— Climate sensitivity to CO2 more limited than extreme projections — A new study suggests that the rate of global warming from doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be less than the most dire estimates of some previous studies - and, in fact, may…
— Saving Da Vinci's Last Supper from air pollution — Having survived long centuries, political upheaval, and even bombings during World War II, Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece Last Supper now faces the risk of damage from air pollution…
— After 25 years, sustainability is a growing science that's here to stay — Sustainability has not only become a science in the past 25 years, but it is one that continues to be fast-growing with widespread international collaboration, broad disciplinary composition…
— Markets drive conservation in Central Africa — Certification has shown that commercial forestry can co-exist with conservation objectives in the Congo Basin, according to conclusions reached at an international seminar 'Forest management…
— Great Plains river basins threatened by pumping of aquifers — Suitable habitat for native fishes in many Great Plains streams has been significantly reduced by the pumping of groundwater from the High Plains aquifer - and scientists analysing…
— Rivers may aid climate control in cities — Speaking at the URSULA (Urban River Corridors and Sustainable Living Agendas) Conference, in Sheffield, Dr Abigail Hathway, of the University of Sheffield, will demonstrate how rivers…
— Vultures dying at alarming rate — Vultures in South Asia were on the brink of extinction until Lindsay Oaks and Richard Watson, from The Peregrine Fund in the US, undertook observational and forensic studies to find…
— Predicting future threats for global amphibian biodiversity — Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and their declines far exceed those of other animal groups: more than 30% of all species are listed as threatened according to the Red…
— Study shows deforestation causes cooling — Deforestation, considered by scientists to contribute significantly to global warming, has been shown by a Yale-led team to actually cool the local climate in northern latitudes, according…
NASA satellites see Tropical Storm Frank powering back up near Mexico
Tropical Storm Frank was wavering overnight in the eastern Pacific Ocean, just off the southwest Mexican coast, and recent satellite data has confirmed that convection has strengthened within the storm. GOES-11 captured an infrared image of Tropical Storm Frank early this morning and it appeared that the cloud cover was disorganised, but NASA's TRMM satellite looked 'under the hood' of the storm and saw Frank powering back up.
At 11 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. PDT) Tropical Storm Frank's winds were near 65 mph. Frank was centred about 145 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico near 15.4 North and 101.4 West. That's also about 160 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Frank was moving west-northwest at 7 mph and had a minimum central pressure of 994 millibars.
Although Frank's cloud cover appears somewhat disorganised in the infrared imagery from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite known as GOES-11, NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite was able to peer into the storm and see the convection (rapidly rising air that forms the thunderstorms that power a tropical cyclone) was increasing. TRMM flew over Frank this morning, August 24 at 0924 UTC (5:24 a.m. EDT) and noticed deep convection around Frank's circulation centre. TRMM's microwave imagery also saw tightly curved bands of thunderstorms wrapping around the centre of Frank, and it appeared that they covered about 75 percent of an eye wall (towering clouds and thunderstorms around the open centre of a tropical cyclone). Convection has even improved since then, indicating Frank is strengthening again.
Microwave satellite data (such as that that flies on TRMM) was also helpful in determining that Frank is not moving as quickly as previously believed. Frank is now moving west-northwest near 7 mph.
Frank is far enough away from the Mexican coast so that currently, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Despite its distance from land, Frank's rainfall extends over land and is forecast to bring 2 to 4 inches of rainfall over the next several days to south-central and southwestern Mexico as it slowly moves northwest. Isolated maximum amounts of rain up to 8 inches are possible over the higher terrain, and flash floods and mud slides will also be possible.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
'Super reefs' fend off climate change
Carbon capture has a sparkling future
Bioremediation to keep atrazine from waterways
Keeping cool using the summer heat