|
|
TRMM Rainmap Anomalies: Hurr
…
| Title |
TRMM Rainmap Anomalies: Hurricane Mitch and Honduras |
| Abstract |
Rainmaps derived from nearly three years of TRMM operations. |
| Completed |
2000-12-11 |
|
TRMM Rainmap Anomalies: Hurr
…
| Title |
TRMM Rainmap Anomalies: Hurricane Mitch and Honduras |
| Abstract |
Rainmaps derived from nearly three years of TRMM operations. |
| Completed |
2000-12-11 |
|
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: Oc
…
| Title |
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: October 9, 2001 |
| Abstract |
TRMM views hurricane Iris as it strikes Honduras, October 9, 2001. Time is about 09:00 UT, Orbit T03. Isosurfaces are: Yellow=0.5 inches/hour, Green=1.0 inches/hour, Red=2.0 inches/hour on rainfall rates. |
| Completed |
2001-10-09 |
|
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: Oc
…
| Title |
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: October 9, 2001 |
| Abstract |
TRMM views hurricane Iris as it strikes Honduras, October 9, 2001. Time is about 09:00 UT, Orbit T03. Isosurfaces are: Yellow=0.5 inches/hour, Green=1.0 inches/hour, Red=2.0 inches/hour on rainfall rates. |
| Completed |
2001-10-09 |
|
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: Oc
…
| Title |
Hurricane Iris from TRMM: October 9, 2001 |
| Abstract |
TRMM views hurricane Iris as it strikes Honduras, October 9, 2001. Time is about 09:00 UT, Orbit T03. Isosurfaces are: Yellow=0.5 inches/hour, Green=1.0 inches/hour, Red=2.0 inches/hour on rainfall rates. |
| Completed |
2001-10-09 |
|
Hurricane Keith from TRMM: O
…
| Title |
Hurricane Keith from TRMM: October 2, 2000 |
| Abstract |
3-D view of Hurricane Keith off Honduras from the TRMM satellite. Isosurfaces are generated from TRMM PR and TMI data. Cloud height is generated from the TRMM IR data. Rain rate isosurfaces are 1 inch/hr (green) and 2 inches/hr (red). |
| Completed |
2000-10-02 |
|
Hurricane Keith from TRMM: O
…
| Title |
Hurricane Keith from TRMM: October 2, 2000 |
| Abstract |
3-D view of Hurricane Keith off Honduras from the TRMM satellite. Isosurfaces are generated from TRMM PR and TMI data. Cloud height is generated from the TRMM IR data. Rain rate isosurfaces are 1 inch/hr (green) and 2 inches/hr (red). |
| Completed |
2000-10-02 |
|
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch
…
| Title |
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch over Honduras Using Daily Rainfall Measurements |
| Abstract |
TRMM daily rainfall measurements covering Honduras during Hurricane Mitch, from 4/7/98 through 11/5/98. Red indicates areas of high rainfall. Blue indicates areas of low rainfall. Honduras experienced major flooding during this time period. |
| Completed |
2000-12-18 |
|
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch
…
| Title |
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch over Honduras Using Daily Rainfall Measurements |
| Abstract |
TRMM daily rainfall measurements covering Honduras during Hurricane Mitch, from 4/7/98 through 11/5/98. Red indicates areas of high rainfall. Blue indicates areas of low rainfall. Honduras experienced major flooding during this time period. |
| Completed |
2000-12-18 |
|
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch
…
| Title |
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch over Honduras Using Monthly Average Rainfall Measurements |
| Abstract |
Monthly average rainfall measurements over Honduras during Hurricane Mitch, from January 1998 through October 1998. |
| Completed |
2000-12-18 |
|
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch
…
| Title |
TRMM: Covers Hurricane Mitch over Honduras Using Monthly Average Rainfall Measurements |
| Abstract |
Monthly average rainfall measurements over Honduras during Hurricane Mitch, from January 1998 through October 1998. |
| Completed |
2000-12-18 |
|
Guanaja Island, Honduras
| Title |
Guanaja Island, Honduras |
| Description |
Guanaja Island is located in the western Caribbean, approximately 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) north of mainland Honduras. The island is near the western edge of the Cayman Ridge, a topographic feature made of rock types that indicate ancient volcanic islands, sedimentary layers, and ocean crust. The ridge resulted from tectonic interactions between the North American, South American, and Caribbean Plates. Guanaja and the nearby islands of Roatan and Utila (not shown) are the only portions of the western Cayman Ridge currently exposed above water. The island is notable for being largely undeveloped—the exception being highly concentrated development on Bonacca Cay, a small island (roughly 0.5 by 0.3 kilometers) located along the southeastern coastline of the main island. The main island has little in the way of roads or other infrastructure—a canal is the major means of traversing the island—making it an attractive destination for hikers and eco-tourists. The clear waters and reefs that almost completely encircle Guanaja also attract divers. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch destroyed almost all of the island's mangrove forests, devastating coastal habitats and causing soil erosion. Regeneration of mangroves is slow, and scientists have suggested active reseeding efforts as the only way to restore the forests. Astronaut photograph ISS014-E-15767 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS014&roll=E&frame=15767 ] was acquired March 1, 2007, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 400 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
Hurricane Beta
| Title |
Hurricane Beta |
| Description |
The 23rd storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season formed off the coast of Panama late on October 26, 2005. Dubbed "Beta" after the National Hurricane Center ran out of names, the storm set a new record for the number of tropical cyclones to form in the Atlantic during a single year. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of the storm at 2:50 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 27, 2005. At the time, Beta had winds of 95 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour). It was expected to strengthen into a hurricane on its slow course north. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml? ] predicted that the storm would make landfall in Nicaragua on October 29, potentially causing deadly landslides in the steep mountains of Nicaragua and Honduras. Early in October, a glancing blow from Hurricane Stan [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13189 ] triggered landslides across Central America, leaving thousands dead. The large image provided above has a resolution of 500 meters per pixel. It is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Beta
