Research on clouds and the atmosphere. Covers Southern Ocean clouds, ocean-derived aerosols, sea-ice cloud formation, and dust after impacts.
Using high-resolution cloud models, researchers uncover the processes taking place in the atmosphere, revealing a 'memory' state of organisation that leads to heavy rain. Collisions between clouds produce heavier rain, contradicting traditional global climate models where convective clouds are seen as independent.
Typhoon Lionrock is weakening as it approaches Japan, with maximum sustained winds of 80.5 mph and waves up to 26 feet high.
Tropical Storm Lester, the 12th named storm of the 2016 eastern Pacific Ocean, was analyzed by NASA's GPM core satellite. The storm showed moderate intensity bands of rain curving around its eastern side, with rainfall rates reaching over 54 mm per hour.
NASA's AIRS and Suomi NPP satellites are monitoring Tropical Storm Gaston's weakening position in the Atlantic. The storms expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours, with forecasters warning of increased winds and potentially tighter storm structure.
Typhoon Lionrock is a powerful storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 knots, forecast to make landfall near Tokyo on August 30th. Its intensity track remains uncertain, with some predicting it will weaken and others that it will remain strong.
NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed Tropical Depression 13E with its Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument, indicating strengthening thunderstorms and cold cloud tops. The depression is expected to continue strengthening over the next couple of days, potentially becoming a hurricane.
A new tropical depression has formed north of Guam, prompting a tropical storm warning for nearby islands. The depression is expected to track northward, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the area.
Tropical Storm Fiona weakened significantly as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured its image on Aug. 22. The storm's clouds were pushed east by strong westerly shear, leading to a decrease in organization and thunderstorm activity.
Tropical Storm Lionrock showed a large low-level center with shallow and weak thunderstorms wrapping into an ill-defined center. The storm was moving southwestward at 14.9 mph, with the strongest winds in its northern quadrant.
Tropical Depression 10W has formed near Guam with strong thunderstorms and cold top temperatures, generating potential for heavy rainfall. The storm is expected to continue moving north-northwestward over the next several days, potentially intensifying into a minimal tropical storm by August 22-23.
Tropical Storm Fiona is strengthening in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, with maximum sustained winds of near 45 mph. The storm's movement and pressure are expected to continue west-northwest for the next couple of days.
Tropical Depression 6 formed in the far eastern North Atlantic Ocean on August 16, 2016, with NASA and NOAA satellites providing key data. The depression showed signs of organization, with strong rainfall bands and intense showers dropping rain at a rate of over 155 mm/h.
Researchers at Stockholm University and the University of Miami found that thin mid-level clouds in the tropics cool the climate by about 20 W m-2, significantly more than previously thought. This study aims to bridge gaps in knowledge about these challenging-to-study clouds.
Tropical Storm Chanthu brought heavy rainfall and gusty winds to northern Japan as NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed the storm's clouds on August 16. The storm is transitioning into an extra-tropical storm and expected to move into the Sea of Okhotsk.
Researchers have reevaluated satellite data and found that low clouds in the tropics were fewer in warmer years, indicating a possible increase in cloud thinning under global warming. This suggests that climate sensitivity is likely higher than previously estimated, potentially leading to earlier threshold breaches.
Tropical Storm Chanthu is being affected by moderate southwesterly vertical wind shear as it moves parallel to the island of Japan. The storm is expected to maintain strength over the next day before transitioning to a cold-core low pressure area.
Tropical Storm Conson is facing strong southwesterly wind shear, pushing clouds and showers to the northeast of its center. The storm is expected to intensify into a typhoon over open waters on August 12 before weakening commences.
Tropical Storm Omais has formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, characterized by strong thunderstorms and cold cloud top temperatures. The storm is expected to continue moving north-northwestward and strengthen into a typhoon by August 6.
Tropical Storm Howard is moving west through the Eastern Pacific Ocean with maximum sustained winds near 60 mph and higher gusts. NASA's Aqua satellite provided forecasters with visible and infrared imagery of the storm on August 1-2, capturing its bulk thunderstorms east of the center.
Tropical Storm Howard forms in Eastern Pacific after intensifying from Tropical Depression 9E, becoming the ninth storm of the season with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The storm is expected to strengthen further before weakening over cooler waters.
