Hurricane Rita Makes Landfall Near Texas/Louisiana Border:
The path of Hurricane Rita was recorded by satellite. Rita made landfall on September 24, 2005, just about 1 month after Hurricane Katrina.
The Bermuda High Directs Hurricanes Such as Rita :
A high pressure system over Bermuda will direct and indicate where a hurricane will land in the United States.(20 sec, MPEG-1, 25 MB) Hurricane Rita was directed into the Gulf of Mexico because of an expanded high pressure system in the summers of 2004 and 2005.Sea Surface Temperatures Feed a Hurricane or Typhoon:
Hurricanes are fueled by warm ocean temperatures. (9 sec, MPEG-1, 4 MB) Hurricane Rita was given energy by the 82 degree or more temperatures in the ocean. After the hurricane passed, temperatures in the ocean were slightly cooler.Cold Water Trails are Seen by Satellites:
Hurricanes Fabian and Isabel give a good view of the cold water left behind after a hurricane.(10 sec, MPEG-1, 5 MB) As a hurricane passes over the ocean the warm temperatures of the water keep the winds blowing at increasingly higher speeds. The change from red and orange to blue can be seen in this video clip.Hurricane Rita's Cumulonimbus Hot Towers:
Hurricane Rita showed scientists a rare view of "hot towers" inside a hurricane.(8 sec, MPEG-1, 5 MB) A hot tower is a tall cumulonimbus storm cloud near the eyewall of a hurricane. NASA's TRMM satellite was able to look into the clouds of the hurricane to see the hot towers when Rita was just a tropical storm. The presence of these hot towers showed that the storm was going to intensify very quickly. Understanding hot towers may someday lead to better hurricane predictions and warning times.
