|
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Glenn at the Cape
| Title |
Glenn at the Cape |
| Full Description |
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. in his silver Mercury spacesuit during pre- flight training activities at Cape Canaveral. On February 20, 1962 Glenn lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown. |
| Date |
02/27/1964 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Glenn Enters his Mercury Cap
…
| Title |
Glenn Enters his Mercury Capsule |
| Full Description |
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. enters his Mercury capsule, "Friendship 7" as he prepares for launch of the Mercury-Atlas rocket. On February 20, 1962 Glenn lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas 6 (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown. |
| Date |
02/20/1962 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Glenn Suits-Up for Launch
| Title |
Glenn Suits-Up for Launch |
| Full Description |
Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. dons his silver Mercury pressure suit in preparation for launch. On February 20, 1962 Glenn lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown. |
| Date |
02/20/1962 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
John Glenn OK
| Title |
John Glenn OK |
| Full Description |
Astronaut John Glenn and technicians inspect artwork that will be painted on the outside of his Mercury spacecraft. John Glenn nicknamed his capsule "Friendship 7". On February 20, 1962 astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. lifted off into space aboard his Mercury Atlas (MA-6) rocket and became the first American to orbit the Earth. After orbiting the Earth 3 times, Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds later, just East of Grand Turk Island in the Bahamas. Glenn and his capsule were recovered by the Navy Destroyer Noa, 21 minutes after splashdown. |
| Date |
02/02/1962 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
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 |
|
MAP '05 Models Hurricane Kat
…
| Title |
MAP '05 Models Hurricane Katrina's Winds from August 23, 2005 through August 31, 2005 |
| Abstract |
During the summer of 2005, the Earth-Sun Exploration Division of NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center(GSFC) brought together resources from NASA to study tropical cyclones. The MAP '05 Project, so named for its affiliation with NASA's Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction (MAP) program, applies NASA's advanced satellite remote sensing technologies and earth system modeling capabilities to improve our understanding of tropical cyclones that develop in and move across the Atlantic basin. MAP '05 implemented the most recent version of the NASA/Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) fifth-generation global atmospheric model and the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis system under development as a collaboration between NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at GSFC. This animation displays MAP '05's wind analysis data for every 6 hour interval from August 23 through August 31, 2005. |
| Completed |
2006-05-30 |
|
Hurricane Ivan Rain Accumula
…
| Title |
Hurricane Ivan Rain Accumulation September 2-19, 2004 (wide view) |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation between Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan. The green path is the path Hurricane Frances took between August 25, 2004, and September 9, 2004. The red path is Hurricane Ivan from September 2, 2004, to September 19, 2004. |
| Completed |
2004-09-16 |
|
Hurricane Ivan Rain Accumula
…
| Title |
Hurricane Ivan Rain Accumulation September 2-19, 2004 (wide view) |
| Abstract |
This animation shows rain accumulation between Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan. The green path is the path Hurricane Frances took between August 25, 2004, and September 9, 2004. The red path is Hurricane Ivan from September 2, 2004, to September 19, 2004. |
| Completed |
2004-09-16 |
|
TRMM Precipiation Radar Obse
…
| Title |
TRMM Precipiation Radar Observes Rain Structure of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Jeanne. TRMM recorded this view of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the rain structure is seen by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2004-09-23 |
|
TRMM Precipiation Radar Obse
…
| Title |
TRMM Precipiation Radar Observes Rain Structure of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Jeanne. TRMM recorded this view of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the rain structure is seen by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2004-09-23 |
|
TRMM Precipiation Radar Obse
…
| Title |
TRMM Precipiation Radar Observes Rain Structure of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Jeanne. TRMM recorded this view of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the rain structure is seen by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2004-09-23 |
|
TRMM Precipiation Radar Obse
…
| Title |
TRMM Precipiation Radar Observes Rain Structure of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Jeanne. TRMM recorded this view of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the rain structure is seen by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2004-09-23 |
|
TRMM Precipiation Radar Obse
…
| Title |
TRMM Precipiation Radar Observes Rain Structure of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004 |
| Abstract |
NASA's TRMM spacecraft is used by meteorologists to understand Hurricane Jeanne. TRMM recorded this view of Hurricane Jeanne on September 23, 2004. The cloud cover is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the rain structure is seen by TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR). It looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and Red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour. |
| Completed |
2004-09-23 |
|
Hurricane Isabel Eyes the Ea
…
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel Eyes the Eastern U.S., September 15, 2003 |
| Abstract |
NASA is keeping a close watch on Hurricane Isabel as it churns in the Atlantic with winds that top 150 miles per hour. |
| Completed |
2003-09-16 |
|
Dr. von Braun With a Beard
| Name of Image |
Dr. von Braun With a Beard |
| Date of Image |
1970-02-02 |
| Full Description |
Upon return from a Bahamas vacation, Dr. von Braun pulled a practical joke upon his associates by sporting a beard. |
|
International Space Station
| Name of Image |
International Space Station |
| Date of Image |
1998-01-01 |
| Full Description |
This artist's concept depicts the completely assembled International Space Station (ISS) passing over Florida and the Bahamas. As a gateway to permanent human presence in space, the Space Station Program is to expand knowledge benefiting all people and nations. The ISS is a multidisciplinary laboratory, technology test bed, and observatory that will provide unprecedented undertakings in scientific, technological, and international experimentation. Experiments to be conducted in the ISS include: microgravity research, Earth science, space science, life sciences, space product development, and engineering research and technology. The sixteen countries participating in the ISS are: United States, Russian Federation, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil. |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
