ESA Portal - Taking apart a hurricane: multi-sensor Envisat sees through Frances

Media Centre

Press Releases ESA Television Launch Media Corner Exhibitions

Services

Calendar Publications Frequently asked questions ESA-sponsored Conferences Help Site Credits Portal terms of use Comments Subscribe

Taking apart a hurricane: multi-sensor Envisat sees through Frances

3 September 2004

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 500 kb)

HI-RES TIFF (Size: 6312 kb)

MERIS image showing Hurricane Frances, acquired on 1 September 2004. The hurricane is shown passing near Haiti and the Dominician Republic, with Cuba to the left and Puerto Rico to the right hand side (borders outlined). The resolution of this reduced resolution image is approximately 1200 metres, with features clearly visible including the clear eye, thick eye wall and outer spiral arms made up of thick thunderstorms. This image was processed for ESA by Brockmann Consult, a German firm involved with development, prototyping and verifying of the MERIS processing chain since 1995.

Credits: ESA/Brockmann Consult

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPG (Size: 679 kb)

This ASAR Global Monitoring Mode image acquired 1 September 2004 shows Hurricane Frances passing near the island of Puerto Rico. ASAR returns details of surface roughness from which wind and wave fields at the base of the hurricane can be derived. Although the resolution of this image is approximately 1 km, the eye is clear - because of tranquil weather prevailing within it, the water within it is smoother than that around it - plus the surrounding spiral structure of the eye wall, where the winds are fastest and sea roughest.

Credits: ESA

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPG (Size: 1524 kb)

Extract from an ASAR Wide Swath Mode image acquired 3 September 2004, showing wind and wave patterns on the sea surface from Hurricane Frances extending towards Nassau and Andros Island in the Bahamas.

Credits: ESA

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPG (Size: 543 kb)

Extract from an ASAR Wide Swath Mode image acquired 3 September 2004 showing the vicinity of Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Clearly visible here around the island is wave swell from Hurricane Frances located to the southeast, and wind coming from the north west, appearing brighter than the water on the other side of the island.

Credits: ESA

Envisat's 'thermometer' takes Frances' temperature

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 538 kb)

HI-RES TIFF (Size: 2970 kb)

AATSR image acquired 1 September 2004 that combined temperature measurements for the sea surface around Frances but also the cloud top temperature - see colour chart in Kelvin. The image data can be correleated with MERIS cloud top pressure data. Warm water at the base of the hurricane and latent heat produced by condensation at the top of the hurricane keep Frances' heat engine running. Image processed by Brockmann Consult.

Credits: Brockmann Consult/ESA

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 910 kb)

HI-RES TIFF (Size: 6559 kb)

Acquired 1 September 2004, this MERIS image represents the cloud top pressure, defined as the atmospheric pressure at the altitude of the top of the cloud, observed for Hurricane Frances and measured in hectopascals (hPa). The structure of the hurricane is clear, including a well-defined eye, eye wall and spiral arms made up of dense thunderstorms. Image processed by Brockmann Consult.

Credits: Brockmann Consult/ESA

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES GIF (Size: 1449 kb)

Based on sea height anomaly data from space-based radar altimeters including Envisat's RA-2, this NOAA/AOML image represents Upper Ocean Thermal Conditions during Hurricane Francis, and can be used to calculate the likelihood of the storm changing in intensity as it passes over warm water masses that measurements of sea surface temperature alone cannot detect.

Credits: ESA

Back to article

Radar Altimeter 2 Antenna. Photo:Alenia Aerospazio

Envisat results to be revealed

Back to article

Launched in 2002, Envisat is a truly advanced Earth Observation satellite with a unique combination of sensors that vastly improve the range and accuracy of scientific measurements of the atmosphere, oceans, land surface and ice. Its total range of capabilities far exceed those of any previous or planned Earth observation satellite.

Credits: ESA/Denmann production