| Title |
Hurricane Beta |
| Description |
The 23rd storm of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season formed off the coast of Panama late on October 26, 2005. Dubbed "Beta," the storm set a new record for the number of tropical cyclones to form in the Atlantic during a single year. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of the hurricane at 2:40 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 29, 2005. At the time, Beta had winds of 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour). Hurricane Beta came ashore in Nicaragua on October 30, roughly a day after the MODIS observation above, bringing heavy rainfall in the steep mountains of Nicaragua and Honduras. The hurricane's Category-2-strength winds weakened to tropical-storm strength quickly after coming ashore, but the heavy rain [more than 450 millimeters (15 inches) fell in 24 hours in parts of Nicaragua] was far more dangerous than the hurricane-force winds. Early in October, a glancing blow from Hurricane Stan [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13189 ] triggered landslides across Central America, leaving thousands dead. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. It is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005302-1029/Beta.A2005302.1840 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Felix
| Title |
Hurricane Felix |
| Description |
Category 5 hurricanes are rare. Rarer still is the storm that makes landfall as a Category 5 storm—most weaken before hitting land. Yet, exactly two weeks after Hurricane Dean struck the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 5 storm (the first Atlantic storm of that size to come ashore since Hurricane Andrew in 1992), Hurricane Felix roared ashore at Category 5 strength. Felix came ashore over northeastern Nicaragua on September 4, 2007, with sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour), said the National Hurricane Center. [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] Forecasters predicted that Felix would continue to move west over Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Heavy rain in these mountainous regions could trigger devastating floods and mudslides. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Hurricane Felix at 12:30 p.m. local time (18:30 UTC) on September 3, 2007. At that time, Felix had already reached Category 5 status, with wind speeds that matched those observed at landfall the following morning. Along the left side of the image is the Central American coastline where Felix would eventually come ashore. The image reveals that Felix was compact, not a sprawling storm, and densely packed with bright clouds. Though cloud-filled, the eye forms a small, dark depression in the center of the storm. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel, MODIS' maximum resolution. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2007246-0903/Felix.A2007246.1830 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response System. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Hurricane Felix [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Sep2007/felix_tmo_2007246.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Hurricane Felix
| Title |
Hurricane Felix |
| Description |
Category 5 hurricanes are rare. Rarer still is the storm that makes landfall as a Category 5 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] storm—most weaken before hitting land. Yet, exactly two weeks after Hurricane Dean struck the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Felix roared ashore as yet another. Felix came ashore over northeastern Nicaragua on September 4, 2007, with sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour), said the National Hurricane Center. [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] Forecasters predicted that Felix would continue to move west over Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Heavy rain in these mountainous regions could trigger devastating floods and mudslides. This area is the same region which suffered major damage from Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Though better prepared this time for such a storm, many fear a repeat of Mitch's devastation. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of Hurricane Felix at 10:10 a.m. local time (16:10 UTC) on September 4, 2007. At that time, Felix had slammed into the mountains of Nicaragua and lost enough power to be rated a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds of 200 km/hr (120 mph). The clear eye present on September 3 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14483 ] was gone, but the storm retained the tight spiral shape of a very powerful storm. The large image provided above has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel, MODIS' maximum resolution. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2007247-0904/Felix.A2007247.1610 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response System. You can download a 250-meter-resolution KMZ file of Hurricane Felix [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Sep2007/Felix.A2007247.1610.250m.kmz ] suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Hurricane Stan Floods Centra
…
| Title |
Hurricane Stan Floods Central America |
| Description |
By standard measures, Stan was a small storm. It formed as a tropical depression on October 1, 2005, and barely reached hurricane status before going ashore in southern Mexico on October 4. In the intervening period, the storm moved over the Yucatan Peninsula, drenching Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico with heavy rain. Though the winds never reached more than 130 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour), the storm proved to be one of the most devastating since Hurricane Mitch struck the region in 1998. Stan dropped heavy rains on parts of Central America for several days, triggering deadly floods and landslides. This image, made using data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite between September 29 and October 5, 2005, shows rainfall totals over the affected countries. The highest rainfall is shown in deep red, while the lightest is in blue. The rainfall data is laid over a topographical map. As this image illustrates, the rain fell over steep mountains. The water released sections of earth, and both water and mud flooded the populated valleys. Floods and mudslides forced thousands from their homes and damaged roads and bridges throughout the region. News reports claim that more than 100 people have died in the floods, but differ on the exact number. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides estimates of rainfall over the global Tropics. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. NASA image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
|
Hurricane Stan Floods Centra
…
| Title |
Hurricane Stan Floods Central America |
| Description |
Devastating floods swept across Guatemala in early October 2005. Stan, a tropical cyclone that wavered between hurricane and tropical storm, showered the country with heavy rain for several days starting on October 1. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on October 12, all of the rivers draining from the Sierra Madre into the Pacific Ocean were brimming with flood water. Water, black and dark blue in the false-color image, widens the rivers and smudges the surrounding landscape with dark colors. Terra MODIS acquired the lower image on September 10, 2005. The scene is clear enough to show Lake Atitlan, the location of massive mudslides which buried thousands in the Mayan town of Panabaj. Destructive mudslides, though none so large, plagued communities throughout Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. NASA images courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Stan Floods Centra
…
| Title |
Hurricane Stan Floods Central America |
| Description |
Devastating floods swept across Guatemala in early October 2005. Stan, a tropical cyclone that wavered between hurricane and tropical storm, showered the country with heavy rain for several days starting on October 1. When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image on October 12, all of the rivers draining from the Sierra Madre into the Pacific Ocean were brimming with flood water. Water, black and dark blue in the false-color image, widens the rivers and smudges the surrounding landscape with dark colors. Terra MODIS acquired the lower image on September 10, 2005. The scene is clear enough to show Lake Atitlan, the location of massive mudslides which buried thousands in the Mayan town of Panabaj. Destructive mudslides, though none so large, plagued communities throughout Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico. NASA images courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
|
Hurricane Wilma
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma |
| Description |
On the morning of October 19, 2005, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft measured a pressure of 882 millibars in the center of Hurricane Wilma—the lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. This low pressure earned Wilma the status of the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. As of October 20, the storm was moving northward through the western Caribbean Sea and toward the Yucatan Channel, which separates Mexico from Cuba. Predictions at that time were that once Wilma moved into the Gulf of Mexico, westerly winds would begin steering the storm toward Florida. In this image, Wilma is sprawled across the entire western Caribbean Sea, with bands of clouds reaching from the Yucatan Peninsula and Honduras (left and lower left, respectively) all the way to Cuba and Jamaica (upper right and center right edge). The image is one frame of an animation that shows the development of the storm between 8:15 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on October 18 and 4:45 p.m. on October 19 (00:15 to 20:45 UTC on October 19). At the beginning of the animation, the core of the storm is a smaller, bright disk of clouds off the coast of Honduras. Over the course of the animation, Wilma grows larger and spins and wobbles its way west-northwest. Thunderstorms embedded in the hurricane's spiraling cloud bands explode and then subside over the course of the animation. This image shows visible data collected by NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), combined with land surface data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument. The animation uses GOES infrared data during the nighttime part of the animation (up until about 8:45 a.m on October 19) and visible data in the daytime portion. NASA animation by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen |
|
Hurricane Wilma
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma |
| Description |
On the morning of October 19, 2005, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft measured a pressure of 882 millibars in the center of Hurricane Wilma—the lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. This low pressure earned Wilma the status of the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. As of October 20, the storm was moving northward through the western Caribbean Sea and toward the Yucatan Channel, which separates Mexico from Cuba. Predictions at that time were that once Wilma moved into the Gulf of Mexico, westerly winds would begin steering the storm toward Florida. In this image, Wilma is sprawled across the entire western Caribbean Sea, with bands of clouds reaching from the Yucatan Peninsula and Honduras (left and lower left, respectively) all the way to Cuba and Jamaica (upper right and center right edge). The image is one frame of an animation that shows the development of the storm between 8:15 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on October 18 and 4:45 p.m. on October 19 (00:15 to 20:45 UTC on October 19). At the beginning of the animation, the core of the storm is a smaller, bright disk of clouds off the coast of Honduras. Over the course of the animation, Wilma grows larger and spins and wobbles its way west-northwest. Thunderstorms embedded in the hurricane's spiraling cloud bands explode and then subside over the course of the animation. This image shows visible data collected by NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), combined with land surface data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument. The animation uses GOES infrared data during the nighttime part of the animation (up until about 8:45 a.m on October 19) and visible data in the daytime portion. NASA animation by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen |
