Earth Atmospherics/Weather

Palomar · 2005-10-06 07:16:10

*Florida has been spared. Tammy's unleashing 40 mph winds and 5 to 10 inches of rain on southeastern Georgia. As of 8:00 a.m. today she was closest to Albany and is moving NW at 14 mph.

Meteorologists predicting she'll dissipate within 12 to 24 hours, but not before drenching eastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina with 3 to 5 inches of rain.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-06 11:29:35

Tammy snuck up on us so quickly but we missed this one that hit our neighbors to the south.
Devastating Stan Kills At Least 119 In Central America, Mexico

Stan was the 10th Atlantic hurricane this year.

Palomar · 2005-10-10 06:58:11

Cryosat lost

*Oh no. Was a 1500 pound satellite intended to monitor Earth's polar ice caps (climate changes/shrinkage). Cost was $170 million (European-Russia venture) and it was supposed to be a 3-year mission. A missing command in the rocket booster's flight computer doomed Cryosat.

Cryosat fell into the Arctic Ocean near the North Pole (and north of Greenland) before it could complete even 1 Earth orbit. 6 hours after launch it was declared lost. No threat to any human populations from its fall.

Cryosat was to fly in a circular orbit almost 450 miles high with an inclination of 92 degrees, allowing the observation platform to pass almost directly above the poles.
The 1,500-pound satellite carried a radar instrument to pierce thick ice sheets to precisely measure their thickness as it changes over time. The Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Radar Altimeter device featured an operating mode to improve resolution above earlier experiments probing polar ice, and was the first radar altimeter ever exclusively designed to study the frozen ice masses.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-12 11:38:39

Wilmaaaaaaaa!

*Fred's calling. Actually that'll be the last pre-selected name of the hurricane season. If we get another after Wilma, then they'll go with Alpha, Beta, etc. Hopefully not.

Hurricane Vince (first I've heard of it) isn't a threat to the U.S.; by Monday morning (48 hours ago already) HV was degenerating into a tropical storm and expected to become even more disorganized.

Article mentions hurricane names are recycled every 6 years; the names of major storms, though, are never reused. Names never begin with letters Q, U, X, Y or Z.

--Cindy

Grypd · 2005-10-12 16:05:46

For the first time in recorded history and we are talking back to the punic age here a tropical storm hit mainland Spain. Actually it was the first to form in the azores.

Tropical Storm Vince hits Portugal and Spain

Palomar · 2005-10-17 07:08:38

Tropical Storm Wilma develops

*Likely will become, according to many forecasters, a significant hurricane. It likely will move into the Gulf of Mexico by this weekend, and we know what that means... One forecaster is predicting, should that happen, Wilma would more likely strike Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula than the U.S. Gulf Coast.

TS Wilma formed Monday in the NW Caribbean. She was drifting south at 5 mph, but expected to turn towards the SW or W witin a day. As of 8:00 a.m. EDT she had 40 mph winds.

Is the 21st storm of the season. If another forms after Wilma, they'll go with the Alpha, Beta, etc. naming.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-18 10:32:09

As of this morning Wilma strengthens to hurricane force System, likely to gain more speed, could hit Florida by the weekend

Simular references as to name game and why.

The six-month hurricane season ends Nov. 30. Wilma is the last on the list of storm names for 2005; there are 21 names on the yearly list because the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are skipped. If any other storms form, letters from the Greek alphabet would be used, starting with Alpha, for the first time. Storms have gotten alphabetical names only in the past 60 years.

Thanks to the warm gulf waters:

It is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane with winds exceeding 111 mph by Thursday.

Projected track

Looks like the cape Kennedy complex is right in the path of this one

Palomar · 2005-10-18 10:43:44

*Yep. According to Yahoo! news source, Wilma became a hurricane at 11:00 a.m. EST with 75 mph winds (74 mph is Category 1 threshold). May strike western Cuba or Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, but all forecasters seem to be in agreement she will bear down on Florida this weekend. They're also forecasting her to become a Category III, though remind folks that these are 5- to 7-day projections and things could change.

The last I'd seen (early this a.m.) she was still a TS and "stalled" on the ocean.

That sure has changed.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-18 13:32:34

With the Katrina hurricane wiping out some of the gulf oil production followed by Rita only to cause a huge spike in consumer costs that seems to have settled one can only wonder about the inpact Wilma will have.

Oil Prices Jump On Fresh US Hurricane Threat

World oil prices shot higher Monday as Tropical Storm Wilma raised fresh concern over hurricane-battered production in the US Gulf of Mexico.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, jumped 1.73 dollars to close at 64.36 dollars per barrel.
In London, the price of Brent North Sea crude for December delivery gained 1.09 dollars to 60.57 dollars per barrel in closing deals. The November contract closed on Friday at 59.35 dollars.

