Depicting the Strength of Irma's Winds with the RTMA Sep 15, 2017
This data visualization from NOAA's Visualization Laboratory shows the maximum wind gusts from Hurricane Irma from September 7 to September 10, 2017. Note how the strongest wind gusts are on the north side of the storm track (the faint dotted line). According to the NOAA's National Hurricane Center, Irma's maximum sustained winds ranged from 110 (on 9/10) to near 180 (on 9/7) miles per hour during this period.
This graphic was created with data from the RTMA, or Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis model, which uses surface observation data to create a highly accurate gridded analysis of past weather conditions. The data covers only the Continental United States and coastal areas, so areas of the storm further to the south and east, where Irma was at maximum intensity, are not visible. To see satellite imagery of Irma, visit our image gallery. For information about the 2017 Hurricane Season thus far, check out our Hurricane Tracker.
Referral: National Hurricane Center's archive of Hurricane Irma advisories
Terms of Use: Please credit NOAA
Keywords: hurricane, Irma, RTMA, 2017.09.15
https://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/Sand Disturbed by the Passing of Hurricane IrmaSep 13, 2017
Hurricane Irma didn't just impact land. As seen in these before-and-after true-color images captured by the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite September 7, 2017 (top) and September 11 (bottom), the storm altered the distribution of sand around the coast of Florida. The light blue color shows sediment suspended in the water, kicked up by the intensity of the storm. According to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, damage to natural resources in the region could be significant.
Although true-color images like this may appear to be photographs of Earth, they aren't. They are created by combining data from the three color channels on the VIIRS instrument sensitive to the red, green and blue (or RGB) wavelengths of light into one composite image. In addition, data from several other channels are often also included to cancel out or correct atmospheric interference that may blur parts of the image.
Referral: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Terms of Use: Please credit NOAA/NASA
Keywords: hurricane, Irma, turbidity, NPP, VIIRS, 2017.09.11
https://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/