+ Visit NASA.gov + Advanced Search   + About the Server   + Animation List   + How to Use the Server   + RSS Feeds Previous Animation Next Animation Hurricane Isabel Genesis 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.    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. Duration: 53.0 seconds Available formats:   720x486 (30 fps) Frames   1280x720 (60 fps) Frames   640x480 (30 fps) MPEG-1   28 MB   320x240 (30 fps) MPEG-1   7 MB   320x240     JPEG         5 KB   80x40         PNG           7 KB   320x240     JPEG         5 KB How to play our movies    This is where Hurricane Isabel was born on August 25, 2003. The movie follows the storm from this point until it makes landfall on September 18, 2003 in North Carolina. Duration: 46.0 seconds Available formats:   160x80       PNG           69 KB   2560x1920 TIFF         6 MB   320x240     JPEG         15 KB   720x480 (29.97 fps) MPEG-2   45 MB How to play our movies    The Ethiopian Highlands in East Africa is the birthplace for many Atlantic hurricanes. Available formats:   2560 x 1920     TIFF 9 MB   160 x 80           PNG 26 KB   320 x 240         JPEG 16 KB    Hurricane Isabel is classified as a Tropical Storm on September 6, 2003. Available formats:   2560 x 1920     TIFF 5 MB   320 x 240         JPEG 12 KB    Hurricane makes landfall in North Carolina on September 18, 2003. Available formats:   2560 x 1920     TIFF 7 MB   320 x 240         JPEG 17 KB    Rainfall Colorbar Available formats:   328 x 406         JPEG 11 KB   80 x 40             PNG   3 KB Animation Number: 2987 Animators: Lori Perkins (SVS) (Lead)   Greg Shirah (SVS)   Alex Kekesi (SVS) Completed: 2004-07-31 Scientist: Jeff Halverson (JCET UMBC) Instruments: GMS-4/VISSR   GOES-8/Imager   GOES-9/Imager   METEOSAT-6/VISSR   SRTM   TRMM/3B4XRT Data sets: Infrared Global Geostationary Composite   National Hurricane Center Tracking Information (HURDAT) data Data Collected: Infrared Global Geostationary Composite 2003/08/20 - 2003/09/19, TRMM/3B42RT 2003/08/27 - 2003/09/19 Series: Hurricanes   TRMM 3D Hurricanes Keywords: DLESE >> Atmospheric science SVS >> HDTV SVS >> Hurricane SVS >> Isabel DLESE >> Natural hazards GCMD >> Location >> Red Sea GCMD >> Location >> Ethiopia GCMD >> Location >> Africa GCMD >> Location >> Maryland GCMD >> Location >> North Carolina GCMD >> Location >> Virginia SVS >> Gulf Of Aden This work has been visible on http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2004/0915isabel/media.html, Discovery Channel August 5/6, 2004     Please give credit for this item to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio Back to Top + Privacy Policy and Important Notices + Reproduction Guidelines NASA Official: SVS Contact: Curator: