Research on clouds and the atmosphere. Covers Southern Ocean clouds, ocean-derived aerosols, sea-ice cloud formation, and dust after impacts.
A new NASA analysis of satellite data suggests that the expansion of the tropics is causing high altitude clouds to shift towards the poles. This shift affects Earth's climate by altering the amount of sunlight reaching the surface.
A team of climate researchers reconstructs global cooling in the reign of Emperor Justinian, linked to two major volcanic eruptions in 536 and 540 CE. The study finds that these eruptions caused a significant cooling effect on Northern Hemisphere climate, leading to crop failures and famines in Europe.
Scientists used NASA satellite data to study cloud cover, finding it helps identify the size and location of important animal and plant habitats. The study found that variations in cloud cover sharply delineate the boundaries of ecological biomes relevant to many unique species.
Tropical Cyclone Fantala has developed with a 15 nautical-mile-wide eye and strong thunderstorms circling the low-level center. The storm is intensifying rapidly as it moves west toward Madagascar, with projected peak winds of 120 knots (138 mph/222 kph) after three days.
A University of Washington project, MICRE, is studying the properties and impacts of Southern Ocean clouds on the surface. The project will help ground-truth satellite measurements and provide new data for improved global climate models.
A new study suggests that global climate models have underestimated the impact of clouds on warming, leading to lower projections. Clouds and aerosol particles significantly influence atmospheric temperatures, and recent data show that certain ice formation processes are less common than previously thought.
Tropical cyclone Zena intensified over Vanuatu and Fiji with very high cloud tops and intense rainfall. The GPM satellite measured rainfall rates of almost 300 mm/hour in some areas.
Researchers found that climate models are exaggerating cloud brightness as the planet warms, leading to underestimated global warming. Correcting this bias revealed a weaker cloud phase feedback and greater warming in response to carbon dioxide, contradicting current climate predictions.
Tropical Cyclone Zena intensified in the South Pacific Ocean near Vanuatu on April 5, 2016, causing sustained winds of over 35 knots. The GPM satellite measured intense downpours dropping rain at a rate of almost 154 mm per hour
Researchers found that plant gases released in response to climate changes can form clouds that reflect incoming solar radiation, cooling the ground and mitigating temperature rises. This effect is more sensitive than CO2 release through plant respiration, with a 20-fold increase in sensitivity to temperature rise.
Scientists can now accurately estimate rainfall amounts by understanding the size distribution of raindrops and snowflakes globally. The new data provides insight into storm growth and behavior, helping predict complex interactions that impact weather patterns.
Coral reefs in the South China Sea are facing severe damage due to dredging and land reclamation. The study reveals that seven atolls have lost ~11.6 km2 of reef area while gaining ~10.7 km2 of land between 2014 and 2015. The researchers call for international cooperation to conserve this critical ecosystem.
A new study uses cloud data to map ecological biomes and predict species habitats. The technique has the potential to improve biodiversity research and inform conservation policies.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite imaged the remnant low pressure area, with poorly-defined center circulation and clouds pushed southeast. The storm weakened rapidly due to strong vertical wind shear, ultimately deteriorating into a low-level trough by March 30.
Tropical Cyclone 17S formed on March 28 with sustained winds near 40 knots, located about 726 nautical miles south-southeast of Diego Garcia. The storm is expected to continue moving south before being disrupted by dry air.
Berkeley Lab researchers discover organic molecules depress surface tension, enabling larger cloud droplets to form. This finding could improve the accuracy of climate change models predicting cooling effects of reflective clouds.
Tropical Cyclone Emeraude was severely weakened into a depression by March 22, 2016, with winds dropping to 30 knots. A visible image captured by the Suomi NPP satellite showed a swirl of clouds and isolated thunderstorms southwest of the center.
NASA captured infrared temperature data of Tropical Cyclone Emeraude's clouds and measured its surface wind speed, revealing strong storms with potential to generate heavy rain. The storm intensified rapidly from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane on March 17.
Researchers use satellite data to quantify cloud base updraft speeds and aerosol particles' ability to create cloud droplets, providing critical information for understanding climate change. The study aims to reduce the uncertainty around global warming estimates by 1.5 to 4.5 degrees by the end of the 21st century.
A new study suggests that today's clouds may not be similar to pre-industrial ones due to increased aerosol pollution. To improve climate modeling, researchers recommend better differentiation of cloud types and studying cleaner regions.