Palomar · 2005-10-19 04:50:53

:shock: :shock:Wilma now at Category V

*OMG. Just yesterday morning at this time it was still a Tropical Storm which seemed "stalled" on the ocean. Last evening it was at Cat II. Now it's a Cat V monster. ::shakes head::

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-19 05:59:42

I am wondering how much stonger this storm is going to get, with regards to the slow process of movement in the very warm gulf waters? Do the category numbers go any higher?

Palomar · 2005-10-19 06:51:42

*SpaceNut: Category V is the highest given designation.

More VERY bad news:

Wilma is most intense Atlantic storm EVER...

...since record keeping began. :shock: Damn. I was really hoping this would not be.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-20 15:54:38

*SpaceNut, in reference to your question again:

Wilma's rage suggests new hurricane categories needed

On the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, there is no Category 6. But Hurricane Wilma this week brushed up against where a 6 would be if the scale were logically extrapolated to include another category.
And hurricanes are getting stronger, apparently fueled by global warming. Researchers expect that trend to continue.

Why did the scale stop at 5? --:

The scale didn't include a Category 6 for two reasons.
First, it was designed to measure the amount of damage inflicted by a hurricane's winds, and beyond 156 mph, the damage begins to look about the same, according to Simpson....
Another reason is that Category 5 hurricanes are relatively rare, or at least they used to be.

Past tense, unfortunately.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-20 19:19:52

My only thought was that no one ever thought that sustained winds could ever go higher.
In the small state we have the tallest mountain on the east coast and it is "where the world's highest winds (231 mph) were recorded in 1934!"

Granted this was no huricane but keeping that in mind leaves lots of room for higher numbers than 5.

Grypd · 2005-10-24 10:19:06

And to add to the misery this year is now officially the stormiest season ever as there is a new tropical storm in play

Here comes Alpha and so we have run out of names and now we are onto greek letters.

SpaceNut · 2005-10-24 10:23:57

With Nasa telling its workers to stay home.

[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9796662/]NASA shuts doors as Wilma nears Florida
13,000 Cape employees told to stay home; steps taken to protect shuttles[/url]

Palomar · 2005-10-24 10:56:54

And to add to the misery this year is now officially the stormiest season ever as there is a new tropical storm in play
Here comes Alpha and so we have run out of names and now we are onto greek letters.

*Yes. And the season still has roughly 5 weeks to go.

ISS has been snapping photos of Wilma from overhead. Those photos are all over the regular news and astronomy/SE news sources, I'm sure most folks here have seen them already.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-25 12:53:36

Wilma stokes powerful Nor'easter

*Crazy. That portion of New England especially does not need more rain/flooding! 20-foot waves. ::shakes head:: And Wilma is a heckuva long distance from Boston yet.

Snowfall in some areas. Makes me especially glad for dry, sunny and cool here.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-10-27 07:18:01

Tropical Storm Beta

*Someone please pull the Energizer batteries already...!

Man. Heavy rain predicted already for folks in the path. TSB's wind speed is currently 40 mph. As of 8:00 a.m. EST today it was located 70 miles south of San Andres Island, SW Caribbean. Is tracking 4 mph towards the NW.

Still with 30+ days of official hurricane season.

Palomar · 2005-10-28 08:28:15

Beta predicted to become a hurricane...

*...some time today. Latest wind speed is 65 mph. They're also predicting it'll evolve into a Category 2 hurricane by or on Sunday. It's moving toward the Colombian Archipeligo and poses no threat to the U.S.

Emergency measures are being taken in Nicaragua -- evacuations, shelter setups, etc.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-10-28 09:22:19

Gee it was only last week we were talking about running out of names after Wilma hit and the need to start all anew again at the beginning of the alphabet with greek names. Seems like there is no end in sight. Still another full month to go...

Palomar · 2005-11-10 15:36:49

Venus Corona

*Rare photo. D. Spangler of Colorado noticed a "halo" around Venus last week and took this pic. He said: "High clouds produced a colorful halo around Venus."

This is an effect I've never seen before. Luna yes, many times; but never Venus.

The halo is called a "Venus corona." Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley explains: "We often see lunar coronas, colored rings around the moon. In contrast, coronas around Venus are rare because, as bright as Venus is, it is still much less bright than the moon. Look for them," he suggests, "whenever there are thin clouds or mist in front of Venus. Water droplets in the mist diffract Venus's light to make the corona."

Photo and caption courtesy spaceweather.com. Lovely!

--Cindy

P.S.: For newcomers, we are following ESA's "Venus Express" mission in this thread.

Palomar · 2005-11-15 10:25:30

Aurora from space

From orbit, Pettit reported that changing auroras appeared to crawl around like giant green amoebas.

Wish it were a movie.

--Cindy

C M Edwards · 2005-11-15 13:15:05

Tropical storm Gamma predicted by this time tomorrow.

I wish this were a movie, too.

Palomar · 2005-11-15 13:25:15

Tropical storm Gamma predicted by this time tomorrow.
I wish this were a movie, too.

*OMG; tropical depression #27. Just when I thought (or hoped) it was all over for the season. Who knows what'll happen next. Hopefully not much.

--Cindy

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