Figure 1:
AIRS Microwave Image
This is an infrared image of Tropical Storm Beryl in the western Atlantic,
from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on
July 20, 2006, 1:30 am local time. This AIRS image shows the temperature
of the cloud tops or the surface of the Earth in cloud-free regions. The
lowest temperatures (in purple) are associated with high, cold cloud tops
that make up the top of the hurricane. The infrared signal does not
penetrate through clouds. Where there are no clouds the AIRS instrument
reads the infrared signal from the surface of the Earth, revealing warmer
temperatures (red). This infrared image shows three large regions of
strong convection surrounding the core of the storm. The largest, on the
northern edge of the core, also appears in the companion microwave image
to contain intense precipitation.
The image in figure 1 is created from microwave radiation emitted by
Earth's atmosphere and received by the instrument. It shows where the
heaviest rainfall is taking place (in blue) in the storm. Blue areas
outside of the tropical storm, where there are either some clouds or no
clouds indicate where the sea surface shines through.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Experiment, with its visible, infrared,
and microwave detectors, provides a three-dimensional look at Earth's
weather. Working in tandem, the three instruments can make simultaneous
observations all the way down to the Earth's surface, even in the presence
of heavy clouds. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions
of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, 3-D map of atmospheric
temperature and humidity and provides information on clouds, greenhouse
gases, and many other atmospheric phenomena. The AIRS Infrared Sounder
Experiment flies onboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and is managed by NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., under contract to NASA. JPL
is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