|
Hurricane Wilma
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma |
| Description |
On the morning of October 19, 2005, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft measured a pressure of 882 millibars in the center of Hurricane Wilma—the lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. This low pressure earned Wilma the status of the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. As of October 20, the storm was moving northward through the western Caribbean Sea and toward the Yucatan Channel, which separates Mexico from Cuba. Predictions at that time were that once Wilma moved into the Gulf of Mexico, westerly winds would begin steering the storm toward Florida. In this image, Wilma is sprawled across the entire western Caribbean Sea, with bands of clouds reaching from the Yucatan Peninsula and Honduras (left and lower left, respectively) all the way to Cuba and Jamaica (upper right and center right edge). The image is one frame of an animation that shows the development of the storm between 8:15 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on October 18 and 4:45 p.m. on October 19 (00:15 to 20:45 UTC on October 19). At the beginning of the animation, the core of the storm is a smaller, bright disk of clouds off the coast of Honduras. Over the course of the animation, Wilma grows larger and spins and wobbles its way west-northwest. Thunderstorms embedded in the hurricane's spiraling cloud bands explode and then subside over the course of the animation. This image shows visible data collected by NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), combined with land surface data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument. The animation uses GOES infrared data during the nighttime part of the animation (up until about 8:45 a.m on October 19) and visible data in the daytime portion. NASA animation by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen |
|
Hurricane Wilma
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma |
| Description |
On the morning of October 19, 2005, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft measured a pressure of 882 millibars in the center of Hurricane Wilma—the lowest pressure ever measured in an Atlantic hurricane. This low pressure earned Wilma the status of the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. As of October 20, the storm was moving northward through the western Caribbean Sea and toward the Yucatan Channel, which separates Mexico from Cuba. Predictions at that time were that once Wilma moved into the Gulf of Mexico, westerly winds would begin steering the storm toward Florida. In this image, Wilma is sprawled across the entire western Caribbean Sea, with bands of clouds reaching from the Yucatan Peninsula and Honduras (left and lower left, respectively) all the way to Cuba and Jamaica (upper right and center right edge). The image is one frame of an animation that shows the development of the storm between 8:15 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) on October 18 and 4:45 p.m. on October 19 (00:15 to 20:45 UTC on October 19). At the beginning of the animation, the core of the storm is a smaller, bright disk of clouds off the coast of Honduras. Over the course of the animation, Wilma grows larger and spins and wobbles its way west-northwest. Thunderstorms embedded in the hurricane's spiraling cloud bands explode and then subside over the course of the animation. This image shows visible data collected by NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), combined with land surface data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument. The animation uses GOES infrared data during the nighttime part of the animation (up until about 8:45 a.m on October 19) and visible data in the daytime portion. NASA animation by Marit Jentoft-Nilsen |
|
Hurricane Wilma Colors the C
…
| Title |
Hurricane Wilma Colors the Caribbean |
| Description |
The Caribbean Sea glowed a brilliant blue on October 23, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The cloud of blue is a sign of Hurricane Wilma's recent passage, it was over these waters that Wilma exploded from a weak Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour) to the most powerful hurricane ever observed. This record-breaking intensification took place in the scant space of 12 hours between October 18 and October 19, 2005. With winds of 280 km/hr (175 mph), the storm moved slowly northwest toward the Yucatan Peninsula, churning the warm ocean waters and bringing sediment from the ocean floor to the surface. It is the sediment that scatters light, giving the water its brilliant color. The ocean is shallow in this area, and a series of banks and coral reefs [ http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi/reefs.pl?I1SW.x=196&I1SW.y=40 ] can be seen under the surface when waters are clear. The blue cloud traces out the outline of the bank where waters were shallow enough to stir up bottom sediment. The deeper water around the bank remains dark blue. Along the shore, flood-laden rivers pour mud into the ocean. The dirt fans out in tan, and then green plumes. The extra nutrients the run-off and bottom sediment bring to the surface may be feeding surface-dwelling ocean plants, which can also color ocean waters turquoise. To read more about how hurricanes stir up ocean sediments, see "State of (Re)Suspense" [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/scifocus/oceanColor/resuspension.shtml ], a NASA Science Focus! article. The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. It is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Nicaragua's San Cristobal Er
…
| Title |
Nicaragua's San Cristobal Erupts |
| Description |
A small plume of steam and possibly ash was wafting westward from the San Cristobal Volcano in northwestern Nicaragua (bottom right quadrant) on December 16, 2002. At the time this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image was acquired by the Terra satellite, no detectable heat signature was present at the volcano, but a few fires were detected and are marked with red outlines. San Cristobal is an active stratovolcano in the San Cristobal complex on the west coast of Nicaragua. The volcano periodically spits out ash and smoke over the Central American jungles. In the center of the image, the gray-green patchwork is a large wetland along the shore of the Gulf of Fonseca, which touches Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Honduras and Nicara
