Research on clouds and the atmosphere. Covers Southern Ocean clouds, ocean-derived aerosols, sea-ice cloud formation, and dust after impacts.
NASA's CloudSat satellite noticed a drop in Typhoon Nida's cloud tops from over 9 miles high to around 8 miles high, indicating less powerful thunderstorms and weakening winds. The storm has zigzagged between 18 and 20 degrees North Latitude, moving west, then east, and now back in a westward direction.
Typhoon Nida's maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph, with tropical storm force winds extending 150 miles from the center. NASA's CloudSat satellite captured a side look across Nida on Nov. 28, showing clouds over 15 kilometers high and heavy rainfall areas.
Tropical Storm Bongani is forecast to head south through the Mozambique Channel and parallel the coast of Madagascar over the next 5 days. The storm has weakened due to interaction with land, but may re-intensify briefly before weakening.
Satellite imagery and weather data indicate that Ida's coastal low pressure area has moved away from the US east coast, with its western edge passing over the easternmost part of the country. The system is expected to continue moving southeastward, leaving behind significant flooding in eastern Virginia and northeast North Carolina.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured Cyclone Phyan's landfall in India and its remnants are now raining on Tibet. The cyclone broke a 43-year record for the first tropical cyclone to appear in November in the region.
Ida has reformed as a powerful coastal low pressure system bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, coastal erosion and tidal flooding to the Mid-Atlantic region. The system will continue to affect areas from North Carolina to New Jersey with significant flooding and high water expected
NASA's GOES satellite captures images of Tropical Storm Ida's landfall on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The storm is expected to produce heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the southeastern US.
Hurricane Ida's large cloud cover stretches over the Gulf of Mexico, extending from Florida's west coast to eastern Texas. The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall, storm surge, and strong winds to the affected areas.
The NASA GOES Project provides real-time satellite animations of the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, offering a panoramic view of hurricanes in HDTV wide-screen format. The animations display several weather regimes simultaneously, including easterly winds, daily thunderstorms, and prevailing westerly winds.
Tropical Storm Ida is expected to make its official landfall during the early morning hours on Tuesday, November 10. The storm has weakened, with cold thunderstorm cloud tops not as cold as they were when Ida was a hurricane.
Dr. Bob F. Cahalan, Head of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Climate and Radiation Branch, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for his groundbreaking research on cloud structure in climate, leading to advancements in atmospheric radiative transfer and global warming studies.
TD97W is tracking south-southwesterly through Tabaco City, Ligao, Oas, and Naga City into the Ragay Gulf, bringing rains to Kalibo, Roxas City, and San Jose de Buenavista. The storm's convection has waned, and it is dissipating due to a lack of thunderstorm formation.
A new tropical cyclone has formed in the Philippine Sea, with NASA's Aqua satellite confirming its presence. The system is expected to impact the Philippines, prompting public storm warnings and warnings from local authorities.
Typhoon Mirinae is intensifying as it moves away from the Northern Marianas Islands and is expected to make landfall in the Philippines by Saturday. The storm's maximum sustained winds have increased to 98 mph, with a developing eye and strong thunderstorm development.
Tropical Storm Mirinae is strengthening and developing an eye in the Pacific Ocean. The storm's winds near 52 mph indicate intensification, with cold cloud temperatures suggesting heavy precipitation.
A three-dimensional image of Tropical Storm Neki was created using TRMM Precipitation Radar instrument data. The storm showed a small area with powerful thunderstorms at heights of up to 52,493 feet.
Tropical Storm Lupit is transitioning to an extra-tropical storm, while Tropical Storm 23W is approaching Saipan with sustained winds near 40 mph. The storms are being tracked by the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Typhoon Lupit is forecast to move northeast, weakening due to cooler waters and wind shear. The storm will continue crawling at a slow pace, causing prolonged rain over northern Luzon this weekend.
Typhoon Lupit is already affecting the northern Luzon region with heavy rainfall, while its center moves westward at 8 mph. The storm's large size and slow movement are expected to cause more flooding in the Philippines, which has already suffered from Tropical cyclones Ketsana and Parma.
Typhoon Lupit is expected to make a brief landfall in northern Luzon, the Philippines on October 22. The storm's eye is forecast to hit around 8 p.m. local time, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region.
