Hurricane Isidore – MERIS - 21 September 2002

This image shows the recent hurricane Isidore passing over the Gulf of Mexico. And demonstrates how features related to all of the principal dynamics can be observed.

The MERIS image shows a classic hurricane circulation pattern, with the cloud structure around the hurricane centre as warm moist air is entrained into the system. The eye can be clearly identified together with the thick cloud structures associated with the convection within the eye wall. The higher altitude outflow can be seen extending over Cuba as systems of thunderstorms.

Technical Information:
Instruments: MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS)
Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR)
Date of Acquisition: 21 September 2002
Orbit number: 02928
MERIS Instrument features: Reduced Resolution image (1200-meter resolution)