NASA satellites monitored Typhoon Nida's intense rainfall, reaching rates of over 3.5 inches per hour, as it approached southeastern China. The storm's height reached over 10.5 miles in some areas, posing a threat to Hong Kong.
Tropical Depression 06W is consolidating and intensifying in NASA's infrared imagery, with cloud top temperatures exceeding minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. The storm will interact with the mountainous terrain of Luzon on July 29, potentially strengthening into a tropical storm
Tropical Storm Georgette's remnants were captured by NOAA's GOES-West satellite, showing a swirl of clouds mostly north and west of the center. The post-tropical cyclone was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 mph, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 35 mph.
Tropical Storm Frank is weakening due to its movement over colder waters and into a more stable air mass. The cyclone's maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 65 mph with higher gusts.
Hurricane Frank showed a transition from weakening to strengthening phases, with cloud top temperatures warming on July 25 and cooling on July 26. The storm's winds were measured by NASA's RapidScat instrument, which found tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 70 miles.
Tropical Depression 05W formed on July 25, 2016, with cloud tops reaching -63.6F and sea surface temperatures of 87.8F, ideal conditions for intensification. It was moving west-northwest at 12 knots towards Hainan Island, China.
Tropical Storm Frank intensified as NASA spotted 'hot towers', powerful thunderstorms with intense showers and high rain rates. The storm's height and organization suggest a significant increase in wind speed and potential for becoming a hurricane.
Tropical Storm Darby has triggered warnings for Hawaii County and a watch for Maui County, with forecasters tracking its northward movement. The storm's strongest winds are located near its center, with sustained speeds of up to 60 mph.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected coldest cloud top temperatures between minus 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong storms remained north of Tropical Storm Darby's center. The storms are expected to generate heavy rainfall due to their high altitude in the troposphere.
Tropical Storm Estelle has a circular storm with two areas of strongest convection, indicating rising air that forms thunderstorms. The storm is strong and almost symmetrical but is being slowed by dry air in the mid-levels.
Tropical Cyclone Abela continues to weaken, with two areas of strong convection remaining: one west and one southeast. The JTWC predicts Abela will dissipate by July 20 as it tracks towards northeastern Madagascar.
Tropical Storm Estelle is strengthening in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with NASA satellite imagery showing a developing eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The storm's cloud tops are near minus 80 Celsius, indicating strong convection and potential hurricane formation.
NASA's RapidScat instrument revealed a cloud-filled eye in Hurricane Darby, with sustained winds exceeding 67 mph. The storm is expected to weaken further over the next 48 hours, becoming a tropical storm later today.
Tropical Storm Celia weakened in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with NASA data showing strongest winds and storms shifted north of the center. The Global Precipitation Measurement satellite found rain falling at over 164 mm per hour within a feeder band, indicating significant convective activity.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured strong winds in Hurricane Darby reaching 67 mph near its center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 150 miles from the center.
Hurricane Celia is currently in the Eastern Pacific Ocean but will issue warnings once it passes west of 140 degrees west longitude. NASA satellites capture images showing a cloud-filled eye and powerful thunderstorms wrapping around the low-level center.
Researchers found large-scale patterns of cloud change between the 1980s and 2000s, including poleward retreat of mid-latitude storm tracks and expansion of subtropical dry zones, consistent with climate model predictions.
A Scripps Institution of Oceanography study found that cloudy storm tracks are moving toward the poles and subtropical dry zones are expanding, consistent with climate model predictions. The research confirms a human-caused increase in greenhouse gas concentrations and exacerbates global warming.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image showing Hurricane Blas' eye filled with high clouds, while infrared imagery revealed a pinhole eye. The storm was weakening rapidly, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 105 mph.
Tropical Depression 4E intensified into Tropical Storm Celia, with a better-organized cloud pattern and increased winds. The storm is expected to pass near an area of cooler sea surface temperatures, slowing its intensification before potentially strengthening into a hurricane by Sunday.
Hurricane Blas continues to hold a Category 3 status with a large eye and powerful thunderstorms. The storm is expected to weaken over the next two days, potentially becoming a tropical storm by Friday night.
