Research on clouds and the atmosphere. Covers Southern Ocean clouds, ocean-derived aerosols, sea-ice cloud formation, and dust after impacts.
Tropical Storm 18S formed over the weekend of Feb. 23-24 with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph) and powerful thunderstorms around its core. The storm is currently headed in a similar direction to Cyclone Rusty, which is nearing landfall in northwestern West Australia.
Cyclone Haruna is being blown apart several hundred miles away from La Reunion Island due to increasing wind shear. The storm's eye has elongated as a result of wind shear, causing the main precipitation to be pushed south of the center.
Researchers at NCAR are creating a prototype system to forecast sunlight and resulting power every 15 minutes, enabling utilities to continuously anticipate available solar energy. The project aims to improve cloud prediction accuracy, helping utilities tap into solar energy more effectively and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Cyclone Haruna strengthened into a cyclone with a wide-eyed eye visible on NASA's Aqua satellite. Heavy rainfall was detected by TRMM satellite, with cloud top temperatures colder than -63F (-52C). The storm is expected to make a brief landfall near Androka in Madagascar as it moves southeast into the southern Indian Ocean.
Tropical Depression 02W formed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and is currently soaking provinces in Mindanao and Palawan. The storm's low-level circulation center appears disorganized, but forecasters predict it will become more organized once it moves into the South China Sea.
Scientists studied cloud formation over various regions and found no significant impact from organic coatings on particle formation rates. This discovery helps reduce uncertainty in climate models and provides a step towards more accurate predictions.
Cyclone Gino maintained a large area of powerful thunderstorms with cold cloud top temperatures, indicating heavy rainfall. The storm's eye weakened due to cooler sea surface temperatures and increasing wind shear.
Cyclone Gino strengthens with powerful thunderstorms and a ragged eye, but will weaken as it moves into cooler waters. The storm is expected to transition to a cold core low pressure area by February 15.
Researchers at Columbia University and Georgia Institute of Technology found that certain volatile organic gases can enhance aerosol activity, promoting cloud droplet formation. This discovery will improve climate modeling by incorporating gas-phase surfactants into cloud formation models.
Cyclone Felleng is squeezing between Madagascar and La Reunion as it moves southward in the Mozambique Channel. The storm is expected to weaken as it continues its southeasterly direction.
A powerful cold front is sweeping across the eastern United States, replacing spring-like temperatures with winter-time weather and producing powerful storms. The NOAA GOES-13 satellite captured a stunning image of the storm system on January 30, showing a line of clouds stretching from Canada to the US Gulf Coast.
NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captured images of Cyclone Felleng showing cold overshooting cloud tops, indicating high energy release. The storm has strengthened significantly since the previous day, with maximum sustained winds near 90 knots.
Tropical Cyclone Garry continues to intensify due to favorable conditions, with microwave satellite imagery confirming deep convection around its low-level circulation center. The storm is expected to briefly reach cyclone strength before wind shear weakens and dissipates it.
Researchers found a rich diversity of microbial life and chemicals in hailstones from a storm cloud, suggesting specific processes during cloud lifetime impact bacterial distribution. The study suggests that these processes could affect long-distance transport and geographical distribution of microbes on Earth.
The Polarimeter Definition Experiment (PODEX) tests new instruments designed to analyze aerosols and clouds, which can impact human health and climate. The experiment aims to develop a new class of polarimeters that can provide more detailed information about aerosols and clouds.
Tropical Storm Emang showed sinking air in its southwestern quadrant, weakening convection. The storm's low-level center became slightly elongated, hindering intensification, but forecasters expect improved atmospheric conditions to strengthen the storm.
Tropical Cyclone Narelle is gaining strength as it approaches the northern coast of Western Australia, with NASA tracking its movement and expected impact. The cyclone is predicted to bring heavy rainfall and rough seas, posing a threat to coastal communities and causing erosion and flooding.
A team of astronomers used the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes to create the most detailed weather map yet for a brown dwarf. They found that the object has a stormy atmosphere with planet-sized clouds, similar to those on Earth. The research provides new insights into the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and exoplanets beyond our solar...
Tropical Depression Sonamu is showing signs of weakening due to increased wind shear, with maximum sustained winds near 30 knots. The storm's slow movement to the southeast is expected to continue until landfall on Jan. 10 in Malaysia.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected a tropical depression with reduced cloud cover due to dry air, indicating a rapidly deteriorating low-level circulation center. The storm is expected to dissipate over the next couple of days in the South China Sea due to wind shear and dry air
Cyclone Dumile is moving southward over the open ocean, generating rough seas with wave heights of up to 32 feet. The storm's eye has become ragged, indicating it may weaken as it transitions to an extra-tropical storm.
