The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on board NASAs Aqua satellite captured Hurricane Isabel on September 14, 2003.
This sequence of images was used to create an animation of the progression of Hurricane Isabel as seen by the MODIS instruments on the Terra and Aqua satellites in September of 2003.
This animation shows rain accumulation from Hurricane Isabel from September 6 through 20, 2003 based on data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis. The accumulation is shown in colors ranging from green (less than 50 mm of rain) through red (200 mm or more). The TRMM satellite, using the worlds only space-borne rain radar and other microwave instruments, measures rainfall over the ocean.
NASA is keeping a close watch on Hurricane Isabel as it churns in the Atlantic with winds that top 150 miles per hour.
This animation follows Hurricane Isabel (2003) from its birthplace in the Ethiopian Highlands of East Africa, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United States. Atlantic hurricanes are often formed as winds over the Gulf of Aden intersect with the Ethiopian Highlands. This animation zooms into the Ethiopian Highlands and shows several storms being formed. Then, the animation dissolves in a reticle to focus in specifically on the formation of Hurricane Isabel. The reticle follows the storm across Africa and into the Atlantic. The path and intensity of Hurricane Isabel is depicted by a colored path. Blue represents the genesis of the storm. Green is a Tropical Depression where winds are less than 39 miles per hour. Yellow is a Tropical Storm where winds are between 39 and 73 miles per hour. Red is a category 1 hurricane where winds are between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Light Red is a category 2 hurricane with winds between 96 and 110 miles per hour. Magenta is a category 3 hurricane with winds between 111 and 130 miles per hour. Light magenta is a category 4 hurricane with winds between 131 and 154 miles per hour. White represents a category 5 hurricane where winds are greater than 155 miles per hour. Note how Isabel gains size and speed over the warm waters of the Atlantic.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on board NASAs Aqua satellite captured Hurricane Isabel on September 14, 2003.
The NASA finite-volume General Circulation Model (fvGCM) is used to produce a high-resolution weather prediction system. This model has an increased accuracy of predicting the strength and location of hurricanes over other prediction methods. Several variables are predicted, including cloud cover and precipitable water in the atmosphere. Data from Hurricane Isabel was used to validate the fvGCM model.
Captured by Aquas MODIS instrument on September 10, 2003, the (category 4) hurricane heads west towards the U.S. Isabels maximum wind cuts are at least 135 mph. The thin cirrus clouds indicate that outflow is on the western side and expanding to the West.
Captured by Terras MODIS instrument, the (category 5) Hurricane heads west towards the U.S. on September 11, 2003.
