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Images of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) from 2004 and June 2004
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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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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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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 |
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Average Total-sky Outgoing S
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| 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
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| 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
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| 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 |
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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 |
|
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 |
|
Cold and Snow in South Ameri
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| 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. |
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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 ]. |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| 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 |
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Fires In Alaska and Northern
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| 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 |
|
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. |
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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. |
|
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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Flooding in Siberia
| Title |
Flooding in Siberia |
| Description |
Melting snow flooded the Yana River in northeastern Siberia starting in mid-June 2004. The top Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image, acquired on July 12, 2004, shows the river with water pushing over its banks. Last year at this time, the river was much smaller in contrast. The floods have affected up to 5,000 people, including many in the town of Verkhoyansk, which was reported to be completely flooded. Both of the above images show the river at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The large format images have the same resolution, but show a broader area around the Yana. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Flooding in Siberia
| Title |
Flooding in Siberia |
| Description |
Melting snow flooded the Yana River in northeastern Siberia starting in mid-June 2004. The top Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image, acquired on July 12, 2004, shows the river with water pushing over its banks. Last year at this time, the river was much smaller in contrast. The floods have affected up to 5,000 people, including many in the town of Verkhoyansk, which was reported to be completely flooded. Both of the above images show the river at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The large format images have the same resolution, but show a broader area around the Yana. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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. |
|
Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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. |
|
Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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. |
|
Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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. |
|
Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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. |
|
Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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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Typhoon Conson (07W)
| Title |
Typhoon Conson (07W) |
| Description |
Typhoon Conson began as a weak tropical depression almost 12 days ago in the West Pacific south of the western Caroline Islands. The system moved steadily west-northwest without gaining any strength as it passed through the central Philippines. On the 2nd of June 2004, Conson emerged into the South China Sea west of the Philippines. Between the 4th and 7th, Conson traversed a slow loop over the South China Sea west of the main northern island of Luzon and strengthened into a tropical storm. On the 7th, Conson began moving towards the north-northeast and gathered enough strength to become a typhoon. The system continued its movement towards the north-northeast on the 8th bringing it closer to southern Taiwan. The system also continued to strengthen. On the 9th, Typhoon Conson passed through the Bashi Channel just south of Taiwan before passing east of the island. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite captured these images of Conson showing the storm's evolution from a tropical storm into a typhoon. The first image was taken at 17:32 UTC on 5 June 2004. It 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 the first image, Conson still just a tropical storm with winds estimated at 45 knots (52 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. TRMM shows that the storm has a well-defined circulation but lacks a complete eyewall with only moderate (green) rain intensities immediately west of the center. Isolated heavier rain (red areas) occurs in the outer rainbands. The next image taken at 16:24 UTC on the 8th shows a much stronger storm. The rainbands are tightly wrapped around the center which now contains intense (dark red areas) rain areas in the northern and eastern part of the eyewall. These intense rainrates show where heat is being released that fuels the storm. The typhoon is now over the Luzon Straight between the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan and has winds of 90 knots (104 mph). The next image was taken at the same time and shows a vertical slice through the center of the storm looking east. It shows the convection on the east side of the storm is much taller (blue areas above the yellow areas) and more intense (dark red area) than on the west side. The last set of images were taken at 16:14 UTC on the 10th as Conson was approaching the southern islands of Japan. At this time, Conson is starting to become extratropical as it accelerates to the northeast. The top down image reveals that the center has become ragged and disorganized. Some intense rainfall (dark reds) still exists north of the center and in a trailing rainband. The vertical slice taken through the convection north of the center looking east shows an area of intense rain (dark red area), and evidence of a bright band (horizontal red/yellow layer). Bright bands are brought about by melting of larger ice particles. This final image also shows that the convective towers are not as deep as they were earlier (blue areas above the yellow areas). 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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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those 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). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). 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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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those 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). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). 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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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those 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). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). 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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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those 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). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). 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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Typhoon Mindulle