The Sea-Viewing Wide-Field-of-View-Sensor (SeaWiFS) onboard the OrbView-2 satellite captured this oblique view of a very powerful Hurricane Frances on September 2, 2004 at 18:05 UTC (2:05 PM EDT). At the time this image was taken Frances was wreaking havoc on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 230 km/hr (145 mph). The latest forecast from the Tropical Predicition Center in Miami has Frances making landfall on Florida's southeast coast on Saturday morning. Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
AIRS Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory., These images generated from data retrieved by the sensors in the AIRS instrument suite show Hurricane Frances on Monday, August 30. With sustaining winds of 125 mph (195 km/hr) reaching out 85 miles from the eye, this powerful storm was a category 3 hurricane at the time this image was taken. Located in the Atlantic about 265 miles (425 km) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, Frances on August 30 was moving westward north of Puerto Rico towards the Bahamas at 12 mph (19 km/hr). The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Frances is taking place - these are the blue areas surrounding the eye of the storm. Rain appears cold in the microwave, and blue in this image. (The extensive blue patches away from Frances indicate clear skies. A clear ocean surface looks very cold in the microwave, the warmer green patches are areas where clouds obscure the ocean surface.) An interesting and unusual aspect of these images is cold microwave temperatures associated with warm infrared temperatures in an arc north of the eye of the storm. Normally, very cold microwave temperatures in cloudy regions indicate the presence of convection and precipitation. Corresponding infrared temperatures are then also low, indicating high, cold clouds. In this case, the infrared temperatures are warmer than the surrounding regions. The warm anomaly is about 15 degrees Kelvin (27 F), which is what one would observe if the cloud tops were 50-100 mb lower in the atmosphere (where it is that much warmer). One explanation for such a lowering would be an upper level downdraft that lowers the cirrus shield that is always present over a hurricane. Another explanation would be that the latent heat released by the intense convection may cause the local air temperature to rise by that much. Finally, it is also possible that the area is almost clear. The microwave instrument would then see the ocean surface (which appears very cold and sometimes looks similar to the precipitation signature), and the infrared instrument would see a mix of cold cloud tops and warm ocean surface, which would appear warmer than surrounding areas that are completely covered by clouds. The AIRS retrieved quantities are silent on this issue since the system is unable to peer deeply into this region of wild winds, heavy rain and thick clouds. NASA image courtesy of the |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
AIRS Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory., These images generated from data retrieved by the sensors in the AIRS instrument suite show Hurricane Frances on Monday, August 30. With sustaining winds of 125 mph (195 km/hr) reaching out 85 miles from the eye, this powerful storm was a category 3 hurricane at the time this image was taken. Located in the Atlantic about 265 miles (425 km) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, Frances on August 30 was moving westward north of Puerto Rico towards the Bahamas at 12 mph (19 km/hr). The image above shows how the storm looks through an AIRS Infrared window channel. Window channels measure the temperature of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The lowest temperatures are associated with high, cold cloud tops that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not penetrate through clouds, so the purple color indicates the cool cloud tops of the storm. In cloud-free areas, the infrared signal is retrieved at the Earth's surface, revealing warmer temperatures. Cooler areas are pushing to purple and warmer areas are pushing to red. The microwave image reveals where the heaviest precipitation in Frances is taking place - these are the blue areas surrounding the eye of the storm. Rain appears cold in the microwave, and blue in this image. (The extensive blue patches away from Frances indicate clear skies. A clear ocean surface looks very cold in the microwave, the warmer green patches are areas where clouds obscure the ocean surface.) An interesting and unusual aspect of these images is cold microwave temperatures associated with warm infrared temperatures in an arc north of the eye of the storm. Normally, very cold microwave temperatures in cloudy regions indicate the presence of convection and precipitation. Corresponding infrared temperatures are then also low, indicating high, cold clouds. In this case, the infrared temperatures are warmer than the surrounding regions. The warm anomaly is about 15 degrees Kelvin (27 F), which is what one would observe if the cloud tops were 50-100 mb lower in the atmosphere (where it is that much warmer). One explanation for such a lowering would be an upper level downdraft that lowers the cirrus shield that is always present over a hurricane. Another explanation would be that the latent heat released by the intense convection may cause the local air temperature to rise by that much. Finally, it is also possible that the area is almost clear. The microwave instrument would then see the ocean surface (which appears very cold and sometimes looks similar to the precipitation signature), and the infrared instrument would see a mix of cold cloud tops and warm ocean surface, which would appear warmer than surrounding areas that are completely covered by clouds. The AIRS retrieved quantities are silent on this issue since the system is unable to peer deeply into this region of wild winds, heavy rain and thick clouds. NASA image courtesy of the |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
This image of Hurricane Frances was acquired by the crew of the International Space Station early on August 30 as the storm was moving westward some 265 miles east-northeast of the northern Windward Islands. The storm was packing winds of 120 miles per hour at the time and appeared to be tracking towards the Bahamas Islands and eventually Florida. A large, ragged eye is visible with a large arc of high clouds flowing away from the top of the storm. Astronaut photograph ISS009-E-20909 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS009&roll=E&frame=20909 ] was acquired August 30, 2004, at 12:16:47 GMT with a Kodak K760C digital camera with an 26 mm lens, and is provided by the Earth Observations Laboratory [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ], Johnson Space Center. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/ ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov ]. |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