Tropical Cyclone Yalo has weakened significantly due to strong vertical wind shear from an approaching low-pressure trough. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final bulletin on Feb. 26, reporting a maximum sustained wind speed of 35 knots (40 mph).
Sub-tropical Storm Winston was weakening in the South Pacific when NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over it on Feb. 25. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final bulletin, stating that Winston was threatening Norfolk Island with tropical-storm-force winds.
Tropical Cyclone Winston has weakened significantly due to strong vertical wind shear, with strongest storms pushed south of the center. The storm is expected to move south-southwest and weaken further, becoming sub-tropical south of New Caledonia.
Tropical Cyclone Winston maintained a pinhole eye as it weakened, with strong thunderstorms wrapping into the low-level center. The storm's forward speed increased, and forecasters expect it to turn southwestward before weakening significantly due to strong vertical wind shear.
Tropical Cyclone Uriah's surface winds reached 30 meters per second near its southwestern quadrant, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 230 nautical miles from the center. NASA's RapidScat and AIRS instruments showed wind shear's effect on cloud top temperatures, indicating the potential for heavy rain generation.
Tropical Cyclone Winston made a U-turn in the Southern Pacific Ocean, shifting its trajectory towards Fiji. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 100 knots (115.1 mph/185.2 kph) at 1500 UTC on Feb. 18.
Astronomers at the University of Arizona have taken the first direct, time-resolved images of an exoplanet using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The young exoplanet, 2M1207b, has a patchy cloud pattern and rotates twice as fast as Earth.
Astronomers have measured the rotation rate of a massive exoplanet using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, revealing patchy and colorless cloud layers. The super-Jupiter completes one rotation every 10 hours, similar to Jupiter, with temperatures reaching 2,200-2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tropical Cyclone Uriah strengthened into a hurricane due to weakening wind shear, according to NASA's Aqua satellite imagery. The storm's cloud top temperatures reached -63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating high rainfall potential.
Tropical cyclone strengthening off Southwestern Pacific threatens Tonga and American Samoa with heavy rainfall, moving northeast at 10 knots. NASA satellites have observed cloud top temperatures exceeding -63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating a high-intensity storm.
RapidScat instrument measures high winds in Tropical Cyclone Daya, while Aqua satellite detects cold cloud top temperatures. The storm is expected to weaken due to increasing wind shear.
Tropical Cyclone Winston is intensifying with powerful thunderstorms circling its center and generating heavy rainfall. Sea surface temperatures of near 31 degrees Celsius are fueling the storm's growth, with maximum sustained winds expected to reach 105 knots.
Tropical Storm 11P has developed with powerful storms and cold cloud top temperatures, indicating potential for heavy rain. The storm is forecast to reach hurricane strength on Feb. 12 before weakening.
Researchers detected a trend of lowering aerosol percentage in Moscow over the XXI century. The decrease is attributed to reduced anthropogenic emissions of proto-aerosol gases due to higher petrol quality and lower sulfur oxide emissions, with significant effects during spring and autumn periods.
A developing tropical low pressure area, System 92S, is expected to become a depression in the next day or two off Australia's northwestern coast. NASA's GPM satellite gathered data indicating rain falling at rates of up to 96.7 mm/h and storm tops reaching altitudes of over 16 km.
University of Washington scientists developed a mathematical model to explain the Madden-Julian Oscillation, a massive cluster of thunderstorms that affects global weather. The model predicts storm movement and formation, helping improve tropical rainstorm forecasts and medium-range global forecasts.
Cloud top temperatures are warming in Tropical Cyclone Victor, suggesting weakening convection and loss of uplift. Forecasters expect the storm to dissipate by January 24 as it moves southward.
A recent study found that deep convective storms transport ozone-rich air parcels to the surface of the Amazon rainforest, rapidly increasing surface ozone levels. This process can initiate and accelerate cloud formation via interactions with plant-emitted hydrocarbons.
Extra-Tropical Alex became a high-pressure system near Greenland in the North Atlantic Ocean on January 15, 2016. The storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph) but it was still speeding northward at 35 knots per hour.
Tropical Storm Alex formed in January 2016, becoming the earliest hurricane to do so since 1938. NASA analyzed storm data using AIRS, RapidScat, GPM, and Suomi NPP satellites, revealing strongest winds at 30 meters per second and rainfall rates decreasing significantly after declaration as a hurricane.
