1 28 -60 8000000 Global Surface Air Temperature during Hurricane Frances As the Sun's energy reaches the Earth, it is either reflected, absorbed by the clouds, or absorbed by the Earth's surface. The part absorbed by the Earth's surface heats the Earth, which then heats the air just above the surface. This process occurs rapidly in the case of dry land and slowly in the case of the oceans. This animation shows the surface air temperature at an altitude of 2 meters for the whole globe from September 1, 2004, through September 5, 2004, during the period of Hurricane Frances in the western Atlantic Ocean and Typhoon Songda in the western Pacific Ocean. The animation clearly shows the air over land reacting rapidly to solar heating during the day and cooling at night, while the daily solar cyle is not visible in the temperature of the air over the ocean. A very dynamic region of changing air temperature is visible in the interaction between the cold air over Antarctica and the warmer mid-latitude air over the southern oceans during this region of polar night. Hurricane Frances and Typhhon Songda are just barely visible as circulating temperature patterns in the western Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Animation (1000x721) Global surface air temperature from the 0.25 degree resolution fvGCM atmospheric model for the period 9/1/2005 through 9/5/2005. 1 0 2004-09-01T03:00:00Z 2004-09-06T02:59:59Z 2004-09-01 03 1 1 2004-09-01T03:00:00Z 2004-09-01T05:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0000.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 06 1 1 2004-09-01T06:00:00Z 2004-09-01T08:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0001.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 09 1 1 2004-09-01T09:00:00Z 2004-09-01T11:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0002.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 12 1 1 2004-09-01T12:00:00Z 2004-09-01T14:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0003.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 15 1 1 2004-09-01T15:00:00Z 2004-09-01T17:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0004.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 18 1 1 2004-09-01T18:00:00Z 2004-09-01T20:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0005.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-01 21 1 1 2004-09-01T21:00:00Z 2004-09-01T23:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0006.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 00 1 1 2004-09-02T00:00:00Z 2004-09-02T02:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0007.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 03 1 1 2004-09-02T03:00:00Z 2004-09-02T05:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0008.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 06 1 1 2004-09-02T06:00:00Z 2004-09-02T08:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0009.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 09 1 1 2004-09-02T09:00:00Z 2004-09-02T11:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0010.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 12 1 1 2004-09-02T12:00:00Z 2004-09-02T14:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0011.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 15 1 1 2004-09-02T15:00:00Z 2004-09-02T17:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0012.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 18 1 1 2004-09-02T18:00:00Z 2004-09-02T20:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0013.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-02 21 1 1 2004-09-02T21:00:00Z 2004-09-02T23:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0014.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 00 1 1 2004-09-03T00:00:00Z 2004-09-03T02:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0015.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 03 1 1 2004-09-03T03:00:00Z 2004-09-03T05:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0016.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 06 1 1 2004-09-03T06:00:00Z 2004-09-03T08:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0017.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 09 1 1 2004-09-03T09:00:00Z 2004-09-03T11:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0018.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 12 1 1 2004-09-03T12:00:00Z 2004-09-03T14:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0019.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 15 1 1 2004-09-03T15:00:00Z 2004-09-03T17:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0020.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 18 1 1 2004-09-03T18:00:00Z 2004-09-03T20:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0021.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-03 21 1 1 2004-09-03T21:00:00Z 2004-09-03T23:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0022.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 00 1 1 2004-09-04T00:00:00Z 2004-09-04T02:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0023.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 03 1 1 2004-09-04T03:00:00Z 2004-09-04T05:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0024.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 06 1 1 2004-09-04T06:00:00Z 2004-09-04T08:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0025.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 09 1 1 2004-09-04T09:00:00Z 2004-09-04T11:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0026.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 12 1 1 2004-09-04T12:00:00Z 2004-09-04T14:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0027.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 15 1 1 2004-09-04T15:00:00Z 2004-09-04T17:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0028.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 18 1 1 2004-09-04T18:00:00Z 2004-09-04T20:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0029.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-04 21 1 1 2004-09-04T21:00:00Z 2004-09-04T23:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0030.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 00 1 1 2004-09-05T00:00:00Z 2004-09-05T02:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0031.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 03 1 1 2004-09-05T03:00:00Z 2004-09-05T05:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0032.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 06 1 1 2004-09-05T06:00:00Z 2004-09-05T08:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0033.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 09 1 1 2004-09-05T09:00:00Z 2004-09-05T11:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0034.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 12 1 1 2004-09-05T12:00:00Z 2004-09-05T14:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0035.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 15 1 1 2004-09-05T15:00:00Z 2004-09-05T17:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0036.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 18 1 1 2004-09-05T18:00:00Z 2004-09-05T20:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0037.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-05 21 1 1 2004-09-05T21:00:00Z 2004-09-05T23:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0038.png -90 90 -180 180 2004-09-06 00 1 1 2004-09-06T00:00:00Z 2004-09-06T02:59:59Z http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/frames/1000x721/t2m.0039.png -90 90 -180 180 Legend 1 3 http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003100/a003198/t2m_bar.0000.png