Powerful Hurricane Frances moves ever closer to the Bahamas Islands as it spins through the Atlantic in this image, acquired by the Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ]) on September 1, 2004. The angle of this image, with Florida in the upper left corner and Cuba beneath it, gives perspective on how large Frances has become. With tropical storm force winds extending 295 kilometers (185 miles) from the eye, the storm has a long reach. When this image was acquired, Frances' maximum sustained winds had reached 220 kilometers per hour (140 mph), making it a solid Category Four storm. It was moving west northwest at 24 kilometers per hour (15 mph), and was expected to pass over the Bahamas within 24 hours after this image was taken. Image provided by the SeaWiFS [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Hurricane Frances on September 3, 2004 at 15:15 UTC (11:15 AM EDT). At the time this image was taken, Frances was located approximately 65 km (40 miles) northwest of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. Maximum sustained winds had decreased to 185 km/hr (115 mph) and the minimum central pressure had risen to 957 millibars. Frances was moving towards the northwest at 9 mph. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, NASA's Earth Observatory. |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
By the morning of September 4, 2004, Hurricane Frances had dropped in intensity from a maximum of category 4 (with 140 mph winds) to category 2 (105 mph winds). At the same time, the storm slowed to a standstill, delaying its arrival on the Florida coast and delivering sustained hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to the Bahamas. At 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time the National Weather service predicted the storm would intensify slightly and strike Florida in the early hours of the morning. Because of the slow speed of the storm, extremely high total rainfall amounts are possible. After crossing Florida, Frances will likely weaken to a tropical storm and move over Mississippi and Alabama on Monday. For hurricane updates, visit the National Hurricane Center. [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] This image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 12:00 pm EDT September 4, 2004. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Frances
| Title |
Hurricane Frances |
| Description |
The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of Hurricane Frances on September 3, 2004 at 18:24 UTC (2:24 PM EDT). At the time this image was taken Frances was wreaking havoc in the Bahamas with sustained winds of 185 km/hr (115 mph) and a storm surge between 1.8 to 4.3 meters (6 and 14 feet) on the west side of Eleuthera Island. Frances was moving towards the west-northwest at 14 km/hr (9 mph) and was expected to reach the Florida coast in approximately 24 hours. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Hurricane Isabel
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of Hurricane Isabel just east of the Bahamas on September 15, 2003 at 15:30 UTC. Though the storm had begun to weaken, it still packed winds of 138 miles per hour with gusts up to 167 miles per hour. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Isabel
| Title |
Hurricane Isabel |
| Description |
After churning through the central and western Atlantic as a powerful hurricane with sustained winds up to 160 miles per hour, Isabel has weakened dramatically as a result of encountering dry air and westerly wind shear west of the Bahamas. Throughout the storm's journey across the Atlantic, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has continued to monitor Isabel?s progress and provide valuable information on the storm?s structure. The first image was taken on September 15, 2003, at 3:44 UTC (September 14, 11:44 pm AST) when Isabel was still classified as a very powerful Category 4 storm with winds estimated at 155 mph. It gives a top-down perspective of Isabel in terms of rainfall rates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) in the inner swath spliced together with those from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) in the outer swath. These are overlayed on Infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). It shows that Isabel has a large, well-defined eye with long bands of intense rainrates of over 2 inches per hour (dark red areas) that are feeding heat energy into the storm mainly north and east of the center. The IR data also shows that Isabel has good cirrus outflow indicating a favorable environment for the storm. At this time Isabel was located about 535 miles due east of Nassau in the Bahamas and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. The next image, taken almost 24 hours later at 2:56 UTC on September 16 (September 15, 10:56 pm AST), shows a very different looking Isabel. The eye has become ragged and disorganized, and the eyewall convection is essentially gone as evidenced by the lack of any appreciable areas of intense rainfall. Without those heavy rainrates associated with the eyewall convection releasing their heat energy into the core of the hurricane, Isabel is like a giant engine whose cyclinders are not firing and will thus slowly spin down unless new convection occurs. At this time, Isabel?s winds were down to 120 mph as estimated by the National Hurricane Center. The storm was located 700 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and was heading northwest at 7 mph. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Jeanne
| Title |
Hurricane Jeanne |
| Description |
People in the northwestern Bahamas are bracing as Hurricane Jeanne approaches their shores. The storm is expected to blow over Abaco Island and Grand Bahama Island on Saturday, September 25, 2004. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the storm at 12 p.m. on September 23, Jeanne was immediately north of the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. At that time, the storm had sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (105 mph), making it a Category 2 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] expected the storm to make landfall in central Florida on Sunday, September 26. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. It is available in additional resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Jeanne
| Title |
Hurricane Jeanne |
| Description |
You couldn' be blamed for thinking that Florida somehow became a giant magnet for hurricanes in 2004. After suffering through landfalls of Charley, Frances, and Ivan, Florida may face yet another direct hit: Hurricane Jeanne. This image of Jeanne was captured on September 22, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite, as the storm swirled in the Atlantic northeast of the Bahamas. Around the time this image was captured, Jeanne had sustained winds near 160 km/hour (100 mph). As of Thursday, the winds had increased slightly, and the forecasted track of the storm called for landfall in east-central Florida on Sunday morning. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Hurricane Jeanne
| Title |