| Title |
Typhoon Mindulle |
| Description |
As the northern Philippines island of Luzon recovers from its brush with Typhoon Mindulle, the island nation of Taiwan now bears the brunt of the storm. Mindulle was responsible for 16 fatalities and 17 missing persons in the Philippines mainly from flash floods and is now hitting the east coast of Taiwan with 75 mph winds. Mindulle formed into a tropical depression from a monsoon gyre back on the 23rd of June 2004 just west of the Northern Mariana Islands. Mindulle quickly reached tropical storm strength but only slowly intensified over the next few days before finally becoming a minimal typhoon on the 27th in the Philippine Sea. Next came a period of rapid development as Mindulle's maximum sustained winds increased from 65 knots (75 mph) to 125 knots (144 mph) within a span of just 30 hours, and it's forward speed decreased dramatically as it approached the northern Philippines. Up until this point, Mindulle had been moving mainly due west but now turned north taking it through the Babuyan and Batan islands north of the main island of Luzon. The storm increased its forward speed slowly and began to weaken as it passed through the Bashi Channel headed for Taiwan. Mindulle passed by the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan on the evening (local time) of the 30th of June before continuing up along the east coast of Taiwan. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been fulfilling its mission of monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch back in November of 1997. With its passive and active sensors, TRMM is able to capture unique images of tropical cyclones providing a one of a kind perspective on their structures as seen by this series of images of Mindulle. The first image was taken at 15:39 UTC on 23 June 2004 when Mindulle was still just a tropical storm west of the Northern Mariana Islands with maximum sustained winds estimated at 35 knots (40 mph) by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The image shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and those 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). This image shows that Mindulle is not very organized yet with no evidence of an eye in the rain field. However, some banding is visible in the moderate rain rates (green areas) and a sizeable area of intense rain is present (dark red areas). The second image was taken at 06:01 UTC on the 28th and shows a mature typhoon with a large, well- defined eye surrounded by a definitive eyewall that contains areas of heavy rain (semicircle with dark red areas). At this time Mindulle was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds estimated at 115 knots (132 mph) as it was approaching the the the northern Philippines. The next image at this same time shows a vertical cross section, through the center of the storm from the PR looking northeast. It shows the intense rain (black area) in the western eyewall and a broad rain shield of moderate intensity rain (yellow areas) west of the center. Also evident is a bright band (horizontal yellow areas) wherein ice particle begin to melt as they fall through the freezing level. The final image was taken at 4:51 UTC on 1 July 2004. It shows a greatly weakened Mindulle hugging the east coast of Taiwan. The eyewall is gone and the center is surrounded by a large swirl of mostly light rain (blue areas). The heaviest rain rates are part of a large rain band that extends southwest of the center into the northern South China Sea. At this time, the maximum estimated winds were down to 75 knots (86 mph). 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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Typhoon Tingting
| Title |
Typhoon Tingting |
| Description |
Tingting, at the time still a tropical storm, dumped record breaking rains on Guam over the weekend resulting in extensive flooding and mudslides. The weather service reported that 16 inches of rain fell on Sunday alone (local time). The tropical depression that would later become Tingting first formed on the 25th of June 2004 several hundred miles east-southeast of the southern Mariana Islands. The storm proceeded westward for a short time before turning northwest. The system slowly strengthened becoming a tropical storm on the 26th and a minimal typhoon on the 28th as it passed north of Saipan in the central Marianas. After passing through the island chain, the storm turned northward and is expected to pass close to Iwo Jima. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite has been monitoring rainfall over the global tropics since its launch in November of 1997. Armed with its array of both passive and active sensors, TRMM has been able to image numerous tropical cyclones providing a unique perspective on their structures. Such is the case with Tingting as shown by the following images. The first image was taken at 4:28 UTC on 28 June 2004 just as Tingting was passing through the central Mariana Islands. It shows the horizontal distribution of rain intensity. Rain rates in the center swath are from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), the first and only precipitation radar in space, and rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). These rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). This image shows that Tingting has a well-defined center of circulation as evidenced by the spiraling rainbands to the northeast (blue arches). However, the majority of the rainfall is contained in a large rainband well to the southwest of the center. This rainband contains areas of heavy (red), moderate (green) and light rain (blue). At the time of this image, Tingting was classified as a minimal typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center with winds estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). The second image was taken at 11:43 UTC on the 29th and reveals that the storm had become better organized with a more pronounced eye and a more symmetrical rainfield. However, rain intensities around the eye are rather light (blue areas). As tropical cyclones rely on condensational heating near their cores to maintain their circulations, the weak rain rates near the storm's center as revealed by TRMM means that Tingting is not likely to strengthen. Tingting was estimated to have sustained winds of 80 knots (92 mph) at the time of this image. 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 two images show MPA rainfall totals for the period 25-28 June 2004 around Guam as a result of Tingting. The dark red area over Guam indicates rainfall on the order of 16 to 20, inches which is in excellent agreement with the reported values on the ground. The final image shows contoured values in mm. 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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