News by Subject Earth Science

Hurricane Maria was analyzed in visible and infrared light as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP passed overhead over two days. NASA's GPM satellite also provided a look at Maria's rainfall rates.

Former Tropical Storm Lee was almost forgotten when hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria struck the US because it weakened to a remnant low pressure area and lingered quietly in the central Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Pilar formed near the southwestern coast of Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 23, and continued hugging the coast when NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites passed overhead. Pilar weakened to a tropical depression during the late morning on Sept. 25.

NASA's Terra satellite captured the landfall of Tropical Depression 22W in northern Vietnam. The Depression only existed for two days before it made landfall and began dissipating.

For the first time, researchers have been able to use mud deposited on the depths of the ocean floor to measure changes in the speed of deep-sea currents. Using mud as a current meter could help scientists to identify fluctuating patterns in ocean current speeds stretching back into prehistory, enabling climate change researchers to get a better sense of how currents behave over time.

Infrared light provides valuable temperature data to forecasters and cloud top temperatures give clues about highest, coldest, strongest storms within a hurricane. NASA's Aqua satellite provided that data and showed strongest storms were in Hurricane Maria's southwestern quadrant.

The National Hurricane Center issued their final advisory on Post-Tropical Cyclone Jose on Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. EDT. NOAA's GOES East satellite saw the circulation of Jose on Sept. 23 off the New England coast as it continued to weaken. All Tropical Storm Warnings have been discontinued.

Satellite imagery from NASA shows that Hurricane Maria continues to move in a northerly direction while its eye remained east of the Bahamas. NASA's Aqua satellite showed high clouds over the eye on Sept. 22 and one side of the hurricane over the Bahamas.

Fires that span across the Northern Territory and Western Australia appear to have broken out in areas that have already been burned in previous fires.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a look at Maria's temperatures to find the strongest sides of the storm, while NOAA's GOES satellite revealed the extent of the storm in a visible image as it moved toward the Bahamas.