NASA satellites are gathering data on wind, temperature, rainfall, and cloud extent of Super Typhoon Nepartak as it approaches Taiwan. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 140 knots (161.1 mph/259.3 kph) with a weakening trend expected.
The first hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season, Blas, was analyzed by NASA on July 5. Powerful thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures were detected in infrared light. The storm's surface winds were also monitored using the RapidScat instrument, which showed strong winds east of the center.
Researchers at Technical University of Munich develop a helmet-mounted display that combines terrain information with sensor readings to enhance helicopter flight in poor weather conditions. The technology improves pilot performance and reduces stress symptoms.
Tropical Cyclone 02A was affected by wind shear, elongating from a tropical easterly jet stream. The storm's trajectory shifted eastward on June 28, with a forecasted dissipation date due to unfavorable vertical wind shear conditions.
Tropical Cyclone 02A is consolidating in the Arabian Sea, with cold cloud tops indicating strong uplift and heavy rain potential. The system is forecasted to reach peak intensity of 50 knots within a day or so before dissipating around June 30.
Scientists found that contrails formed within existing high clouds increase cloud reflectivity, a key factor in climate regulation. This discovery offers insights into aviation's influence on climate, particularly in mid-latitude regions.
Tropical Storm Danielle formed on June 20 and dissipated over eastern Mexico by June 21. NASA analyzed its rainfall rates and cloud top temperatures using the GPM mission core satellite and Aqua satellite.
New research from The University of Texas at Austin reveals that aerosol particles can increase the lifespan of large thunderstorm systems by as much as three to 24 hours, depending on regional meteorological conditions. This increase in lifespan allows storms to grow larger and produce more extreme storms when rain finally occurs.
Scientists at the University of Delaware discovered a 23-million-year-old brown dwarf that can emit powerful flashes of light, stronger than the sun's. The ultracool brown dwarf, 2MASS 0335+23, has lots of flares as hot as or hotter than full-fledged stars.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of Tropical Depression 1E over southwestern Mexico, revealing its slow movement and disorganization. The depression is expected to slow and turn northward, dissipating by June 8, 2016, with heavy rains affecting southern Mexico and western Guatemala.
Tropical Storm Colin made landfall in northwestern Florida on June 6, 2016, before moving northeast across northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. Satellite images captured by NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites showed the storm's cloud spread over Florida and its eventual movement into the Atlantic.
A team of physicists and mathematicians has developed a statistical technique to simulate small-scale phenomena in computer simulations, allowing for more accurate predictions. The method, published in Physical Review Letters, can capture the influence of cloud formation and reduce uncertainty in climate models.
A UM researcher is leading an international campaign to study the impact of smoke particles on regional climate warming. The experiment will investigate how smoke affects marine low clouds in the southeast Atlantic Ocean. By understanding this interaction, scientists can improve global aerosol models and climate change forecasts.
Researchers found that organic compounds from trees in pre-industrial times formed aerosols that counteracted greenhouse gas effects. The CLOUD experiment discovered a process where these low-volatility substances efficiently form new particles under atmospheric conditions, even without sulphuric acid.
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have discovered a new process behind the formation and evolution of small atmospheric particles free from pollution, key to creating accurate models for global climate change. The findings suggest that up to half of the warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions may be masked by aerosol cooling.
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that increasing atmospheric aerosol concentration can significantly slow down and even temporarily stop global warming. Aerosol particles in the stratosphere prove extremely efficient in cooling down the climate, while those in the troposphere impact climate through cloud formation.
Researchers from Austria, Finland, and Hungary used laser scanners to measure the daily movement of fully grown trees. The results show that trees droop their branches at night, with changes not exceeding 10 cm, indicating they go to sleep.
Scientists have discovered that a tiny ocean organism called Pelagibacterales is playing an important role in the regulation of the Earth's climate. The bacterial group produces dimethylsulfide (DMS), a gas that stimulates cloud formation, and helps to stabilize the Earth's atmosphere through a negative feedback loop. This discovery op...
NASA's satellite measurements of sulfur dioxide can help identify volcanic clouds and provide more accurate forecasts for aviation safety. This technology has the potential to reduce airline cancellations and rerouting costs, as well as have long-term climate applications.