Tropical Depression Pali has weakened to a depression with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph, moving southwest towards Hawaii and expected to dissipate on January 15. The storm's proximity to the equator and south-southwesterly vertical shear are contributing factors to its demise.
Tropical Cyclone Ula transformed into an Extra-Tropical Storm after being tracked by NASA's RapidScat instrument and NOAA's GOES-West satellite. The storm's strongest winds were detected east to south of the center, while increasing vertical wind shear weakened the system.
Clouds play a significant role in the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, with clouds enhancing meltwater runoff by a third. The study highlights the need for accurate cloud representations in climate models to estimate the amount of meltwater and mitigate global sea level rise.
A new study reveals clouds trap heat on the Greenland Ice Sheet, raising its temperature by 2-3 degrees and accounting for up to 30% of ice melt. This findings could improve future climate models, helping scientists and policymakers adapt to sea level rise.
NASA's Aqua satellite shows strongest storms within a consolidated system, while NOAA's GOES-East satellite imagery reveals increased cloudiness and thunderstorms near the center. The National Hurricane Center predicts a medium chance of development into a depression over the next five days.
Hurricane Pali is a record-breaking storm that strengthened rapidly after being spotted by NASA's Terra satellite. The storm made landfall as the earliest hurricane on record in the central Pacific basin, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and a minimum central pressure of 979 millibars.
Tropical Cyclone Ula has weakened from a Category 4 Hurricane to a Category 2 hurricane due to unfavorable environmental conditions. The storm is expected to make its closest approach to Kingston Island and then move north of New Zealand by January 12.
A non-tropical low pressure system with potential subtropical characteristics has developed in the Northern Atlantic, producing hurricane-force winds and gale-force conditions. The system is expected to produce hazardous marine conditions over parts of the central and eastern Atlantic for several days.
Tropical Storm Pali strengthened into a tropical storm with surface winds of 30 meters per second (67.1 mph/108 kph) in the southwestern quadrant, according to NASA's data gathered by the RapidScat instrument and Terra satellite.
A newly developed tropical depression formed five months early in the 2016 hurricane season, indicating strong uplift and potential for heavy rain. The system tapped into significant directional wind shear and prevailing conditions conducive to development, classified as a tropical cyclone.
Sea spray from oceans sends aerosols into the atmosphere, affecting cloud formation and duration. The unique ice nucleating particles in sea spray initiate the formation of ice in clouds, impacting their composition.
A new study by Colorado State University's Paul DeMott confirms that sea spray aerosols from oceans have a unique impact on cloud formation and duration. These particles initiate the formation of ice and affect the composition and radiative properties of clouds, which in turn influence climate and precipitation.
Tropical Depression 29W, also known as Onyok, has been impacted by wind shear west of Palau. The storm is expected to dissipate over Mindanao in the southern Philippines on or around Dec. 19.
EPIC captures daily views of Earth's clouds, land surfaces, and aerosols, yielding insights into climate change. The satellite's data also reveals the progression of Sahara dust across the Atlantic Ocean in real-time.
Scientists from PNNL will discuss the Madden-Julian Oscillation, a weather phenomenon that influences tropical cyclones and climate change. The team used computer simulations to explore how daily pulses of clouds over islands affect the MJO's movement.
Tropical Depression Melor formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean close to Yap island, consolidating with powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures exceeding -63F. The storm is expected to strengthen to 60 knots before landfall in the eastern Philippines on Dec. 14.
Tropical Cyclone 05S formed over the Southern Indian Ocean, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing its formation and development. The cyclone intensified into a tropical depression and then a tropical storm, but faces challenges including dry air and cooler sea surface temperatures that may weaken it.
Researchers found clouds in Arctic warming surface, especially in fall and winter, contrary to previous expectations. The warm air's insulating properties allow clouds to amplify regional warming, making the situation even hotter.
A new study by the University of Washington uses a unique volcanic eruption in Iceland to measure the effect of sulfur emissions on clouds. The results confirm that volcanoes cool the planet not just by emitting particles high in the atmosphere, but also by releasing low-level sulfur to influence cloud formation.
Tropical Storm Sandra is decoupling from its lower layer due to strong upper-level winds, resulting in a tight swirl of low clouds devoid of deep convection. This weakening trend is expected to produce 2-4 inches of rainfall across western Mexico, leading to life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.