JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Heat Wave Surface Temperature

July 8, 2021
The AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite collected temperature readings in the atmosphere and at the surface during an unprecedented heat wave in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada that started around June 26.

Click here for movie

An unprecedented heat wave that started around June 26, 2021, smashed numerous all-time temperature records in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada. NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), aboard the Aqua satellite, captured the progression of this slow-moving heat dome across the region from June 21 to 30. This animation of AIRS data shows surface air temperature anomalies, or values above or below long-term averages. Surface air temperature is something that people directly feel when they are outside. Some of the temperature anomalies were greater than 20 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term average.

On June 28, Quillayute, Washington, set an all-time high temperature record of 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), shattering the old record of 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). In British Columbia, the village of Lytton set a new all-time record for Canada at 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) on June 29, only to break it the next day with a reading of 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius).

The AIRS instrument recorded similar temperature anomalies at an altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), showing that the extreme heat also affected mountainous regions. And temperature anomalies at roughly 18,000 feet (5,500 meters) demonstrated that the heat dome extended high into Earth's troposphere, creating the conditions for intense heat at the planet's surface that are normally found further south.

AIRS, in conjunction with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), senses emitted infrared and microwave radiation from Earth to provide a three-dimensional look at the planet's weather and climate. Working in tandem, the two instruments make simultaneous observations down to Earth's surface. With more than 2,000 channels sensing different regions of the atmosphere, the system creates a global, three-dimensional map of atmospheric temperature and humidity, cloud amounts and heights, greenhouse gas concentrations, and many other atmospheric phenomena. Launched into Earth orbit in 2002, the AIRS and AMSU instruments fly aboard NASA's Aqua spacecraft and are managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, under contract to NASA. JPL is a division of Caltech.

More information about AIRS can be found at https://airs.jpl.nasa.gov.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Target
  • Earth
Spacecraft
  • Aqua
Instrument
  • Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS)
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep Exploring

State Low-Humidity Thresholds for Flu Outbreaks

AIRS Temperature Anomalies

Hurricane Nicholas Before and After Landfall

Hurricane Ida Before Landfall

July 2021 Heat Wave Surface Temperature

NASA's AIRS Instrument Monitors Carbon Monoxide From California Wildfires

AIRS Captures Tropical Storm Hanna

AIRS Captures Hurricane Douglas

Tropical Storm Fay 2020

NASA's AIRS Displays Sulfur Dioxide Plumes After Raikoke Eruption, June 2019

Related Topic

News .

Soil, Sutures, and Climate Modeling Among Investigations Riding SpaceX CRS-25 Dragon to International Space Station

News .

NASA’s ECOSTRESS Detects ‘Heat Islands’ in Extreme Indian Heat Wave

News .

International Satellite to Track Impacts of Small Ocean Currents

News .

From Weather Forecasting to Climate Change, NASA’s AIRS Builds a Legacy

News .

NASA’s EMIT Will Map Tiny Dust Particles to Study Big Climate Impacts

News .

Clusters of Weather Extremes Will Increase Risks to Corn Crops, Society

News .

California Field Campaign Helping Scientists Protect Diverse Ecosystems

News .

NASA Finds New Way to Monitor Underground Water Loss

Mission .

NISAR

Mission .

Surface Water and Ocean Topography

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono