 |
 |
| Microwave Image | Visible Light Image |
Infrared Image
These images show Tropical Depression Debbie in the Atlantic, from the
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 22,
2006. 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 storm. 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). At the time the
data were taken from which these images were made the eye had not yet
opened but the storm is now well organized. The location of the future eye
appears as a circle at 275 K brightness temperature in the microwave image
just to the SE of the Azores.
Microwave Image
The microwave image 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
storm where there are either some clouds or no clouds, indicate where the
sea surface shines through.
Vis/NIR Image
Tropical Depression Debbie captured by the visible light/near-infrared
sensor on the AIRS instrument.
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.
