Scientists using NASA data have produced a comprehensive study of the Greenland Ice Sheet's hidden plumbing and melt water flow. The research suggests that current ice sheet modeling is too simplistic to accurately predict future ice loss, and may underestimate contributions to sea level rise.
Typhoon Hagupit brought heavy rainfall to the Philippines, with NASA's Terra satellite capturing a picture of the storm. Rainfall totals reached over 450 mm in eastern Philippines and over 477 mm in the open waters of the Philippine Sea.
NASA's Terra satellite and GPM/TRMM satellites provide valuable data on Super Typhoon Hagupit's rainfall patterns and cloud height. Forecasters expect the storm to reach peak intensity and weaken, while warnings are issued for the Philippines due to typhoon-force winds.
The HS3 mission investigated the processes underlying hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The study focused on four tropical cyclones: Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, and Gonzalo. Data collected by NASA's Global Hawk aircraft revealed strong winds and dry air shifts near Hurricane Cristobal's center.
Engineers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center tested a 'tripod' supporting the James Webb Space Telescope's secondary mirror in a successful deployment. The system was designed to unfurl in space to 8 meters long and was tested using the Pathfinder backplane structure.
A new ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model provides a stunning visual portrait of how carbon dioxide travels around the globe. The simulation, called GEOS-5, illustrates regional variations in carbon dioxide levels and differences between northern and southern hemispheres.
Tropical Storm Nuri resembled a frontal system, stretching from northeast to southwest due to wind shear. NASA's Terra satellite captured an infrared image showing strong thunderstorms around its center.
Typhoon Nuri passed close to Japan's Iwo To island with maximum sustained winds at 92 mph. The storm is expected to continue weakening and transitioning into an extra-tropical storm over the next day or two.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) will cease science operations in April 2015, ending 17 years of rainfall and storm monitoring. The satellite's instruments, including the Precipitation Radar, have provided critical insights into precipitation patterns and their impact on climate, weather, and natural disasters.
Tropical Storm Hanna made landfall near Nicaragua and Honduras on Oct. 27, bringing strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to the region. The remnants of the storm continued to generate isolated thunderstorms over Honduras and northern Nicaragua until they dissipated by Oct. 28.
Tropical Storm Ana was still generating moderate rainfall when NASA's TRMM satellite observed it on October 22. The storm moved northward with a gradual increase in speed, and is expected to be absorbed by an extra-tropical low pressure area near British Columbia, Canada.
Tropical Storm Ana has re-organized due to abating southwesterly wind shear, allowing thunderstorms to circulate around its center. The storm is expected to continue strengthening through early Saturday, moving northward and potentially becoming a hurricane.
Scientists gathered crucial information on upper-level wind shear affecting Hurricane Edouard using NASA's HS3 mission Global Hawk. The hurricane strengthened during the sixth flight, with data showing a sea-level pressure of 969-970 millibars near the eye/eyewall border.
TRMM satellite used to estimate rainfall rates from Hurricanes Fay and Gonzalo, generating areas with totals over 12 inches. Rainfall estimates developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center show maximum rainfall of 8 inches for Fay and 4-8 inches for Gonzalo
Hurricane Gonzalo stirred up ocean sediment off Bermuda's coast, as captured by NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites. The satellite imagery revealed sediment streaming east and south of the island.
Fires in the Egyptian River Delta are a recurring phenomenon, typically occurring every year in October and November. The annual fire season is attributed to farmers burning leftover straw from the rice harvest, resulting in widespread air pollution and health risks.
Tropical Storm Ana made a slow track west of the Hawaiian islands before moving away and heading towards the northwest Hawaiian islands. The storm's clouds were captured by NASA's Terra satellite on October 19, revealing its strongest thunderstorms in the eastern and western quadrants.
Nathaniel Putzig, a senior research scientist at SwRI, has been awarded the NASA Planetary Science Early Career Fellowship for his work on detecting ground ice within sand dunes across the southern hemisphere of Mars. The grant will support his research project using morphologic and thermal data.
Tropical Storm Ana was spotted by NASA's Aqua satellite on October 13, with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph. The storm is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and approach the big island of Hawaii by Sunday, October 19.
