GPM captures Hurricane Odile

  • Released Wednesday, September 17, 2014
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On September 15, 2014 (15:11 UTC) the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission's Core Observatory flew over Hurricane Odile as it made landfall on the Baja peninsula. At this point, Hurricane Odile is category 2 with maximum sustained winds at 98 miles per hour (mph) and gusts reaching 121 mph. Odile caused major damage to several Mexican beach resorts including Cabo San Lucas, and has the potential to cause flash flooding as far as Phoenix, Arizona.

The GPM Core Observatory carries two instruments that show the location and intensity of rain and snow, which defines a crucial part of the storm structure – and how it will behave. The GPM Microwave Imager sees through the tops of clouds to observe how much and where precipitation occurs, and the Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar observes precise details of precipitation in 3-dimensions.

For forecasters, GPM's microwave and radar data are part of the toolbox of satellite data, including other low Earth orbit and geostationary satellites, that they use to monitor tropical cyclones and hurricanes.

The addition of GPM data to the current suite of satellite data is timely. Its predecessor precipitation satellite, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, is 18 years into what was originally a three-year mission. GPM's new high-resolution microwave imager data and the unique radar data ensure that forecasters and modelers won't have a gap in coverage. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. All GPM data products can be found at NASA Goddard's Precipitation Processing Center website.

Animation revealing a swath of GPM/GMI precipitation rates over Hurricane Odile. The camera then moves down closer to the Hurricane to reveal DPR's volumetric view of Odile. As the camera rotates around the Hurricane, a slicing plane dissects Odile revealing it's inner precipitation rates closer to the eye. Shades of blue indicate frozen precipitation (in the upper atmosphere). Shades of green to red are liquid precipitation which extend down to the ground.

Colorbar for frozen precipitation rates (ie, snow rates). Shades of cyan represent low amounts of frozen precipitation, whereas shades of purple represent high amounts of precipitation.

Colorbar for frozen precipitation rates (ie, snow rates). Shades of cyan represent low amounts of frozen precipitation, whereas shades of purple represent high amounts of precipitation.

Colorbar for liquid precipitation rates (ie, rain rates). Shades of green represent low amounts of liquid precipitation, whereas shades of red represent high amounts of precipitation.

Colorbar for liquid precipitation rates (ie, rain rates). Shades of green represent low amounts of liquid precipitation, whereas shades of red represent high amounts of precipitation.

Print resolution still of precipitation rates from Hurricane Odile on September 15, 2014 collected by GPM/GMI.

Print resolution still of precipitation rates from Hurricane Odile on September 15, 2014 collected by GPM/GMI.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northeast along GPM's track.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northeast along GPM's track.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northeast along GPM's track.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northeast along GPM's track.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking southward.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking southward.

Print resolution still of a dissected Hurricane Odile. Notice the very heavy rain rates (depicted in red) near the eye.

Print resolution still of a dissected Hurricane Odile. Notice the very heavy rain rates (depicted in red) near the eye.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northward.

Print resolution still showing the volumetric precipitation structure of Hurricane Odile looking Northward.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.

Missions

This visualization is related to the following missions:

Series

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Datasets used in this visualization

  • Rain Rates (Surface Precipitation) [GPM: GMI]

    ID: 822
    Sensor: GMI Dates used: 9/15/2014 15:11 UTC

    Credit: Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission.

    See all pages that use this dataset

  • Volumetric Precipitation data (Ku) [GPM: DPR]

    ID: 830
    Type: Observed Data Sensor: DPR Dates used: 9/15/2014 15:11 UTC

    Credit: Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission.

    See all pages that use this dataset

Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details, nor the data sets themselves on our site.