…
| Title |
Fires in Honduras and Nicaragua |
| Description |
On May 13, 2007, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured an image of fires in Honduras and Nicaragua, along with smoke-filled skies over the Pacific Ocean. Places where MODIS detected active fire are marked in red. Although the skies are indeed smoky, the haze is somewhat exaggerated by the fact that the area was at the far left (western) edge of MODIS' field of view in this image. At the edges of its wide field of view, MODIS' viewing path, or line of sight to the surface, is longer than the viewing path in the center of the scene (directly below the sensor). Light reflected from the surface at the edges of the image has to travel a longer path through the atmosphere back to MODIS, which can exaggerate the appearance of haze. During the dry season in Honduras (Northern Hemisphere winter and spring), accidental and intentional fires are common. Fires in this image may be agricultural—brush and field clearing—or forest fires. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
|
Fires in Mexico and Central
…
| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
Southern Mexico (left and center), Guatemala (below center), El Salvador (bottom, right of center), Honduras (lower right), and Nicaragua (lower right corner) are blanketed with smoke from hundreds of fires (marked with red dots) burning in the region on April 28, 2003. These fires have been burning off and on for two months, periodically sending smoke northward across the Gulf of Mexico toward the southern U.S. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Mexico and Central
…
| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
A thick haze of smoke covers southern Mexico and Central America in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on April 30, 2003. Although fire is commonly used in agriculture to clear land for planting crops, such fires can easily get out of control and grow into wildfires. In Nicaragua (bottom right corner), forest fires have been raging for the past three months, and have destroyed crops, tree plantations, and forests. The fires in this image are marked in red. They are spread across southern Mexico (top), then in Guatemala (south of Mexico), Honduras (to the east) and El Salvador (to the south), and Nicaragua. Smoke is spreading out over the Gulf of Mexico (top) and the Caribbean Sea (right). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires in Mexico and Central
…
| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
On April 21, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this image of southern Mexico and northern Central America showing scattered fire activity across the region. The scene is centered on northern Guatemala, with the southern Mexico state of Chiapas to the left and the country of Belize to the right. At bottom right in the scene is northern Honduras, where smoke appears to have pooled in dips in the mountainous terrain. Active fires detected by MODIS have been marked in yellow with red outlines. The widespread nature of the fires and the time of year (spring growing season) suggests that these fires are being set intentionally for agricultural purposes. Though not necessarily immediately hazardous, such large-scale burning can have a strong impact on weather, climate, human health, and natural resources. Image by Earth Observatory staff, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
|
Fires in Mexico and Central
…
| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
Dozens of fires (marked in red) were burning in the northwestern corner of Guatemala (left of center) on March 13, 2005, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Aqua satellite captured this image. These fires are part of the continuing threats to the already beleaguered Laguna del Tigre National Park, which occupies the area covered with the highest concentration of fires. Although set aside as a place to preserve biodiversity and virgin rainforest, the area has been degraded by many factors: unauthorized logging, cattle ranching, and settlement, oil extraction, and arson intended to degrade the forest enough that its status as a protected area will be lifted and logging allowed. Although the cause of the fires cannot be determined from satellite, their widespread distribution reveals their potential for devastation. Significant numbers of fires were also detected in Mexico (top) and Honduras (bottom right). For more information about fires in Central America, visit the SERVIR [ http://servir.nsstc.nasa.gov/home.html ] Web site. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
On April 30, 2005, scores of fires continued to smoke across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (left of center) and the Yucatan Peninsula (top right) in southern Mexico, as well as in Guatemala (below and to the right of center), Belize (east of Guatemala), and Honduras (lower right). This image of the region captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows active fire locations marked in red. Smoke flows northward over the Gulf of Mexico, eastward over the Gulf of Honduras, and southward over the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The region's annual dry season is reaching its peak in May. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
Hundreds of fires were burning in southern Mexico and the northern Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua on April 26, 2005, when this hazy image of the region was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite. Locations where MODIS detected actively burning fires are marked in red. A thick layer of smoke hovers over the region and spreads northward into the Gulf of Mexico and eastward to the Caribbean Sea. The smoke is so bad that as of April 27, the international airport in Honduras had been closed for six straight days. March-May is the region's dry season, and these fires are likely a mixture of forest fires and agricultural fires. The high-resolution image provided above is 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