Hurricane Jeanne |
| Description |
Hurricane Jeanne spins in the Atlantic Ocean about 855 kilometers (530 miles) east of the Bahamas in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) image, captured by NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 22, 2004. Though only a Category 2 hurricane, Jeanne has already been a deadly storm. Over 700 have died in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico as a result of floods triggered by Jeanne?s torrential rains. Jeanne currently has winds of 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) and is moving south at 7 kilometers per hour (5 mph). Though the storm?s course has not been easy to predict, the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] expects the storm to turn west and move towards the United States early next week. The large image provided above is at MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides the image in additional resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Jeanne
| Title |
Hurricane Jeanne |
| Description |
So far in the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season, 12 tropical disturbances have formed of which six have become full-fledged hurricanes. The fifth hurricane of the Atlantic season, Hurricane Jeanne, is now taking aim at the Bahamas. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] predicts that the storm will pass over the northern islands of the Bahamas early on Saturday before heading to Florida on Sunday. This image of the storm was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite at 9:35 a.m. EST, on September 24, 2004. Hurricane Jeanne is a Category 2 storm with sustained winds near 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) and stronger gusts. The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides the image in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Katrina
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina |
| Description |
Hurricane Katrina had just become a category 1 hurricane when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on August 25, 2005, at 12:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time. The hurricane formed as a tropical depression late on August 23 and developed quickly into a tropical storm by 11 a.m. the next morning. By the time MODIS acquired this image, the storm had developed into a category 1 hurricane, the lowest category in the hurricane-strength scale. Katrina had winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour). A more serious danger is Katrina's rains. The storm was moving quite slowly as of August 26, just 10 km/hr (6 mph). This means that Katrina's heavy rains will linger longer over one area, dumping 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) of rain over Florida and the Bahamas and possibly up to 38 cm (15 inches) in some regions, the National Hurricane Center warns. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. This image is available in multiple resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005237-0825/Katrina.A2005237.1630 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Katrina
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Katrina had just become the eleventh named storm of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on August 24, 2005, at 11:50 a.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time. The storm formed late on August 23 and developed quickly into a tropical storm by 11 a.m. the next morning. By the time MODIS acquired this image, the storm was just starting to take the recognizable swirling shape of a hurricane. Katrina had winds of 64 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) and was expected to get stronger as it approached the south Florida coast, possibly becoming a Category 1 hurricane before coming ashore. A more serious danger is Katrina's rains. The storm is moving slowly, just 13 km/hr (8 mph), and it is expected to slow as it moves over land. This means that Katrina's heavy rains will linger longer over one area, dumping 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) of rain over Florida and the Bahamas and possibly up to 38 cm (15 inches) in some regions, the National Hurricane Center warns. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. This image is available in multiple resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005236-0824/Katrina.A2005236.1550 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Katrina
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Katrina is shown here as observed by NASA's QuikSCAT satellite on August 25, 2005, at 08:37 UTC (4:37 a.m. in Florida). At this time, the storm had 80-kilometer-per-hour (50 miles per hour, 43 knots) sustained winds. The storm does not appear to yet have reached hurricane strength. The greater danger may be not with her winds, but with Katrina's rains. The storm is moving slowly, just 13 km/hr (8 mph), and is expected to slow as it moves over land. This means that Katrina's heavy rains will linger longer over one area, dumping 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) of rain over Florida and the Bahamas and possibly up to 38 cm (15 inches) in some regions, the National Hurricane Center warns. The image depicts wind speed in color and wind direction with small barbs. White barbs point to areas of heavy rain. The highest wind speeds, shown in purple, surround the center of the storm. Measurements of the wind strength of Tropical Storm Katrina show sustained winds similar to those shown by these QuikSCAT observations, though not identical. This is because the power of the storm makes accurate measurements difficult. The scatterometer sends pulses of microwave energy through the atmosphere to the ocean surface, and measures the energy that bounces back from the wind-roughened surface. The energy of the microwave pulses changes depending on wind speed and direction, giving scientists a way to monitor wind around the world. Tropical cyclones (the generic term for hurricanes and typhoons) and to a lesser extent, weaker storm systems like Katrina, are difficult to measure. To relate the radar energy return to actual wind speed, scientists compare measurements taken from buoys and other ground stations to data the satellite acquired at the same time and place. Because the high wind speeds generated by cyclones are rare, scientists do not have corresponding ground information to know how to translate data from the satellite for wind speeds above 50 knots (about 93 km/hr or 58 mph). Also, the unusually heavy rain found in a cyclone distorts the microwave pulses in a number of ways, making a conversion to accurate wind speed difficult. Instead, the scatterometer provides a nice picture of the relative wind speeds within the storm and shows wind direction. For more information about the storm, please visit the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. NASA image courtesy the QuikSCAT Science Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
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Hurricane Katrina
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina |
| Description |
