Category Archives: Uncategorized

Popocatépetl, the Smoking Mountain

According to legend, Popocatépetl was a great warrior whose girlfriend, Iztaccíhuatl, died because her father was a jerk who lied. (An alternate story is that it was a rival warrior who was a jerk who lied.) Either way, Iztaccíhuatl was … Continue reading

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Remote Islands, part I: Easter Island

With the I-bands having ~375 m resolution at nadir, VIIRS is a powerful instrument. We have already seen the detailed imagery it produces of severe thunderstorms and tropical cyclones. But, you might ask (particularly if you’re thinking you need a … Continue reading

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The Last Line of Storms from the 14 April 2012 Tornado Outbreak

The second major tornado outbreak of the year took place on 14 April 2012 (after the 2 March outbreak that slammed Indiana and Kentucky). At last count, 115 tornadoes were reported from Oklahoma to Iowa. Credit must be given to … Continue reading

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VIIRS view of Invest 97S at night

On 5 April 2012, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center was watching an area of the Mozambique Channel for possible development of a tropical cyclone. This area was named Invest 97S. As 6 April 2012 was a full moon, this is … Continue reading

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Time-lapse of the Lower North Fork Fire

On 26 March 2012, strong winds, high temperatures and low humidities re-ignited embers from a controlled burn that took place the previous week near Conifer, CO. The Lower North Fork fire quickly spread in the high winds, eventually burning more … Continue reading

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I- and M- Band Views of the Heartstrong Fire

On 18 March 2012, very warm, very dry and very windy conditions existed throughout eastern Colorado. Surface observations showed temperatures in the 70s and 80s, dew points in the teens and 20s, and sustained winds at 20-30 knots (gusting over … Continue reading

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Aurora Borealis from the Day-Night Band

On 6 March 2012, a massive solar flare erupted and an associated coronal mass ejection was launched toward Earth. Video of the solar flare from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory can be viewed here. NOAA’s Space Weather Center forecast the coronal … Continue reading

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VIIRS View of March 2 Tornadic Storms

NPP/VIIRS passed over Southern Indiana on March 2 about thirty minutes before the most devastating tornadoes struck the towns of New Pekin and Henryville (among others).  At 1935 UTC, a pair of rotating thunderstorms, also known as supercells, were advancing … Continue reading

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A Tropical Winter Wonderland

It’s not every day the official National Weather Service forecast from Honolulu, HI calls for freezing rain and snow in parts of Hawaii, but that’s what happened 19 February 2012 for the Big Island. Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea both … Continue reading

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Tropical Cyclone Giovanna

Back in January, Madagascar was brushed by tropical cyclone Funso, which caused periods of heavy rain, but was a bigger deal for neighboring Mozambique. This time around, Madagascar took a direct hit from tropical cyclone Giovanna, which reached “Super Cyclone” … Continue reading

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