As can be seen in this true-color scene acquired on April 2, 2002, many fires dot the landscape across portions of Central America. This image spans from Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula across Guatemala and into El Salvador and Honduras. This image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The red boxes (see the high-resolution image) indicate where active fires were burning. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
As can be seen in this true-color scene acquired on April 9, 2002, many fires dotted the landscape across portions of Central America. This image spans from Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula across Guatemala and into El Salvador and Honduras. This image was acquired by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Please note that the high-resolution scene provided here is 500 meters per pixel. For a copy of this scene at the sensor?s fullest resolution, visit the MODIS Rapidfire [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2002092-0402 ] site. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
The bright blue water of the Gulf of Honduras contrasts sharply with the smokey pall over Guatemala and Belize in this photograph taken from the International Space Station. Fires in the Yucatan Penninsula and northern Central America began burning in early April, and intensified by the end of the month. Photograph provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/ ] |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
*large images* MODIS (1.6 MB JPEG) SeaWiFS (1.3 MB JPEG) Smoke from widespread fires in tropical Mexico and Central America appears to be drifting over the U.S. Gulf States. In 1998 similar circumstances resulted in air-quality warnings being issued in several U.S. states, including Texas and Louisiana. The top image shows smoke and fires (red pixels) observed by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Possibly hundreds of small fires are scattered across Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula. The lower image, acquired by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), shows smoke from these fires carried by the prevailing winds across the Gulf of Mexico and over the United States. Images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA GSFC, and ORBIMAGE |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
*large images* MODIS (1.6 MB JPEG) SeaWiFS (1.3 MB JPEG) Smoke from widespread fires in tropical Mexico and Central America appears to be drifting over the U.S. Gulf States. In 1998 similar circumstances resulted in air-quality warnings being issued in several U.S. states, including Texas and Louisiana. The top image shows smoke and fires (red pixels) observed by the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Possibly hundreds of small fires are scattered across Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula. The lower image, acquired by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), shows smoke from these fires carried by the prevailing winds across the Gulf of Mexico and over the United States. Images courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA GSFC, and ORBIMAGE |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
Fires (red dots) continue to burn across southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, and Central America. Countries shown are (from bottom right) Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize (to the northeast), and Mexico. At bottom left, sun glints off the Pacific Ocean. At top and right are the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
On March 1, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite detected widespread fires (red dots) scattered across Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize (to the southeast), Guatemala (to the southwest), El Salvador (center, west coast), Honduras (center, east coast), Nicaragua, and the northern part of Costa Rica (bottom right). At upper right is the Caribbean Sea, and at lower left is the Pacific Ocean. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
Scores of fires (red dots) in southern Mexico and Central America dominate this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Aqua satellite on March 17, 2003. Countries shown are (north to south) Mexico, Guatemala (west) and Belize (east), El Salvador (west) and Honduras (east), and Nicaragua. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Fires in Mexico and Central
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| Title |
Fires in Mexico and Central America |
| Description |
On March 19, 2003, fires in southern Mexico and Central America billowed a cloud of smoke out over the Gulf of Mexico. In this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image, fires have been marked in red, with the highest density occurring in northern Guatemala. Significant fire activity is also visible throughout southern Mexico?s Yucatan Peninsula (north), as well as Belize (east of Guatemala), El Salvador and Honduras (west and east, next tier to the south), and Nicaragua. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Fires in the Yucatan and Cen
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Fires in the Yucatan and Central America |
| Description |
On April 4, 2006, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured this image showing numerous fires (marked in red) burning across the Yucatan Peninsula (top center), and the Central American countries to the south: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Although MODIS cannot tell the cause of fires, April is one of the dry-season months in the area, and it is possible that the fires are a mixture of intentional agriculture-related fires and accidental or natural forest fires. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily subsets [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/ ] of the region in a variety of resolutions and formats. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Fires in the Yucatan and Cen
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| Title |
Fires in the Yucatan and Central America |
| Description |