After forming in the central Bahamas, Katrina came ashore in south Florida as a Category 1 hurricane where it was responsible for 11 fatalities. The storm cut diagonally across the southern part of the state from just north of Miami on the east coast, through the Everglades, to Cape Sabel on the west coast. In the process, Katrina brought heavy amounts of rain to parts of south Florida and Cuba. This image shows the Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) rainfall totals due to the passage of Katrina for the period August 23 to 31, 2005. Storm symbols mark the track of Katrina at 0:00 UTC (8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT) on the previous day), plus symbols are the location of Katrina at 12:00 UTC (8 a.m. EDT). The solid hurricane symbol represents a hurricane, the hollow symbol is a tropical storm, while a circle marks a tropical depression. The highest rainfall totals exceeded 12 inches of rain (dark red areas) over northwestern Cuba and the lower Florida Keys. Amounts over the southern Florida peninsula were between 5 and 8 inches (green to yellow area). Local WSR-88D radar esimates were locally much higher just west of Miami, but the overall pattern and amounts over the lower keys were in good agreement with the MPA totals. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, Katrina intensified into a large, powerful Category 5 storm as it turned north towards the north-central Gulf coast. Katrina came ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm over southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, causing catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities. Rainfall totals immediately along the coast of Mississippi were between 6 and 9 inches (yellow to orange) in very good agreement with local radar estimates. After coming ashore, Katrina tracked quickly up through Mississippi, western Tennessee and Kentucky and into Ohio. Katrina's rapid forward progress helped keep rainfall totals down across the central United States with amounts generally less than 5 inches (green to blue) across northern Mississippi and parts of the Ohio valley. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been measuring rainfall over the tropics since its launch in 1997. The MPA measures such as those show here are based on measurements by TRMM and other satellites. The MPA measurements are created at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to provide estimates of rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Hurricane Katrina
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina |
| Description |
After forming in the central Bahamas, Katrina came ashore in south Florida as a Category 1 hurricane where it was responsible for 11 fatalities. The storm cut diagonally across the southern part of the state from just north of Miami on the east coast, through the Everglades, to Cape Sabel on the west coast. In the process, Katrina brought heavy amounts of rain to parts of south Florida and Cuba. This image shows the Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) rainfall totals due to the passage of Katrina for the period August 23 to 31, 2005. Storm symbols mark the track of Katrina at 0:00 UTC (8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time (EDT) on the previous day), plus symbols are the location of Katrina at 12:00 UTC (8 a.m. EDT). The solid hurricane symbol represents a hurricane, the hollow symbol is a tropical storm, while a circle marks a tropical depression. The highest rainfall totals exceeded 12 inches of rain (dark red areas) over northwestern Cuba and the lower Florida Keys. Amounts over the southern Florida peninsula were between 5 and 8 inches (green to yellow area). Local WSR-88D radar esimates were locally much higher just west of Miami, but the overall pattern and amounts over the lower keys were in good agreement with the MPA totals. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, Katrina intensified into a large, powerful Category 5 storm as it turned north towards the north-central Gulf coast. Katrina came ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm over southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, causing catastrophic damage and numerous fatalities. Rainfall totals immediately along the coast of Mississippi were between 6 and 9 inches (yellow to orange) in very good agreement with local radar estimates. After coming ashore, Katrina tracked quickly up through Mississippi, western Tennessee and Kentucky and into Ohio. Katrina's rapid forward progress helped keep rainfall totals down across the central United States with amounts generally less than 5 inches (green to blue) across northern Mississippi and parts of the Ohio valley. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been measuring rainfall over the tropics since its launch in 1997. The MPA measures such as those show here are based on measurements by TRMM and other satellites. The MPA measurements are created at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to provide estimates of rainfall over the global tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Hurricane Ophelia
| Title |
Hurricane Ophelia |
| Description |
Over the second week of September, Ophelia meandered off of the southeast coast of the United States due to weak steering currents. The system, which began as a depression over the Bahamas on September 6, 2005, twice stalled out and made loops: once just east of Cape Canveral, Florida, and the other farther out to sea east of Georgia. Ophelia also flip-flopped several times between a strong tropical storm and a weak Category 1 hurricane. Despite its very slow movement, which usually leads to weakening due to upwelling of cooler water, Ophelia has maintained itself as a result of warm waters and its proximity to the Gulf Stream. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (or TRMM) satellite has been following Ophelia's progress along the East Coast. This image shows the height of the precipitation columns within Ophelia with a cutaway view through the southern part of the eye. The large eye is easily visible in the center along with the area of intense rain in the southwest corner of the eye (dark red area). However, there are no tall towers surrounding the eye that might indicate imminent strengthening. Launched in 1997 to measure rainfall over the tropics, TRMM has proven to be a valuable tool for monitoring and studying tropical cyclones. TRMM's compliment of instruments includes the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the only radar capable of measuring precipitation from space, and the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI), a passive intrument that can also measure rainfall. 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). |
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Hurricane Ophelia
| Title |
Hurricane Ophelia |
| Description |
