(Press-News.org) NASA's CloudSat satellite captured a profile of Hurricane Karl as it began making landfall in Mexico today. The satellite data revealed very high, icy cloud tops in Karl's powerful thunderstorms, and moderate to heavy rainfall from the storm. Meanwhile, NASA's "GRIP" mission was also underway as aircraft were gathering valuable data about Hurricane Karl as he moves inland.
NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission (known as GRIP) is still underway and is studying the rapid intensification of storms, and that's exactly what Karl did on Thursday Sept. 16 overnight into Friday, Sept. 17. During that time, Karl went from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane, and NASA's GRIP aircraft flew into Karl a number of times collecting valuable data on its rapid intensification.
In fact, three of NASA's science aircraft completed successful coordinated flights over Hurricane Karl on Thursday, Sept. 16, in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The DC-8 conducted 6 passes over the center of circulation with a butterfly pattern about the eye on the final pass. The Global Hawk flew 6 coordinated legs with the DC-8 over the storm for a total of 20 passes over the eye of the hurricane. The Global Hawk returned to its base of operations in southern California early Friday morning, Sept. 17.
NASA's DC-8, based in Florida, and WB-57, based in Texas, went back to Hurricane Karl as it approached the coast of Mexico on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 17. The two research aircraft also observed the hurricane on Sept. 16 along with NASA's Global Hawk. For more information on the NASA GRIP mission, visit: www.nasa.gov/grip.
From its vantage point in space, NASA's CloudSat satellite has the unique capability of seeing a tropical storm from its side. CloudSat's Cloud Profiling Radar captured a sideways look across Hurricane Karl's clouds at 07:59 UTC (3:59 a.m. EDT) Sept. 17.
CloudSat's 55 second scan showed cloud tops were over 8 miles high, and indicated ice in them. In fact, the highest clouds in Karl at the time of the image were as cold as -40 Celsius (-40 Fahrenheit) to -60C (-76 Fahrenheit). CloudSat also showed strong rainfall exceeding 30mm/hr (1.18 inches/hour) which confirms the moderate to heavy rain that was falling from the storm.
Hurricane warnings and watches are still in effect as Karl slowly makes landfall and moves inland. A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico from Veracruz to Cabo Rojo. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo To La Cruz. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Rojo to La Cruz and south of Veracruz to Punta El Lagarto.
Hurricane Karl built up a lot of power overnight. On Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. EDT, his maximum sustained winds were near 80 mph. On Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. EDT, Karl's maximum sustained winds were near 120 mph with higher gusts. Karl is a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Hurricane force winds extend 25 miles out from Karl's center and tropical storm force winds extend out to 90 miles, making Karl about 180 miles in diameter. For size comparison, Hurricane Igor is 550 miles across out in the Atlantic Ocean.
NASA's Terra satellite flew over Karl on Sept. 16 at 17:20 UTC (1:20 p.m. EDT) and captured a visible image of Karl's cloud cover and extent. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a visible image of Karl. At that time Karl was already a hurricane, but did not have a visible eye.
Karl is making landfall this afternoon (Sept. 17) and is moving west near 8 mph. Karl will move inland tonight and Saturday. Karl's minimum central pressure is 967 millibars.
Karl is bringing a lot of bad weather to Mexico this weekend. The National Hurricane Center said "A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 12 to 15 feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast near and to the north of where the center makes landfall. Near the coast...the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves." Hurricane-force winds will continue to spread inland, and rainfall accumulations will range from 5 to 10 inches across the central and southern Mexican gulf coast region, with isolated amounts as high as 15 inches.
INFORMATION:
NASA's CloudSat satellite and GRIP Aircraft profile Hurricane Karl
2010-09-18
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
NASA sees record-breaking Julia being affected by Igor
2010-09-18
Julia is waning in the eastern Atlantic Ocean because of outflow from massive Hurricane Igor, despite his distance far to the west. Satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed that Julia's eye was no longer visible, a sign that she's weakening.
As NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Hurricane Julia from space on Sept. 16 at 1:35 p.m. EDT, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument captured a visible image of the storm. In the MODIS image, Julia's eye was no longer visible and its center was cloud-filled.
Although Julia is weakening from ...
Pickle spoilage bacteria may help environment
2010-09-18
Spoilage bacteria that can cause red coloration of pickles' skin during fermentation may actually help clean up dyes in textile industry wastewater, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study.
Some species of Lactobacilli-food-related microorganisms-can cause red coloring when combined with tartrazine, a yellow food-coloring agent used in the manufacture of dill pickles. Now Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Ilenys Pérez-Díaz and her colleagues have found that these spoilage Lactobacilli also may have environmental benefits. ARS is ...
Gene limits learning and memory in mice
2010-09-18
Deleting a certain gene in mice can make them smarter by unlocking a mysterious region of the brain considered to be relatively inflexible, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found.
Mice with a disabled RGS14 gene are able to remember objects they'd explored and learn to navigate mazes better than regular mice, suggesting that RGS14's presence limits some forms of learning and memory.
The results were published online this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Since RGS14 appears to hold mice back mentally, ...
Research team assesses environmental impact of organic solar cells
2010-09-18
Solar energy could be a central alternative to petroleum-based energy production. However, current solar-cell technology often does not produce the same energy yield and is more expensive to mass-produce. In addition, information on the total effect of solar energy production on the environment is incomplete, experts say.
To better understand the energy and environmental benefits and detriments of solar power, a research team from Rochester Institute of Technology has conducted one of the first life-cycle assessments of organic solar cells. The study found that the embodied ...
Researchers at SUNY Downstate find drug combination may treat traumatic brain injury
2010-09-18
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States. Recent data show that approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually. While the majority of TBIs are concussions or other mild forms, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability.
Currently, there are no drugs available to treat TBI: a variety of single drugs have failed clinical trials, suggesting a possible role for drug combinations. Testing this hypothesis in an animal model, researchers at SUNY ...
Mechanism behind demethylation pinpointed in APC gene mutants
2010-09-18
Salt Lake City, September 17, 2010—Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and causes more than 50,000 deaths each year. It has been known for some time that mutations in the APC gene occur in more than 85 percent of all sporadic colon cancers. Now researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah demonstrate in a study featured today in Cell the mechanism by which mutation of the APC gene affects a cellular process known as DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical modification made to DNA that plays an important role in ...
Great Lakes water quality is focus of new $5 million grant
2010-09-18
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---How could climate change and our response to it affect the Great Lakes' water quality? That's the primary question a team of 27 researchers from across the University of Michigan and collaborators at other institutions will answer with a new $5-million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The researchers will focus on extreme weather events caused by climate change.
The Great Lakes hold 84 percent of North America's surface fresh water, and their basin is home to 10 percent of the U.S. population.
"The suspicion is that climate change will ...
Aussie Chef Releases New Pizza Cookbook With Exciting Variations on Familiar Recipes
2010-09-18
Calling all cooks! You may think you know all there is to know about making pizza and chicken parmigiana, but Aussie chef Mick Reade has written a new cookbook that will creatively challenge your preconceived ideas about these two dishes. The 2001 winner of Australia's Best Steak Cooker title has now published a cookbook full of mouth watering variations on chicken parmigiana and pizza Recipes.
In his self published title, Pizzas and Parmas - The Possibilities Are Endless, Chef Reade shares some of the creative and unusual recipes he has used over the past 12 years as ...
Napma - National Martial Arts Business Association Helps Members Recover from Recession With New Business Seminar!
2010-09-18
NAPMA, the National Association of Professional Martial Artists, the business trade association for martial arts schools, martial arts school owners, and professional martial arts instructors is hosting the 2010 NAPMA "Extreme Success Academy", featuring top industry expert speakers, and the world renown business and entrepreneurial expert Mr. Brian Tracy!
Some seminars, events, conferences and shows are a bit like Chinese food...you like it while you eat it, but you're hungry half an hour later, feeling deflated and unsatisfied.
Members have been telling us for years, ...
Hasslein Books Announces Upcoming Planet of the Apes Encyclopedia
2010-09-18
If you've ever wished you could learn more about the Planet of the Apes mythos... if you've devoured the films and TV series, but have never read the comic books or novels that continued their story... if you're tantalized by time travel and titillated by trivia... if you think you know all there is to know about simian society... then Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes is meant for you.
This staggeringly complete lexicon from Hasslein Books, written by Timeline of the Planet of the Apes author Rich Handley and designed by Paul C. Giachetti, will contain:
* Nearly ...