to spin down and weaken. The next image was taken at 15:07 UTC on the 20th and shows the storm has become less organized and weaker as it nears Japan with almost no evidence of an eye visible in the rain field. A broad area of light to moderate rain (blue and green areas) wraps around the eastern and northern part of the storm. At this time, the maximum sustained winds were down to 70 knots (81 mph). The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi- satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides quantitative rainfall estimates over the global tropics. The final image shows MPA rainfall totals for the period 18-22 June 2004. Dianmu's track is marked by cyclone symbols at the 00:00 UTC times and crosses every 6 hours in between. The heaviest rainfall totals associated with Dianmu are on the order of 10 inches (red areas) and occur near where the storm made its initial landfall in southern Japan. Amounts from Dianmu are not excessive as the storm was moving rather quickly. The area of heavy rain that extends from the Korean peninsula across the Sea of Japan and merges with the rain from Dianmu over northern, Honshu is associated with a seasonal frontal system and is not directly due to the typhoon. TRMM 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), NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. |
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