Over the last several days, Ophelia has meandered off of the southeast coast of the United States. The storm system, which began as a depression over the Bahamas on September 6, 2005, has twice stalled out and made loops: once just east of Cape Canveral, Florida, and the other farther out to sea east of Georgia. Ophelia has also flip-flopped several times between a strong tropical storm and a weak Category 1 hurricane. Despite its very slow movement, which usually leads to weakening due to upwelling of cooler water, Ophelia has maintained itself as a result of warm waters an its proximity to the Gulf Stream. The hurricane was grazing along the North Carolina coastline without making landfall when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image at 2:20 p.m. Eastern time on September 15, 2005. At the time, Ophelia had winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), easing off slightly from its latest peak and heading back down yet again to tropical storm status. The slow-moving storm was initially forecasted to dump heavy rain on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but proved less destructive than feared. One death (due to a car accident in Raleigh attributed to slick roads) has been attributed to the storm, but fears of substantial flooding have largely not been realized. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Hurricane Rita
| Title |
Hurricane Rita |
| Description |
A tropical depression formed in the Bahamas on September 17, 2005. Once it was organized enough to have winds of over 62 kilometers per hour (39 miles per hour), it was classified as a tropical storm and given the name Rita, becoming the 17th named storm system of the 2005 hurricane season. With the season not yet over, 2005 is already the 5th most active storm season since naming records were started in 1851. According to the National Hurricane Center, 21 tropical storms formed in 1933, 19 developed in 1995 and 1887, and 18 formed in 1969. Rita is also the earliest "R" named storm in a season. Rita crossed the threshold to tropical storm status around 5:00 p.m. (local time) on September 18, 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Rita roughly fives hours earlier at 11:40 a.m. while the storm was still an organizing tropical depression. The classical spiral structure of a hurricane is not yet fully formed, nor is there a well-organized eye of the storm, but these nascent features of the developing system are apparent already. Forecasters are particularly concerned about Rita as it is projected to pass through the Florida Key Islands as it reaches hurricane strength. The storm track projections as of September 19 have it crossing the Gulf of Mexico to make landfall in the general vicinity of southern Texas, but forecasting hurricanes several days in advance is still an uncertain science and there are fears that Rita could turn in the Gulf and head into areas recently battered by Katrina. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Hurricane Rita
| Title |
Hurricane Rita |
| Description |
After the immense devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina, all eyes were on Hurricane Rita as it passed over the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. Rita formed from a tropical disturbance east of the Turks and Caicos Islands into a depression (TD #18) on September 17, 2005. The system moved west through the Caicos and strengthened into a tropical storm on the 18th before entering into the southern Bahamas. Category 2 Hurricane Rita was passing between the Florida Keys and Cuba when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image at 2:35 p.m. Eastern time on September 20, 2005. At the time, Rita had peak sustained winds of 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), with hurricane-strength winds extending well away from the storm's center, including settlements in the Key Islands and in Cuba's capital, Havana. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. |
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Hurricane Rita
| Title |
Hurricane Rita |
| Description |
After the immense devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina, all eyes were on Hurricane Rita as it passed over the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. Rita formed from a tropical disturbance east of the Turks and Caicos Islands into a depression (TD #18) on September 17, 2005. The system moved west through the Caicos and strengthened into a tropical storm on the 18th before entering into the southern Bahamas. This image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity within Rita measured by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission's (TRMM) sensors. Rain rates in the center part of the swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the only radar capable of measuring precipitation from space. The PR can provide fine-resolution rainfall data and details on the vertical structure of the storm. Rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). The image was taken at 08:28 UTC (4:28 a.m. EDT) on September 20 as Rita was passing through the Florida Straits. Although the center of Rita does not fall within the PR swath, it is obvious from TRMM that Rita is becoming better organized. A ragged eye is present, surrounded by areas of moderate rain (green areas) with good banding in the outer rainbands, all signs that the storm's circulation is improving. Rita was still a tropical storm at the time of this image, with sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (70 miles per hour). By early afternoon the same day, Rita would become a Category 2 hurricane as it passed south of the Florida Keys and headed for the Gulf of Mexico. The TRMM satellite is one of a number of satellites being used to monitor Hurricane Rita and storms like it. Launched in November of 1997 to measure rainfall over the tropics, TRMM has proven itself to be a valuable platform for observing tropical cyclones, which include hurricanes and typhoons. 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). |
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Ocean Sand, Bahamas
| Title |
Ocean Sand, Bahamas |
| Description |
Though the above image may resemble a new age painting straight out of an art gallery in Venice Beach, California, it is in fact a satellite image of the sands and seaweed in the Bahamas. The image was taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) instrument aboard the Landsat 7 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Tides and ocean currents in the Bahamas sculpted the sand and seaweed beds into these multicolored, fluted patterns in much the same way that winds sculpted the vast sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. Image courtesy Serge Andrefouet, University of South Florida |
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Fires on Cuba
| Title |
Fires on Cuba |
| Description |
