Featured Images

Text Size

Hurricane Season 2010: Hurricane Karl (Caribbean Sea)
09.20.10
 
September 20, 2010

NASA Satellites and Aircraft Studied Hurricane Karl Before it Faded

Visible image from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite shows Hurricane Karl after landfall on Sept. 17. › View larger image
This visible image from the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite shows Hurricane Karl after landfall on Sept. 17 at 19:35 UTC (3:35 p.m. EDT). About 2/3rds of Karl was already over land by that time.
Credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team
This photo was taken looking out of the window of the DC-8 aircraft on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17. › View larger image
This photo was taken looking out of the window of the DC-8 aircraft on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17, about 3 hours after Hurricane Karl made landfall in Mexico. It was taken from an altitude of about 37,000 feet while flying over Karl.
Credit: NASA
These are the flight tracks of the DC8 and WB7 over/around Hurricane Karl as of 4:10 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17, 2010. › View larger image
These are the flight tracks of the DC8 and WB7 over/around Hurricane Karl as of 4:10 p.m. EDT on Sept. 17, 2010.
Credit: NASA Hurricane Karl made landfall near Veracruz, Mexico on Friday, Sept. 17 and moved inland over Mexico's rugged terrain, which took the punch out of the storm. As Karl was moving into Mexico, NASA aircraft and NASA satellites were gathering data from this storm that jumped from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane the day before.

Karl had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph when it made landfall on Friday afternoon, Sept. 17. That made Karl a Category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and a major hurricane to boot.

On that day, NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) aircraft were flying over Karl and taking readings of the storm's winds, temperature, pressure and more. The DC-8 aircraft was one of the planes that flew into Karl at an altitude of 37,000 feet on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17, about 3 hours after Hurricane Karl made landfall in Mexico. The DC-8 aircraft took off from its base in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. All nine instruments installed on the DC-8 collected data during its flight over the storm system, and dropsondes were launched successfully to aid the other instruments in gauging wind profiles and moisture content.

Meanwhile, NASA's WB-57 took off from its base in Houston, Texas and joined the DC-8 for flights over Hurricane Karl in mid-afternoon on Sept. 17. The WB-57 flew higher than the DC-8 aircraft, at an altitude between 56,000 and 58.000 feet. The WB-57 has two instruments aboard to study tropical cyclones: the Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) and the HIRAD (Hurricane Imaging Radiometer). AMPR studies rain cloud systems, but are also useful to studies of various ocean and land surface processes. The HIRAD measures strong ocean surface winds through heavy rain, providing information on both rain rate and wind speed. For more information on the NASA GRIP Mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/grip.

From its vantage point in space, NASA's Aqua satellite captured a much wider view of Hurricane Karl after it made landfall on Sept. 17. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on Aqua captured a visible image at 19:35 UTC (3:35 p.m. EDT) and showed that two-thirds of Karl was already over land.

Karl's heavy rainfall was responsible for inland flooding and evacuations. Reports indicated that almost half a million people were without electricity, and over 20,000 homes were damaged or flooded. Over 40,000 people were evacuated from the municipalities of Jamapa, La Antigua, Medellin de Bravo, Cotaxtla and Actopanm. Reports indicated eight people missing and seven dead from Karl's rampage.

By Saturday morning, Sept. 18, Karl's maximum sustained winds were down to 25 mph. By Sunday, Sept. 19, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. proclaimed that Karl had dissipated over inland Mexico.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.





September 17, 2010

NASA's CloudSat Satellite and GRIP Aircraft Profile Hurricane Karl

Cloudsat Image of Karl › View larger image
NASA's CloudSat satellite captured a slice of Hurricane Karl's clouds at 07:59 UTC (3:59 a.m. EDT) Sept. 17. CloudSat shows clouds are over 8 miles high. The blue areas along the top of the clouds indicate cloud ice. The highest clouds in Karl at the time of the image were as cold as -40 Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit) to -60C (-76 Fahrenheit). That line disappears where there is strong rainfall exceeding 30mm/hr (1.18 inches/hour).
Credit: NASA/JPL/Colorado State Univ./NRL
GRIP Image of Karl › View larger image
NASA's GRIP Hurricane Mission WB-57 and DC-8 aircraft are seen in this image flying into Hurricane Karl on Friday, Sept. 17 to collect valuable data on the storm.
Credit: NASA NASA's CloudSat satellite captured a profile of Hurricane Karl as it began making landfall in Mexico today. The satellite data revealed very high, icy cloud tops in Karl's powerful thunderstorms, and moderate to heavy rainfall from the storm. Meanwhile, NASA's "GRIP" mission was also underway as aircraft were gathering valuable data about Hurricane Karl as he moves inland.

NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission (known as GRIP) is still underway and is studying the rapid intensification of storms, and that's exactly what Karl did on Thursday Sept. 16 overnight into Friday, Sept. 17. During that time, Karl went from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane, and NASA's GRIP aircraft flew into Karl a number of times collecting valuable data on its rapid intensification.

In fact, three of NASA's science aircraft completed successful coordinated flights over Hurricane Karl on Thursday, Sept. 16, in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The DC-8 conducted 6 passes over the center of circulation with a butterfly pattern about the eye on the final pass. The Global Hawk flew 6 coordinated legs with the DC-8 over the storm for a total of 20 passes over the eye of the hurricane. The Global Hawk returned to its base of operations in southern California early Friday morning, Sept. 17.

NASA’s DC-8, based in Florida, and WB-57, based in Texas, went back to Hurricane Karl as it approached the coast of Mexico on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17. The two research aircraft also observed the hurricane on Sept. 16 along with NASA’s Global Hawk. For more information on the NASA GRIP mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/grip.

From its vantage point in space, NASA's CloudSat satellite has the unique capability of seeing a tropical storm from its side. CloudSat's Cloud Profiling Radar captured a sideways look across Hurricane Karl's clouds at 07:59 UTC (3:59 a.m. EDT) Sept. 17.

CloudSat's 55 second scan showed cloud tops were over 8 miles high, and indicated ice in them. In fact, the highest clouds in Karl at the time of the image were as cold as -40 Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit) to -60C (-76 Fahrenheit). CloudSat also showed strong rainfall exceeding 30mm/hr (1.18 inches/hour) which confirms the moderate to heavy rain that was falling from the storm.

Hurricane warnings and watches are still in effect as Karl slowly makes landfall and moves inland. A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico from Veracruz to Cabo Rojo. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo To La Cruz. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo to La Cruz and south of Veracruz to Punta El Lagarto.

Hurricane Karl built up a lot of power overnight. On Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. EDT, his maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph. On Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. EDT, Karl's maximum sustained winds were near 120 mph with higher gusts. Karl is a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Hurricane force winds extend 25 miles out from Karl's center and tropical storm force winds extend out to 90 miles, making Karl about 180 miles in diameter. For size comparison, Hurricane Igor is 550 miles across out in the Atlantic Ocean.

NASA's Terra satellite flew over Karl on Sept. 16 at 17:20 UTC (1:20 p.m. EDT) and captured a visible image of Karl's cloud cover and extent. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a visible image of Karl. At that time Karl was already a hurricane, but did not have a visible eye.

Karl is making landfall this afternoon (Sept. 17) and is moving west near 8 mph. Karl will move inland tonight and Saturday. Karl's minimum central pressure is 967 millibars.

Karl is bringing a lot of bad weather to Mexico this weekend. The National Hurricane Center said "A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 12 to 15 feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast near and to the north of where the center makes landfall. Near the coast...the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves." Hurricane-force winds will continue to spread inland, and rainfall accumulations will range from 5 to 10 inches across the central and southern Mexican gulf coast region, with isolated amounts as high as 15 inches.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.


September 16, 2010

NASA Eyes Karl, Now a Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico

Hurricane Karl's cloud temperatures on Sept. 16 at 0753 UTC that showed strong convective activity in his center. › View larger image
NASA's Aqua satellite AIRS instrument captured an infrared image of Hurricane Karl's cloud temperatures on Sept. 16 at 0753 UTC (3:53 a.m. EDT) that showed strong convective activity in his center as indicated by high thunderstorms (in purple) that were as cold as -63F.
Credit: NASA/JPL, Ed Olsen
TRMM captured an area of heavy rainfall shown here in red, occurring in then Tropical Storm Karl on Sept. 15. › View larger image
TRMM captured an area of heavy rainfall (falling at about 2 inches per hour) shown here in red, occurring in then Tropical Storm Karl on Sept. 15 at 2153 UTC (5:53 p.m. EDT) over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce
TRMM captured light to moderate rainfall occurring in then Tropical Storm Karl on Sept. 16 › View larger image
TRMM captured light to moderate rainfall occurring in then Tropical Storm Karl on Sept. 16 at 0603 UTC (2:03 a.m. EDT) as it was moving into the Gulf of Mexico. The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites have been watching Karl's clouds and rainfall as he moved across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico today, powering up into a hurricane.