On April 18, 2006, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA'a Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured an image of numerous fires burning over Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and northern Central America, including Guatemala and Honduras. The actively burning fires are marked in red. At lower right, clouds mingle with smoke over the Gulf of Honduras. At lower left, bright sunlight glints off the surface of the Pacific Ocean. February to May is the dry season in this part of the world, and these fires may be intentional agricultural fires set by people to prepare for the upcoming growing season, or they may be accidental forest fires. The high-resolution image provided above has a spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response team produces daily imagery [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/servir/ ] of Mesoamerica (southern Mexico and Central America) as part of the SERVIR [ http://servir.nsstc.nasa.gov/about.html ] project, which provides satellite imagery and other data sources for environmental management and disaster support in the region. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Flooding in Honduras
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Flooding in Honduras |
| Description |
An unusual cold front brought heavy rains to the Atlantic coast of Honduras in early March 2007. By March 10, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image, the Aguan River and nearby waterways were swollen. The floods cut off 100,000 people by damaging roads and bridges, said the Dartmouth Flood Observatory. [ http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/Archives/2007sum.htm ] These images were made with infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between water and land. Water is typically black in this type of image, but dirt in the water scatters light, giving the flooded rivers a blue color. In the March 10 image, the rivers dump plumes of sediment into the Atlantic Ocean, coloring the water bright blue. Scattered clouds are pale blue and white, while plant-covered land is green. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
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Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Adrian is developing and moving steadily closer to the west coast of Central America. The storm is the first of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30, and it has the potential to inundate Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras with heavy rains. These mountainous regions are prone to mudslides and flash floods. Adrian is not a powerful storm, but it has continued to intensify since it formed on May 17. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] predicts that the storm may become a weak hurricane before it makes landfall late on May 19 or early on May 20. This image of Tropical Storm Adrian was taken on May 19, 2005, by one of the GOES satellites. The GOES sensors maintain a constant watch over a particular section of the Earth to provide important weather information. As such, the GOES satellite can watch the development of the storm. The animation provided above shows the storm as it became more and more organized on May 18. When it blows ashore, Adrian will become only the fifth tropical cyclone to make landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966, according to the National Hurricane Center. Of those storms, none has ever crossed Central America this early in May, making Adrian unusual. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19 or May 20. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Image courtesy GOES Project Science [ http://meso-a.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, data from NOAA-GOES, animation by Rob Simmon, NASA Earth Observatory |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Tropical Storm Adrian is developing and moving steadily closer to the west coast of Central America. The storm is the first of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30, and it has the potential to inundate Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras with heavy rains. These mountainous regions are prone to mudslides and flash floods. Adrian is not a powerful storm, but it has continued to intensify since it formed on May 17. The National Hurricane Center [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ ] predicts that the storm may become a weak hurricane before it makes landfall late on May 19 or early on May 20. This image of Tropical Storm Adrian was taken on May 19, 2005, by one of the GOES satellites. The GOES sensors maintain a constant watch over a particular section of the Earth to provide important weather information. As such, the GOES satellite can watch the development of the storm. The animation provided above shows the storm as it became more and more organized on May 18. When it blows ashore, Adrian will become only the fifth tropical cyclone to make landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador since 1966, according to the National Hurricane Center. Of those storms, none has ever crossed Central America this early in May, making Adrian unusual. Even more unusual than the timing of this storm is its path. Typically, hurricanes that form in the Eastern Pacific curve west to dissipate over the ocean, or they may move north into Mexico. Adrian is moving east and is expected to make landfall over El Salvador and Guatemala on May 19 or May 20. Its path is predicted to take it over the same region that was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Unlike Adrian, Mitch formed in the Atlantic and crossed this section of Central America from the east. If Adrian survives its encounter with the high mountains of Central America, it could re-emerge in the Caribbean and move over Cuba and the Bahamas. While storms occasionally cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, it is extremely rare for a storm to move into the Atlantic from the Pacific, however. Image courtesy GOES Project Science [ http://meso-a.