Dozens of fires were burning on Cuba on April 3, 2004, and were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. The fire locations are marked in red. A few scattered fires were detected on the southern tip of Florida and on the Bahamas Islands as well. On Cuba, the widespread nature of the fires and the season suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Adrian is developing and moving steadily closer to the west coast of Central America. The storm is the first of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30, and it has the potential to inundate Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras with heavy rains. These mountainous regions are prone to mudslides and flash floods. Adrian is not a powerful storm, but it has continued to intensify since it formed on May 17. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] predicts that the storm may become a weak hurricane before it makes landfall late on May 19 or early on May 20. This image of Tropical Storm Adrian was taken on May 19, 2005, by one of the GOES satellites. The GOES sensors maintain a constant watch over a particular section of the Earth to provide important weather information. As such, the GOES satellite can watch the development of the storm. The animation provided above shows the storm as it became more and more organized on May 18. When it blows ashore, Adrian will become only the fifth tropical cyclone to make landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966, according to the National Hurricane Center. Of those storms, none has ever crossed Central America this early in May, making Adrian unusual. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19 or May 20. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Image courtesy GOES Project Science [ http://meso-a.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, data from NOAA-GOES, animation by Rob Simmon, NASA Earth Observatory |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Adrian is developing and moving steadily closer to the west coast of Central America. The storm is the first of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30, and it has the potential to inundate Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras with heavy rains. These mountainous regions are prone to mudslides and flash floods. Adrian is not a powerful storm, but it has continued to intensify since it formed on May 17. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] predicts that the storm may become a weak hurricane before it makes landfall late on May 19 or early on May 20. This image of Tropical Storm Adrian was taken on May 19, 2005, by one of the GOES satellites. The GOES sensors maintain a constant watch over a particular section of the Earth to provide important weather information. As such, the GOES satellite can watch the development of the storm. The animation provided above shows the storm as it became more and more organized on May 18. When it blows ashore, Adrian will become only the fifth tropical cyclone to make landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966, according to the National Hurricane Center. Of those storms, none has ever crossed Central America this early in May, making Adrian unusual. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19 or May 20. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Image courtesy GOES Project Science [ http://meso-a.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, data from NOAA-GOES, animation by Rob Simmon, NASA Earth Observatory |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Only four tropical cyclones have made landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966: Tropical Storm Adrian is about to become the fifth. Adrian is the first tropical storm of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which officially runs from May 15 through November 30. Adrian formed on May 17, 2005, making it a slightly unusual, early-season storm. No tropical cyclone has crossed Central America this early in May since records began, reports the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Tropical Depression Adrian formed in the afternoon of May 17. By evening, the storm had intensified into a weak tropical storm, and it continued to intensify through the night. It was during this intensification period that the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured this image of Adrian on May 18 at 3:22 a.m. local time (09:22 UTC). A dark band of red clouds curves around a nearly closed eye in the center of the image. The red?indicative of high rain rates?traces out a convective burst, an area of intense thunderstorms near the core. TRMM research shows that when thunderstorms such as these appear around the core, the likelihood of intensification goes up. Adrian was in fact intensifying when TRMM captured this image, making this a valuable picture of the genesis of a storm. The semi-circle of heavy rain also helped researchers identify the center of the storm early in its development. Without TRMM?s precipitation radar, the storm would simply be an amorphous blob, with no clearly defined center. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Adrian will continue to intensify, possibly into a weak hurricane, before striking the coast of Central America on May 19. Unusually warm waters?as warm as 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)?are feeding the storm. Adrian has the potential to unleash heavy rains and floods on the mudslide-prone, mountainous coastal region.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA image courtesy Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption information courtesy Jeff Halverson and Steve Lang. |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Only four tropical cyclones have made landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966: Tropical Storm Adrian is about to become the fifth. Adrian is the first tropical storm of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which officially runs from May 15 through November 30. Adrian formed on May 17, 2005, making it a slightly unusual, early-season storm. No tropical cyclone has crossed Central America this early in May since records began, reports the National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ]. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Tropical Depression Adrian formed in the afternoon of May 17. By evening, the storm had intensified into a weak tropical storm, and it continued to intensify through the night. It was during this intensification period that the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured this image of Adrian on May 18 at 3:22 a.m. local time (09:22 UTC). A dark band of red clouds curves around a nearly closed eye in the center of the image. The red?indicative of high rain rates?traces out a convective burst, an area of intense thunderstorms near the core. TRMM research shows that when thunderstorms such as these appear around the core, the likelihood of intensification goes up. Adrian was in fact intensifying when TRMM captured this image, making this a valuable picture of the genesis of a storm. The semi-circle of heavy rain also helped researchers identify the center of the storm early in its development. Without TRMM?s precipitation radar, the storm would simply be an amorphous blob, with no clearly defined center. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Adrian will continue to intensify, possibly into a weak hurricane, before striking the coast of Central America on May 19. Unusually warm waters?as warm as 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)?are feeding the storm. Adrian has the potential to unleash heavy rains and floods on the mudslide-prone, mountainous coastal region.TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA image courtesy Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption information courtesy Jeff Halverson and Steve Lang. |