Infrared imagery of Karl's cloud temperatures from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument this morning, Sept. 16 at 0753 UTC (3:53 a.m. EDT) showed strong convective activity in his center as indicated by high thunderstorms that were as cold as -63 Fahrenheit. That strong convection was an indication that the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico were strengthening the storm.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, operated by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency covers the tropics daily, and provided rainfall rates within Karl on Sept. 15 and 16. On September 15 at 2153 UTC (5:53 p.m. EDT) Tropical storm Karl was still powerful and very well organized even though it had been over the Yucatan Peninsula for over nine hours. TRMM's Precipitation Radar showed that a cluster of very intense thunderstorms were dropping extreme amounts of rain near the storms center and along a feeder band in the western part of the storm.

Karl moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico between 0330 and 0430 UTC (near midnight Eastern Daylight Time). At 0603 UTC (2:03 a.m. EDT) as Karl was already in the Gulf, TRMM saw light to moderate rainfall occurring in the storm, falling at a rate between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour. Once Karl moved farther into the Gulf, the rainfall rates increased as Karl became a hurricane.

As a result of Karl's strengthening, a Hurricane Warning is now in effect the coast of Mexico from Palma Sola to Cabo Rojo, and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo to La Cruz. In addition a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo to La Cruz, and south of Palma Sola to Veracruz.

At 11 a.m. EDT on Sept. 16, Hurricane Karl's maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph, and he is expected to strengthen. The National Hurricane Center noted that Karl could approach the status of a major (Category 3) hurricane before it makes landfall in Mexico in the next couple days.

Karl was located about 150 miles west of Campeche, Mexico near latitude 19.7 north and longitude 92.8 west. Karl is moving toward the west near 12 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. Karl's center is forecast to cross southwestern Gulf of Mexico and move in or near the coast of mainland Mexico late Friday or Friday night. Minimum central pressure is 983 millibars.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.















September 15, 2010

GOES-13's Family of Tropical Cyclones: Tropical Storm Karl, Hurricanes Igor and Julia

GOES-13 captured an image of Tropical Storm Karl and Hurricanes Igor and Julia in one image on Sept. 15 › View larger image
Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project On September 15, three tropical cyclones were active in the Atlantic Ocean basin, two of them powerful Category Four hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13 satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Karl and Hurricanes Igor and Julia in one image on Sept. 15 at 1445 UTC (10:45 a.m. EDT).

At that time, Tropical Storm Karl (left) was making landfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Category 4 Hurricane Igor was spinning in the Atlantic Ocean (center) over 1000 miles southeast of Bermuda, and Category 4 Hurricane Julia trailing to Igor's east (far right) about 600 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

GOES satellites are operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NASA's GOES Project, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. creates satellite images and animations using GOES satellite data.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.


Quick-Intensifying Tropical Storm Karl Landfalling in Mexico

Tropical Storm Karl approaching the Yucatan Peninsula (left in the image). › View larger image
On Sept. 14 at 3:05 p.m. EDT, the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of Tropical Storm Karl approaching the Yucatan Peninsula (left in the image). Karl does not have a visible eye.
Credit: NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response Team
The TRMM satellite noticed some heavy rainfall falling at over 2 inches per hour around Karl's center. › View larger image
The TRMM satellite noticed some heavy rainfall (red) falling at over 2 inches per hour around the storm's center at 2:19 a.m. EDT on Sept. 14. The yellow and green areas indicate moderate rainfall between .78 to 1.57 inches per hour.
Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce NASA's Aqua satellite captured the birth of Tropical Storm Karl on Sept. 14 as it passed overhead at 3:05 p.m. EDT in the Caribbean. This morning, Karl made landfall in the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

By 5 p.m. EDT on Sept. 14, System 92L intensified quickly in the western Caribbean and became the thirteenth tropical depression that quickly fired up into Tropical Storm Karl. NASA's Aqua satellite was flying overhead at 3:05 p.m. EDT and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a visible image of Karl as he was rapidly intensifying.

At 8 a.m. EDT Karl's maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph (9 mph less than hurricane strength) as Karl was making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. It was centered near latitude 18.6 North and longitude 87.6 West. Minimum central pressure is 991 millibars.

Karl is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph and he will continue in this direction across the Yucatan Peninsula, moving back into the southwestern Gulf of Mexico on Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center noted this morning, that when Karl moves into the Gulf of Mexico, it is likely that he'll strengthen into a hurricane.

