 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Rare South Atlantic Tropical Cyclone
Greenbelt - Apr 13, 2004 During its daytime overpass of the southeast coast of Brazil on March 26, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite captured this surprising sight: a tropical cyclone. The South Atlantic is generally not thought of by meteorologists as a place where tropical cyclones can form. The water temperatures are generally too cool and the vertical wind shear too strong. The area is so devoid of tropical storm activity that no government agency has an official warning system for storms there, which is why this storm is unnamed. In the image shown, the storm is at roughly 28 degrees South Latitude, southeast of the city of Curitaba, which makes a tan splotch against the green vegetation at the top of the image, left of center. According to Dr. Greg Holland, a meteorological researcher currently with Radiosonde North America, it's unlikely�though never impossible�that the storm will make landfall in Brazil given the strong westerly winds that dominate the region's weather patterns. "There have been reports in the past of storms with tropical characteristics in that region," he says, "so I would be very amazed if this is truly the first cyclone ever. However, it is the first time we have ever had such solid observations of a tropical storm there." According to Holland, wind speed observations from QuickSat showed maximum surface winds of about 50 knots, but the satellite wasn't positioned to observe the part of the eye where the highest wind speeds would be expected. So it is possible that the storm is near the 65-knot-wind-threshold for being a Category 1 hurricane. Related Links Terra SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Nighttime Chemistry Affects Ozone Formation
Washington - Apr 13, 2004When it comes to air pollution, what goes on at night can be just as important as what happens during the day, say National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and their colleagues in a study published 10 April in Geophysical Research Letters. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
