Did you know? Hurricane Andrew, which struck in August 1992, caused an estimated $26 billion in damages. At landfall, wind speeds reached 288 kilometers per hour (175 miles per hour).
Deadly Weather
Hurricanes, typhoons and ocean events like El Nino and La Nina can have devastating effects. By studying the interactions between the atmosphere and the oceans, JPL scientists develop a better understanding of what triggers these events and how they behave.
SeaWinds instrument tracked Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
Missions:
SeaWinds on QuickScat
The SeaWinds instrument aboard the QuikScat satellite enables researchers to look through cloud cover and measure winds at the ocean's surface. SeaWinds can spot tropical depressions that can lead to hurricanes before they are visible in conventional satellite imagery.
Topex/poseidon
Under a joint plan between NASA and France's National Center for Space Studies, this satellite mission measures sea level every 10 days. This mission allows scientists to chart the height of the seas across ocean basins with an accuracy of less than 10 centimeters (4 inches). This data provided a unique view of El Niño and La Niña.
Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR)
The AIRSAR instrument, which flies onboard a NASA airplane, is being used to map flood areas, tropical rainforests and agricultural regions.
Hurricanes, typhoons and ocean events like El Nino and La Nina can have devastating effects. By studying the interactions between the atmosphere and the oceans, JPL scientists develop a better understanding of what triggers these events and how they behave.
