Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Image of Rita

In this image created from the AIRS microwave sensor, the large blue swath that previously extended into the Gulf is gone (refer to previous images below). The big blue swath was a relatively clear area ahead of Rita that was over the Gulf and the Atlantic. Now Rita has moved closer to land and all the area over the ocean is taken up by the storm. If there is clear air in front, it is over land and thus will show up hot because of the emissivity of the land. Green generally indicates the presence of clouds. The blue areas around the eye are indicative of very high, cold cloud tops crowned by ice. These cloud towers are indicative of strong convection and rain - these are strong high altitude thunderstorms in the eye wall. Image credit: NASA