GPM Views Hurricane Gaston Eye Wall Replacement

GPM Views Hurricane Gaston Eye Wall Replacement

Hurricane Gaston was located in the central Atlantic Ocean west of Bermuda when the GPM core observatory satellite passed over on August 30, 2016 at 00:31 AM EDT (0431 UTC). Gaston was a category two on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale with maximum sustained winds of about 103.5 mph (90 kts). GPM happened to fly over as Gaston was undergoing an eye wall replacement. Intense rainfall was clearly shown by GPM in rain bands of both the inner and the outer replacement eye walls. Precipitation was calculated from data collected by GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. GPM's DPR found that in some storms rain was falling at a rate of greater than 5.4 inches (138 mm) per hour.

GPM Views Hurricane Gaston Eye Wall Replacement

The most striking feature seen by GPM was Gaston's large relatively rain free inner eye area. A simulated 3-D flight above hurricane Gaston was made possible by GPM's radar (DPR ku Band). The structure of rain within the multiple eye walls are clearly shown by these series of views. Also the lack of rain within the inner calm area is evident. Many storm tops were measured by GPM's radar stretching to altitudes higher than 8 miles (13 km).

GPM Views Hurricane Gaston Eye Wall Replacement

Images and caption by Hal Pierce (SSAI/NASA GSFC)