2003 EARTH SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
| |
Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| NASA LOOKS AT THE HEAT ENGINE DURING HURRICANE ISABEL | G03-055 | 09/16/03 | 00:03:30 | Scientists use space based tools to look inside Hurricane Isabel and access the storms impact on the United States East Coast. Hurricanes act as heat engines, drawing energy up from warm tropical ocean waters to power the intense winds, powerful thunderstorms, and immense ocean surges. These tools help weather experts determine if a tropical cyclone is likely to strengthen or weaken and how much rain will fall on land.
|
TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Warm Water Fuels Hurricane Isabel - Warm water fuels hurricanes. Hurricanes drive on 82 'F or warmer sea surface temperatures. NASA satellite's can detect sea surface temperatures through clouds and helps determine if a tropical cyclone is likely to strengthen or weaken. In this visualization, Hurricane Fabian runs through a large patch of warm water, orange and red indicate 82 F and warmer, and leaves a blue cold trail behind. Cold trails can sometimes weaken tropical storms. However, Hurricane Isabel took a different path fueling up on warm water next to Fabian's cold trail, and leaving another cold trail behind. Aqua satellite's Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) provided sea surface temperatures for this animation. Data runs from August 22 to September 17, 2003. AMSR-E was developed by National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan.
Courtesy: NASDA/NASA
|
| ITEM (2): Checking Under Isabel's Hood - The eye of a hurricane may be the calm of the storm, but it also houses the engine that drives the storm. NASA and National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite looked under Isabel's hood and showed scientists the pistons that power the hurricane, giving them an idea of the intensity and distribution of rainfall. The world's first and only spaceborne rain radar allows scientists to create 3-D views of precipitation, height of the rain column and warmth of the core inside powerful hurricanes. Red color indicates rain rates in excess of 2 inches per hour. Green represents rain rates in excess of 1.0 inch per hour. Yellow shows excess of .5 inches of rain per hour. TRMM captured this image September 15, 2003.
Courtesy: NASDA/NASA
|
| ITEM (3): Eye of Hurricane Isabel
-NASA satellites capture many different perspectives of Hurricane Isabel. Twice a day, every two satellites fly over the planet capturing highly detail images of the Earth.
This animated sequence shows eight days of high-resolution images of Hurricane Isabel. These images are so detailed that you can see the wind vortices inside the eye. This animated sequence includes images from September 8, 10,11,12, 14, 15, 16, and 17, 2003. NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument onboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellite acquired the data for these images.
Courtesy: NASA
|
Earth Science Gallery