Hurricane Ike on September 4, 2008

  • Released Thursday, September 4, 2008
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NASA's TRMM spacecraft observed this view of Hurricane Ike on September 4, 2008 as it strengthened in the Atlantic. At this time the storm was an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 knots (143 mph) and a pressure reading of 935 millibars. Hurricane-force winds were extending outward 45 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend up to 140 miles. The cloud cover in this animation is taken by TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS) and the GOES spacecraft. The rain structure is taken by TRMM's Tropical Microwave Imager (TMI) and TRMM's Precitation Radar(PR) instruments. TRMM looks underneath of the storm's clouds to reveal the underlying rain structure. Blue represents areas with at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green shows at least 0.5 inches of rain per hour. Yellow is at least 1.0 inches of rain and red is at least 2.0 inches of rain per hour.

On September 4, 2008 Hurricane Ike organized into a very symmetrical hurricane. The blue region represents areas where the storm is dumping at least 0.25 inches of rain per hour. Green is 0.5 inches of rain per hour, yellow is 1.0 inches of rain and red is 2.0 inches of rain per hour.

Notice the rainbands that power the storm. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the center of this storm and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 140 miles.

Notice the rainbands that power the storm. Hurricane force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the center of this storm and tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 140 miles.

Hurricane Ike's clouds are viewed through TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS).

Hurricane Ike's clouds are viewed through TRMM's Visible and Infrared Scanner(VIRS).

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Thursday, September 4, 2008.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:55 PM EDT.

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