Tropical Depression Sonamu forms in western North Pacific Ocean, located about 185 nautical miles northwest of Zamboanga, Philippines. The storm is expected to cross southern Palawan before moving into the open waters of the South China Sea.
Post-tropical Storm Freda has weakened significantly over three days, from a powerful cyclone to a remnant low pressure area. NASA satellites captured the storm's decline, showing strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in New Caledonia.
A massive low-pressure area dropped over a foot of snow in some Midwestern states, prompting severe warnings and weather advisories. The AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image showing the heaviest precipitation areas at -63.6°F (-53.5°C) near New England states.
Cyclone Evan has been blown apart by strong wind shear, a rare and devastating occurrence for the region. The storm's remnants were captured by NOAA's GOES-15 satellite on December 20, revealing the extreme impact of wind shear on its structure.
Cyclone Evan weakened from Cyclone strength to Tropical Storm strength over a 36-hour period, according to NASA's infrared images. The storm showed changes in intense thunderstorms, with cloud top temperatures warming and evaporation decreasing due to wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures.
Cyclone Evan is one of the strongest to affect Fiji in almost two decades, causing widespread damage and flooding. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center uses NASA satellite data to forecast its path, which may be the strongest storm to hit Fiji since 1993.
Tropical Cyclone Evan is intensifying, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall to the Samoan Islands. The storm's clear eye wall is generating intense rainfall rates of over 80 mm per hour.
Tropical montane cloud forest trees have been found to absorb water directly through their leaves from clouds, providing a crucial survival mechanism in foggy areas. However, the disappearance of these clouds due to climate change may render this adaptation useless for the ecosystem's survival.
Tropical Storm Evan has caused regional warnings to be posted in American Samoa and Fiji, with a gale warning and storm watch in effect. The strongest thunderstorms are located around the center of circulation and in a band of thunderstorms north and east of the center.
Typhoon Bopha dissipated in the South China Sea due to increased wind shear, weakening its strong thunderstorms and reducing its impact on the Philippines. The NASA Aqua satellite provided critical infrared data showing a significant decline in the storm's area of strongest thunderstorms.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured clear images of Cyclone Claudia's eye, showing a 10 nautical mile wide storm surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The storm's eye was characterized by high cloud top temperatures and intense rainfall.
Typhoon Bopha re-intensified in the South China Sea after making a loop, with coldest cloud tops indicating strongest storms. The typhoon's eye was about 11 nautical miles in diameter and maximum sustained winds reached 110 knots.
Typhoon Bopha intensified with a 'hot tower' thunderstorm reaching 12 kilometers high, indicating storm intensification within 6 hours. The storm also produced areas of bitterly cold cloud-top temperatures of -63C/-81F, where the strongest thunderstorms and heaviest rainfall were found.
A new study published in Global Change Biology explores the impact of climate change on entire forest ecosystems through changes in cloud cover. The research found that altered cloud cover can lead to increased carbon cycling and tree growth due to fog drip, which provides essential water input to the soil.
NASA's Aqua satellite captures infrared image of Tropical Storm Bopha on Nov. 27, indicating a lot of power and cold cloud tops with temperatures below -63F. The National Weather Service issues warnings and watches for affected islands, as the storm is expected to continue intensifying.
Tropical Depression 25W showed a small area of heavy rainfall near the South China Sea, with rates reaching 2 inches per hour, while the rest of the storm had light to moderate rainfall. The depression was weakening due to wind shear and land interaction, eventually dissipating over the Andaman Sea on Nov. 15.
Sandy's remnants continue to linger over a large area in eastern Canada and the northeastern US, with low-pressure areas stretching from Newfoundland and Labrador west over Quebec, Ottawa, and Toronto. The National Weather Service projects that the low-pressure area will shift offshore by November 6.
Tropical Depression Nilam has covered southern India with its clouds, stretching from Chennai to Kerala, according to NASA's MODIS image. Heavy rainfall is expected over Rayalaseema, Karnataka, and south coastal Andhra Pradesh before the storm dissipates.
Tropical Storm Son-tinh made landfall in northern Vietnam and is curving to the northeast, tracking over southern China. The storm's powerful thunderstorms are reaching high into the troposphere, dropping heavy rainfall at rates of 50 mm/2 inches per hour.