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ ] at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, data from NOAA-GOES, animation by Rob Simmon, NASA Earth Observatory |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Hurricane Adrian was zeroing in on the Pacific coast of El Salvador and Guatemala when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on May 19, 2005, at 10:45 a.m., Pacific Daylight Time. This highly unusual storm is the first of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, having formed on May 17, just two days after the season officially started. The storm intensified over a pocket of warm water and moved east toward Guatemala and El Salvador. Adrian reached hurricane status about the time this image was acquired. Hurricane Adrian is unusual not because of its strength?it?s actually a weak storm? or because of its timing, though no tropical storm has ever struck Central America this early in May, rather, Adrian is rare because of its path. Most hurricanes that form in the Pacific head north into Mexico or west to dissipate over the ocean. Adrian moved east. Since 1966, only four cyclones have made landfall over Guatemala or El Salvador, and Adrian?s current path will make it the fifth. The outer bands of clouds were already over land when MODIS captured this image. The biggest threat that Adrian poses to Central America is from the heavy rain it may dump on the region. Rugged mountains stretch across El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and heavy rain could trigger flash floods and mudslides. If Adrian survives its encounter with the mountains of Central America, it could emerge as a tropical system in the Caribbean. Occasionally, storms will cross from the Atlantic into the Pacific, but it is rare for a storm to move from the Pacific into the Atlantic, as Adrian could. The large version of this image has a resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2005139-0519/Adrian.A2005139.1645 ] from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Tropical Storm Adrian
| Title |
Tropical Storm Adrian |
| Description |
Adrian, the first tropical storm of the season in the eastern Pacific, became the first hurricane to hit El Salvador when it came ashore on Friday, May 19, 2005, between Acajutla and Puerto La Libertad west of San Salvador. Adrian was a minimal hurricane when it made landfall. The National Hurricane Center estimated it to have maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) when it made landfall, but the storm quickly weakened and dissipated as it moved inland over central Honduras. Unlike the widespread devastation from Hurricane Mitch in 1998 that killed 10,000 people in the region, Adrian was responsible for two deaths in Guatemala as a result of a mudslide. The above image illustrates why Adrian had a smaller impact on Central America than initially feared. The image shows rainfall totals as seen by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM [ http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ]) satellite between May 16 and May 21, 2005, with storm symbols denoting Adrian?s track across El Salvador and Honduras. The highest rainfall totals for the period exceed 200 millimeters (~8 inches, shown in red) and are mainly offshore. However, similar amounts occur in far western El Salvador and southern Guatemala along the coast near where Adrian made landfall. The rainfall totals quickly drop off inland such that maximum totals are on the order of just 130 mm (5 inches, green areas) or less over central Honduras, the last position where a circulation could be identified. Adrian?s relatively small size and forward progression helped to keep rainfall amounts down. Since its launch in November 1997, TRMM has been providing a steady stream of rainfall data over the Tropics. The TRMM-based, near-real time Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (MPA) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center provides estimates of rainfall over the global Tropics, and was used to generate the rainfall totals seen here. TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA. Image produced by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC) and caption by Steve Lang (SSAI/NASA GSFC). |
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Floods in Central America
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Floods in Central America |
| Description |
Hurricane Felix [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14490 ] came ashore over northern Guatemala as a rare and powerful Category 5 hurricane on September 4, 2007. The storm brought high winds, heavy rains, and a strong storm surge as it made landfall. Some of the impact of the storm is evident in the left image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 6. Aqua MODIS captured the right image a few days before the storm came ashore. In these images, water is black and clouds are pale blue and white. Called the Mosquito Coast, the stretch of the Nicaraguan coast shown here is composed of wetlands. On September 6, the wetlands were dark with large pools of water from Felix's rainfall and storm surge. Rivers and streams in the region are also notably swollen compared to conditions on September 1. In addition to the flooding shown here, Hurricane Felix caused extensive damage in both Nicaragua and Honduras. As of September 7, at least 130 people were reported dead in Nicaragua, reported Reuters. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/fas/?CAmerica_2_04 ] of Central America. |
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Floods in Central America
| Title |
Floods in Central America |
| Description |
Hurricane Felix [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14490 ] came ashore over northern Guatemala as a rare and powerful Category 5 hurricane on September 4, 2007. The storm brought high winds, heavy rains, and a strong storm surge as it made landfall. Some of the impact of the storm is evident in the left image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on September 6. Aqua MODIS captured the right image a few days before the storm came ashore. In these images, water is black and clouds are pale blue and white. Called the Mosquito Coast, the stretch of the Nicaraguan coast shown here is composed of wetlands. On September 6, the wetlands were dark with large pools of water from Felix's rainfall and storm surge. Rivers and streams in the region are also notably swollen compared to conditions on September 1. In addition to the flooding shown here, Hurricane Felix caused extensive damage in both Nicaragua and Honduras. As of September 7, at least 130 people were reported dead in Nicaragua, reported Reuters. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC, which provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/fas/?CAmerica_2_04 ] of Central America. |
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