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Tropical Storm Erika
| Title |
Tropical Storm Erika |
| Description |
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Tropical Storm Erika just as it was getting organized in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The images were taken at 4:15 pm EDT (20:15 UTC) on the 14th of August, 2003. At the time Erika was not yet a named storm but was named less than an hour after these images were captured. Erika had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Erika formed from an easterly wave disturbance after moving from the Bahamas across the Florida penisula. Over the open warm waters of the Gulf, the system began to gain strength and become better organized in a relatively low wind-shear environment. The image shows a top-down view of the storm. Rainfall rates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) (in the inner swath) and the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) (outer swath) are overlayed on TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) data (white areas). This combination shows bands of convection feeding into the storm. The center is open and does not yet have a well-defined eye. The blue, green, yellow and red areas indicate increasing rainfall intesity. At the time of this image, the storm was moving quickly to the west at 21 mph under the influence of high pressure to the north.TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency NASDA. Images produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Tropical Storm Noel
| Title |
Tropical Storm Noel |
| Description |
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of Tropical Storm Noel as the storm passed over the Bahamas Islands on November 1, 2007, at 2:15 p.m., local time. At that time, Noel had sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (65 miles per hour) and was moving northeast at 23 km/hr (14 mph), said the National Hurricane Center. [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/al16/al162007.public_a.020.shtml? ] The storm later intensified into a Category 1 hurricane and tracked north along the east coast of the United States. Noel spreads messily across hundreds of kilometers in this image. The center of the storm, a tightly concentrated mass of clouds, sits nearly directly over the Bahamas, while clusters of thunderstorms stretch north and east from the center. In its rampage across the Caribbean, Noel caused at least 115 deaths, primarily in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, reported the Associated Press on November 2. Though the storm was relatively weak, it moved slowly over the two nations, dumping as much as 550 millimeters (21 inches) of rain. (View a satellite-based rainfall map. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14605 ]) The heavy rain caused deadly flooding and mudslides. The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Tropical Storm Noel
| Title |
Tropical Storm Noel |
| Description |
Spinning winds around a center of calm defines Tropical Storm Noel in this colorful image, created with data collected by NASA's QuikSCAT satellite. The satellite records wind speed and direction over the ocean by sending radar pulses toward the ocean's surface and measuring the strength of the return signal. By mapping the disturbances on the ocean's surface, scientists can estimate how hard and in which direction the wind is blowing. In this image of Tropical Storm Noel, taken on October 28, 2007, the strongest winds are in the south and west side of the storm and are depicted in purple. A broad area of red points to strong winds, and yellow, green, and blue indicate slower wind speeds. The barbs illustrate wind direction, and white barbs show where rainfall was heaviest. The winds circle around a calm center, depicted in blue. The heaviest rainfall corresponds with the strongest winds in the west side of the storm. Tropical Storm Noel was the sixteenth tropical system to develop in the Atlantic Basin in 2007. Though it was never a strong storm in terms of wind speed, it posed significant danger to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The slow-moving storm dumped heavy rain on the mountainous Caribbean island that is divided between the two nations. The resulting floods and mudslides killed 25 people in the Dominican Republic with many more still missing, reported CNN on October 30. After striking the Dominican Republic, Noel moved north over Cuba. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2007/refresh/NOEL+shtml/150444.shtml? ] forecast that the storm would continue northeast over the Bahamas, strengthening slightly, and then weaken as it tracked north over cooler waters. NASA image courtesy of David Long, Brigham Young University, on the QuikSCAT Science Team, [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
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Tropical Storm Noel
| Title |
Tropical Storm Noel |
| Description |
Though not the most powerful storm of the 2007 Atlantic Hurricane season, Tropical Storm Noel was among the most deadly. Only Category 5 Hurricane Felix [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14490 ] and its associated flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14514 ] had a higher toll. Slow-moving Tropical Storm Noel inundated the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas with heavy rain between October 28 and November 1, 2007. The resulting floods and mudslides left at least 115 dead and thousands homeless throughout the Caribbean, reported the Associated Press on November 2, 2007. The president of the Dominican Republic, the worst-hit nation, declared a state of emergency. After crossing Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Noel moved over northern Cuba and then tracked northeast over the Bahamas. The storm was expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane, move quickly north along the east coast of the United States, and strike Nova Scotia, Canada, as an extra-tropical storm on November 4, said the National Hurricane Center. [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] This image shows the distribution of the rainfall that made Noel a deadly storm. The image shows rainfall totals as measured by the Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from October 26 through November 1, 2007. The analysis is based on measurements taken by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. The heaviest rainfall fell in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas, northeast of Noel's center. Areas of dark red show that rainfall totals over the south-central Dominican Republic and parts of the Bahamas were over 551 millimeters (21 inches). Much of eastern Hispaniola, including both the Dominican Republic and Haiti received at least 200 mm (about 8 inches) of rain, shown in yellow. Rainfall totals over Haiti and Cuba were less, with a range of at least 50 mm (2 inches) to over 200 mm (8 inches). TRMM, launched in 1997 to observe rainfall over the Tropics with a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) |
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