Extra-Tropical Storm Vongfong transitioned into an extra-tropical storm early on Oct. 4 as its core changed from warm to cold while being monitored by NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm was located near 29.1 north latitude and 142.9 east longitude, about 111 nautical miles southeast of Misawa, Japan.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of Typhoon Hudhud's remnants over India, Nepal, and China on Oct. 14, confirming the cyclone made landfall near Visakhapatnam on Oct. 12. The storm caused significant damage and fatalities in eastern India.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP and Aqua satellites monitored Typhoon Vongfong's weakening, showing strongest thunderstorms in the northern quadrant. The storm is now forecasted to spread out and become an extra-tropical storm, tracking over Japan's islands.
NASA's GOES-East satellite captures Hurricane Simon's landfall in Mexico and movement into the U.S. Southwest, with remnants expected to reach the central Plains and Midwest on Oct. 9-10. Heavy rain, including a threat of flash flooding, is forecast for eastern Kansas and western Missouri.
Dr. Paul Mahaffy, a leading expert on Mars chemistry, received the John C. Lindsay Memorial Award for his groundbreaking work on the Curiosity Rover's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite. The award honors his contributions to planetary science and exploration.
Researchers have produced detailed maps of bedrock beneath glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica with NASA's support, helping to project future changes to ice sheets and sea level. The data will aid computer models used for glacier projection.
The TRMM satellite identified a strong band of thunderstorms with heavy rainfall northwest of Tropical Storm Kammuri's center, while NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on the entire storm. Cloud top temperatures exceeded -63F/-53C, indicating potential for heavy rainfall.
Tropical Storm Rachel is strengthening with colder cloud tops and increased thunderstorm heights, indicating reduced wind shear, NASA's Aqua satellite reveals. The storm is expected to go through a short period of strengthening before weakening again, primarily driven by changes in wind patterns.
Tropical Depression Kammuri intensified on Sept. 24, with strong thunderstorms covering a long area within its elongated circulation. The storm's cloud-top temperatures reached -63F/-53C, potentially generating heavy rain.
Tropical Depression Fung-Wong's clouds had cloud-top temperatures near -63F/-53C over Japan's northern Ryuku Islands. The depression moved to the northeast at 11 knots (12.6 mph/20.3 kph) before becoming an extra-tropical storm.
Tropical Depression Fung-Wong is transitioning from a tropical to an extra-tropical storm, gaining frontal characteristics. The depression has strongest thunderstorms stretched out in a cold front-like appearance, according to NASA's Aqua satellite data.
Tropical Storm Edouard is weakening, with maximum sustained winds at near 60 mph, and expected to become post-tropical later on Sept. 19. It will then head east and impact the western Azores Islands over the weekend of Sept. 20-21 before turning south.
The TRMM satellite detected heavy rainfall rates over 111 mm/h near El Paso, Texas, with thunderstorm tops reaching up to 13 km. The GOES-West infrared image showed a large area of clouds associated with the remnants over New Mexico and Texas, posing a flash flood threat for parts of the region.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong continues to affect the Philippines, with NASA's Aqua satellite detecting high thunderstorms and potential heavy rainfall in northern and central regions. The storm is expected to impact Taiwan, China, and Japan over the next several days.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong developed over central Philippines with powerful thunderstorms spiraling around its southwestern quadrant. NASA predicts the storm may make landfall in Kyushu, Japan by September 23, posing a threat to the region.
Numerous agricultural fires are burning in Eastern Europe, primarily in Ukraine. These fires were likely intentionally set to manage land and return nutrients to the soil, but also produce smoke that degrades air quality.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected powerful thunderstorms around Tropical Storm Polo's center, indicating strengthening conditions. Rainfall totals of 5-10 inches expected over coastal areas in Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco states, with life-threatening flash-floods and mudslides possible.
Hurricane Edouard's maximum sustained winds near 90 mph, with life-threatening rip current conditions expected along the US East Coast. The storm is forecast to rapidly weaken on Sept. 18, dropping in intensity to a tropical storm.
Typhoon Kalmaegi's center was spotted by NASA's Aqua satellite near northern Hainan Island, China. The storm is making landfall in Northern Vietnam, generating very rough surf and ocean swells up to 22 feet.
Scientists are using NASA's Global Hawk aircraft and satellites to study the structure of Hurricane Edouard, including its cloud tops and aerosol content. The mission aims to understand the storm's potential for heavy rainfall and track its movement.
NASA's Terra satellite and NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured images of Tropical Storm Edouard as it grew into a Category 2 hurricane. The storm consolidated with its bands of thunderstorms becoming more tightly wrapped around the eye, which became visible on and off during September 14.
Tropical Storm Kalmaegi intensified as NASA's Aqua satellite captured its visible image approaching the Philippines. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next couple of days and potentially become a typhoon by September 13.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected Tropical Depression 15-E on September 10, which strengthened into Tropical Storm Odile shortly after. The storm is expected to create swells and rough surf along Mexico's southwestern coast over the next day or two.
Post-tropical storm Norbert generated drenching thunderstorms over Arizona, with TRMM satellite data showing rainfall rates of over 2 inches per hour. The moisture from Norbert caused flooding over inland areas of southern California and led to a state of emergency in Arizona.
Tropical Depression 14W made landfall in southeastern China on September 8 after forming in the South China Sea. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data showing a powerful storm with cold cloud top temperatures near -63F/-52C.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured remnants of Tropical Depression Dolly over northeastern Mexico on Sept. 3, showing a band of thunderstorms spiraling over the Texas/Mexico border. The TRMM satellite detected moderate to heavy rainfall in southern Texas due to low-to-mid-level moisture from Dolly's remnants.
Hurricane Norbert's visible bands of thunderstorms spiraled into the center in NASA satellite imagery on September 4, but lost some organization due to easterly vertical wind shear. The hurricane is forecast to track parallel along the coast of Baja California for the next couple of days.
NASA's HS3 hurricane mission and Terra satellite captured detailed data on Tropical Storm Dolly before it made landfall in eastern Mexico. The data revealed Dolly's strongest thunderstorms were around its center of circulation, indicating a more organized storm than Norbert.
Tropical Storm Dolly, a storm named after the famous country singer, is making its second landfall in Mexico due to the revolving list of hurricane names. NASA's satellite data shows the storm is expected to cause heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
Hurricane Marie has transitioned into a post-tropical storm, losing organized deep convection and thunderstorm development. The animation from NASA's GOES Project shows the storm's structure being blown apart, with clouds and showers north of the center.
Hurricane Cristobal is racing through the North Atlantic, losing its tropical characteristics. The storm is expected to remain a powerful extra-tropical cyclone over the region until Sunday.
Heavy rainfall and intense convective storms were detected by NASA's TRMM satellite in Hurricane Cristobal, with some storms reaching heights of over 9.3 miles and generating heavy rain. The storm is expected to become a powerful extra-tropical cyclone over the North Atlantic by Friday.
NASA's HS3 mission investigates hurricane formation and intensity change using two unmanned Global Hawks, analyzing data on winds, temperature, pressure, and humidity. The mission aims to examine conditions that favor rapid intensification of tropical cyclones.
Arctic sea ice covered about 2.31 million square miles on Aug. 19, falling short of the record low in 2012 but continuing a trend of decline over the past 30 years. NASA scientists are flying three airborne research campaigns to study climate-driven changes in the Arctic.
Tropical Storm Lowell has strengthened in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with powerful thunderstorms surrounding its center and cloud top temperatures near -63F. The storm is expected to continue strengthening due to moderate shear, high moisture, and warm water conditions.
The Arctic Radiation IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) aims to study the effect of sea ice retreat on Arctic climate. ARISE will conduct research flights over the Arctic from Aug. 28 to Oct. 1, collecting data on ice, clouds, and radiation balance.
Hurricane Iselle is expected to bring heavy rains, high surf, and damaging winds to Hawaii. Rainfall totals of 5-12 inches are predicted along its track, with storm surge up to 3 feet expected on the Big Island.
NASA's Fermi and Aqua satellites captured two distinct views of Hurricane Julio as it intensified: a gamma-ray flash produced by the powerful electric fields in thunderstorms, and a more structurally organized storm. These findings provide insights into the complex relationship between thunderstorms and hurricane dynamics.
The NASA Terra satellite captured images of three tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean: Hurricane Genevieve, Hurricane Iselle, and Hurricane Julio. Satellite data shows that Genevieve has strengthened into a hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph.
NASA's GOES-East satellite captures Bertha merging with a frontal system in the North Atlantic Ocean, causing its circulation to become barely discernible. The post-tropical storm is now moving rapidly northeastward and then eastward over the North Atlantic.
NASA captured images of a large swath of smoke from Canadian wildfires hovering over the Great Lakes and settling over the Bay of Baffin, which borders Greenland. The fires have been raging this summer, with some smoke drifting southward into the US.