Hurricane Rick strengthened into a Category Five hurricane, bringing powerful winds and large ocean swells to the southern Baja California. NASA satellites tracked the storm's progress, revealing high thunderstorm cloud temperatures and an eye forming on October 18.
Typhoon Lupit strengthened quickly from a tropical depression to a typhoon in just 24 hours. The storm's cloud temperatures were colder than minus 63F (-52.78C), indicating strong thunderstorms. Forecasts predict the northern Philippines will feel the first effects of Lupit on October 20, with residents urged to make preparations.
Tropical Storm Nepartak is transitioning into an extra-tropical storm, developing frontal qualities in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The storm's circulation will soon fade as it continues to speed northeast, with dry air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere contributing to its transformation.
Tropical Depression Parma has weakened but is still causing trouble in the Philippines with public storm warning signals in effect for many areas. The satellite image shows high, cold thunderstorm cloud tops in Parma, associated with moderate to heavy rainfall.
Researchers find human activities like power plants emit harmful particles that speed up blue haze formation, affecting cloud formations and global climate. Blue haze can also exacerbate breathing problems for people with asthma or emphysema.
Researchers analyzed literature to find that aerosol particles interact with clouds in a complex way, affecting precipitation patterns. They suggest focusing on specific cloud systems and rethinking aerosol research to better understand the dust particles' role in climate change.
Tropical Storm Grace formed suddenly near the Azores Islands and is expected to merge with a non-tropical low-pressure system. The storm has sustained winds of up to 65mph and is forecasted to bring rainfall to Ireland.
Super Typhoon Melor's massive size was captured by NASA satellites on October 5, showing its strong winds and towering clouds. The storm is forecast to weaken as it interacts with cooler waters and a baroclinic boundary, before potentially affecting Tokyo and the surrounding region.
NASA's Aqua and Quick Scatterometer satellites captured infrared imagery of Tropical Storm Olaf stretching eastward over mainland Mexico, showing its center west of Baja California. The storms dissipation was attributed to adverse environmental conditions like upper-level winds and cooler sea surface temperatures.
NASA's AIRS instrument captured icy clouds of Super Typhoon Melor, revealing powerful thunderstorms and wind speeds reaching 132mph. Residents are warned of damaging winds extending hundreds of miles from the storm's center.
Melor is now a typhoon with sustained winds near 115 knots, tracking northwestward towards Saipan and Rota. The National Weather Service warns of high surf and potential damaging winds for the Northern Marianas Islands.
Tropical Storm Marty is moving at a slow pace through the Eastern Pacific Ocean with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The storm's fate lies in its encounter with cooler waters and drier air, which will weaken it over the weekend.
Typhoon Choi-Wan is expected to bring hurricane-force winds and flooding rains to Japan this weekend. The storm's high thunderstorms have reached the tropopause, resulting in extremely heavy rainfall for the area underneath.
Tropical Storm Marty is weakening due to stronger wind shear, with warmer cloud tops indicating lower thunderstorm heights and reduced storm power.
The NASA Aqua satellite captured two distinct views of Super Typhoon Choi-Wan, including a visible image with a clear eye and an infrared image showing cold high thunderstorm cloud temperatures. The typhoon has maximum sustained winds near 149 mph, generating extremely high waves.
Tropical Storm Koppu is expected to make landfall in mainland China on September 15, bringing heavy rainfall, heavy surf conditions, and gusty winds. The storm has sustained winds near 69 mph and is forecast to strengthen slightly before landfall.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared and visible images of Fred's clouds stretching from northeast to southwest after declaring the storm 'dead' on September 12. The remnants of Fred are expected to produce intermittent shower and thunderstorm activity as it moves west-northwestward over the next couple of days.
Hurricane Linda is expected to weaken due to cooler waters and wind shear, with a 10% opening in her eyewall revealed by NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm's maximum sustained winds near 85 mph are weakening, and tropical storm force winds extend out 140 miles from the center.
NASA's AIRS instrument detects towering pyrocumulus clouds formed from smoke and heat of California wildfires, while also capturing powerful Hurricane Jimena with sustained winds near 145mph. Tropical Depression Kevin appears weakened due to stable air entering its circulation.
Hurricane Jimena's cloud top temperatures reached as low as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating powerful thunderstorms. The storm strengthened to a Category Four Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale within two days of development.