NASA used CloudSat and Aqua satellites to study Hurricane Sandy's structure and behavior, revealing a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph. The storm's large wind field and heavy precipitation associated with its outer bands posed significant challenges for the eastern US coast.
Tropical Storm Tony is weakening as its cloud top temperatures rise, signaling a shift towards dissipating over the weekend. The storm's organization and deep convection are being disrupted by strong winds and cooler waters, leading to its expected dissipation on October 27-28.
Tropical Storm Son-tinh has spread its clouds and showers over the Philippines, according to NASA satellite imagery. The storm's center was moving through the central Philippines, with strongest thunderstorms east of the center over the Philippine Sea.
The TRMM satellite monitored rainfall and towering clouds as the first tropical cyclone of the season formed in the Arabian Sea. Rainfall rates reached up to 41 mm/hour, with thunderstorms surrounding the center of the storm.
Tropical Storm Tony is a small, compact storm traveling through the central Atlantic Ocean. The storm's maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph, with some strengthening expected before gradual weakening.
Tropical Storm Sandy is expected to become a hurricane before reaching Jamaica and Cuba, prompting hurricane warnings and watches for the region. The storm's strongest thunderstorms are surrounded by cloud top temperatures as cold as -63F (-52C), indicating hurricane-force winds.
Tropical Depression 19 shows a distinctive backwards letter 'C' structure in its strongest thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center notes the depression has a small but persistent cluster of deep convection near its center.
A new study using the Keck II telescope has produced high-resolution infrared images of Uranus, revealing its bizarre weather patterns. The planet's deep blue-green atmosphere is characterized by massive weather systems behaving in unusual ways, with winds reaching up to 560 miles per hour.
Hurricane Rafael's large span covers several hundred miles and dwarfs Bermuda, with the National Hurricane Center predicting 2-4 inches of rainfall and tropical-storm-force winds. The merging of systems is expected to cause Rafael to transition into a powerful extra-tropical low moving eastward over the far north Atlantic.
Typhoon Prapiroon exhibited strongest rainfall on its southeastern side, with a rate of 50 mm/2 inches per hour. The storm's vertical structure was revealed through data gathered from TRMM's Precipitation Radar.
Tropical Storm Gaemi experienced strong northeasterly wind shear, causing a large oval-shaped area of showers and thunderstorms to form southwest of the storm's center. The storm's speed increased as it moved westward, forecasted to make landfall south of Hue, Vietnam on October 6.
Tropical Storm Oscar's clouds and showers were primarily southeast of its center due to wind shear. The storm is expected to dissipate late Oct. 5 as strong southerly winds batter it.
Tropical Storm Oscar is being battered by strong northwesterly wind shear, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing images of the storm's clouds and showers southeast of its center. The National Hurricane Center expects Oscar to dissipate late on Oct. 5, 2012.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured two infrared images of Tropical Storms Nadine and Oscar on October 3, showing contrasting storm behavior. Infrared imagery revealed strong convection and thunderstorms in Oscar, but not in Nadine, as it merges with a cold front.
Tropical Storm Nadine is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to the Azores on Oct. 3 and early Oct. 4, according to NASA data. The National Hurricane Center forecasts some weakening over the next two days, but Nadine will still be a tropical storm when it moves near or over the Azores.
A yearlong marine deployment of the ARM Mobile Facility AMF2 on the Horizon Spirit aims to collect extensive data on clouds and their transitions, improving climate modeling. The project will provide valuable insights into Earth's energy and water balance, enhancing our understanding of climate change.
Nadine, a minimal tropical storm, has been spinning south of the Azores for nearly two weeks due to unfavorable conditions. Despite its long life, Nadine still lacks the characteristics necessary to break the record for longest-living tropical cyclone.
The study used NASA's Aqua satellite to compare the two storms, showing Jelawat's strong circulation and cold cloud top temperatures, while Ewiniar appears asymmetrical with a long 'tail' of thunderstorms.
NASA's Aqua satellite revealed powerful thunderstorms around Hurricane Miriam's center on Sept. 23, triggering the storm's rapid intensification. The satellite's infrared data showed cloud top temperatures exceeding -63 Fahrenheit (-52 Celsius), indicating uplift and heavy rainfall.
Tropical Storm Nadine is physically turning its direction, heading back to the west-northwest and away from land. NASA's Global Hawk flew over the storm, collecting data on wind speeds and cloud top temperatures, indicating strongest thunderstorms and heaviest rainfall in the northeast.