Karl is a small system as tropical storm-force winds currently extend out 45 miles from the center (making him about 90 miles in diameter), however, the rain and storm surge he brings with him will pack a strong punch.

In the 8 a.m. EDT hour, a Mexican automated station at Banco Chinchorro reported sustained winds of 49 mph and a wind gust of 62 mph.

Watches and Warnings are in effect as Karl was approaching landfall this morning. A Tropical storm warning is in effect from Chetumal on the Mexico / Belize border to Cabo Catoche. A Tropical storm watch is in effect fromBelize City north to the Mexico / Belize border.

Where Karl makes landfall, coastal flooding will occur near and north of that location and it will be accompanied by large and battering waves. Rainfall is expected to be heavy over the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize and northern Guatemala, where 3 to 5 inches of rain are expected with isolated amounts up to 8 inches.

That heavy rainfall was observed yesterday when the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, that is managed by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA flew over Karl before he became a tropical storm. During the early morning on Sept. 14, the TRMM satellite noticed some heavy rainfall (falling at more than 2 inches per hour) around the storm's center at 2:19 a.m. EDT yesterday. That rainfall is now happening over the Yucatan Peninsula.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Hal Pierce, SSAI


September 14, 2010

GOES-13 Sees System 92L Looking More Like a Tropical Depression

This is a visible image of System 92L moving through the central Caribbean Sea today, Sept. 14, as seen from GOES-13 satellite. › View larger image
This is a visible image of System 92L moving through the central Caribbean Sea today, Sept. 14, as seen from GOES-13 satellite at 1340 UTC (9:40 a.m. EDT).
Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project GOES-13 captured a look at System 92L this morning as it continues moving through the central Caribbean, and it's looking more and more like a tropical depression.

As the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13 satellite keeps relaying data to NOAA (who manages the satellite) and the NASA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., the images created by the NASA GOES Project reveal that System 92L appears to be taking on the appearance of a tropical depression. In the imagery captured today, Sept. 14 at 1340 UTC (9:40 a.m. EDT), System 92L is developing the signature comma shape of a tropical cyclone, with outer bands developing around the center.

NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. noted that the showers and thunderstorms within System 92L have even become a little better organized this morning. System 92L is forecast to continue marching west to northwest at 10 to 15 mph over the next couple of days. As it moves through the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea over the next two days, it has a 40% chance of becoming a tropical depression. That would make it the 13th tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season if that happens.

By Wednesday evening, Sept. 15, however, it is expected to reach the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, so its greatest chances for development will be over the open waters.

Meanwhile, System 92L is a rainmaker. Some heavy rainfall is possible today and tomorrow over parts of Jamaica, Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Yucatan Peninsula. Heavy rainfall could cause life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Hal Pierce, SSAI


September 13, 2010

GOES-13 Sees Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba Being Drenched by System 92L

System 92L in the Caribbean as it was bringing heavy rains over Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba. › View larger image
GOES-13 captured a visible image of the bow-shaped System 92L in the Caribbean as it was bringing heavy rains over Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba today, Sept. 13 at 1745 UTC (1:45 p.m. EDT).
Credit: NOAA/NASA GOES Project The GOES-13 satellite keeps an eye on the eastern U.S. and the Caribbean Sea and has been monitoring System 92L for days. Today, Sept. 13, GOES-13 caught the bow-shaped system bringing rainfall to island nations in the eastern Caribbean.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite called GOES-13 captured a visible image of the bow-shaped System 92L in the Caribbean as it was bringing heavy rains over Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba today, Sept. 13 at 1745 UTC (1:45 p.m. EDT). GOES satellites are operated by NOAA, and the NASA GOES Project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. uses those satellite data to create images and animations.

The showers and thunderstorms in System 92L are still poorly organized in this broad area of low pressure over the west-central Caribbean Sea. At 1:53 p.m. EDT today, Montego Bay/Sangster Airport in Jamaica was reporting light rain and 8 mph winds from the east. At the Holguin Airport, Cuba, light rain and thunderstorms were reported with winds blowing from the east-southeast at 12 mph.

The National Hurricane Center does note that there's a 40% chance that System 92L could develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 48 hours as it moves west-northwestward around 20 mph.

Whether it becomes tropical depression 13 in the Atlantic Ocean basin or not, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, The Cayman Islands, and the Yucatan Peninsula during the next day or two. These heavy rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain.

Text credit: Rob Gutro, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. and Hal Pierce, SSAI
 
› Back To Top