Hilda's winds have slowed from tropical storm to tropical depression-force, with sustained winds near 34 mph, according to NASA satellite data. The storm is expected to continue tracking south of the Hawaiian Islands before dissipating on August 31.
Tropical Storm Danny has formed east of the Bahamas, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing strengthening thunderstorms in infrared imagery. The storm is expected to bring 2-3 inches of rainfall to the central and northwestern Bahamas, with maximum amounts of 4 inches.
Typhoon Vamco boasts an enormous 45-mile-wide eye with cold high thunderstorm cloud temperatures below minus 63 Fahrenheit. The storm is currently in the Northern West Pacific Ocean and will begin changing to an extra-tropical storm, moving into the North Central Pacific Ocean.
Hurricane Bill is bringing heavy rain and strong surf to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland, with total rainfall expected at 3-5 inches. The storm's powerful thunderstorms are accompanied by a small eye in the midst of cloud-filled imagery.
Hurricane Bill brings heavy rainfall to Bermuda, with NASA satellites capturing detailed data on rainfall, clouds, and winds. The storm is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 1-3 inches over Bermuda and affect the eastern US coast.
Hurricane Bill's category 3 hurricane force winds extend up to 85 miles from the storm center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching as far as 230 miles.
The A-Train satellite formation combines five satellites to study tropical cyclones, including Aqua and CloudSat. The data collected provide valuable insights into hurricane behavior, atmospheric composition, and climate change.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured two views of Hurricane Bill's cloud cover, revealing strong thunderstorms and a powerful hurricane. The storm is expected to strengthen as it nears Bermuda, posing a threat to the East Coast.
Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall near Fort Walton Beach, Florida with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph. Heavy downpours and localized flooding are expected for Alabama and Mississippi as the storm moves north-northwest through the region.
Two NASA satellites captured Hurricane Bill's 'baby pictures' shortly after he became a hurricane, revealing its large size and organized structure. The data showed heavy rainfall bands and high thunderstorms, indicating the storm's increasing power.
NASA satellites are tracking Tropical Depression Ana as it drenches Puerto Rico and poses a threat to the US and British Virgin Islands. Ana is expected to produce heavy rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches over these regions, with isolated maximums of 6 inches in mountainous terrain.
The second Tropical Depression has the potential to come back after weakening, while three other areas are being monitored for development. Residents of Florida should be aware of a potential for tropical development on both coasts this weekend.
Researchers from Caltech have observed a large system of storm clouds on Titan, revealing clouds near the equator for the first time. The discovery has significant implications for understanding the hydrological cycle on Titan and challenges previous speculations about cloud formation in dry regions.
A team of researchers from Caltech and University of Copenhagen have discovered a new chemical compound in the atmosphere that may help explain how clouds form over forests. The compound, dihydroxyepoxide, is formed when tree-released hydrocarbons interact with atmospheric compounds, providing a missing link in cloud formation.
Tropical Storm Felicia is expected to weaken as it affects Hawaii, with residents anticipating large ocean swells, gusty winds, and heavy downpours. CloudSat and Aqua satellites captured images of the storm's clouds, revealing temperatures and height, aiding meteorologists in their forecasts.
Typhoon Morakot's massive size and powerful winds have brought catastrophic effects to Taiwan, with reports of up to 20 inches of rain in mountainous areas. The storm's landfall is expected to occur on Saturday in mainland China, where it will then move north towards Shanghai.
Hurricane Felicia is weakening as it approaches Hawaii, with forecasters predicting landfall on Monday. The storm's minimum central pressure is rising, indicating a weakening storm, and cooler waters will continue to sap its strength.
Category 4 hurricane Felicia is currently near 140 mph sustained winds, while Tropical Storm Enrique maintains 50 mph sustained winds despite being close to Felicia.
NASA satellites observed Typhoon Morakot's rapid expansion from a 528-mile-wide storm to a massive 1,056-mile-diameter system. The typhoon's cold cloud tops indicate powerful thunderstorms and a significant threat to Taiwan and China.
CloudSat captured a sideways view of Lana, a Category One hurricane with high clouds and cold temperatures. The satellite measured rapid wind speed and atmospheric conditions indicating a weakening storm.