Aqua

NASA peers into one of Earth’s strongest storms ever.

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New satellite images just obtained from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua spacecraft and the Indian Space Research Organization‘s OceanSAT-2 ocean wind scatterometer provide a glimpse into one of the most powerful storms ever recorded on Earth.

NASA peers into one of earth's strongest storms ever

According to the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Typhoon Haiyan had maximum sustained winds of 195 mph (314 kilometers per hour), with gusts up to 235 mph (379 kilometers per hour) shortly before making landfall in the central Philippines today. That would make it one of the strongest storms ever recorded. Weather officials in the Philippines reported the storm, known locally as Typhoon Yolanda, came ashore with  of 147 mph (235 kilometers per hour) and gusts of up to 170 mph (275 miles per hour).

The two AIRS images, acquired at 8:59 p.m. PST on Nov. 7 (left) and 9:17 a.m. PST on Nov. 8 (right), show the powerful storm in infrared. When the image on the left was acquired, the storm was located 214 miles (344 kilometers) south-southeast of Manila. By the time the image on the right was acquired, the fast-moving storm was already centered west of the Philippines, on a forecast track that will take it to Vietnam. The storm’s coldest cloud-top temperatures are indicated by the brightest shades of purple, and show where Haiyan’s heaviest rainfall was occurring.

NASA peers into one of earth's strongest storms ever
Visible image of Super Typhoon Haiyan acquired from NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua spacecraft at 8:59 p.m. PST, Nov. 7. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Another image, from the OSCAT radar scatterometer on the Indian Space Research Organization’s OceanSAT-2 satellite, shows Haiyan’s ocean surface winds at 5:30 p.m. PST on Nov. 6. The  data were calculated by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., using an advanced wind retrieval algorithm designed for tropical cyclone conditions. The colors indicate wind speed and arrows indicate wind direction. The wind speeds were measured in 15-by-15-mile (24-by-24-kilometer) boxes that recorded a maximum value of 128 miles, or 206 kilometers, per hour). That’s why these wind speeds are lower than the maximum small-scale winds calculated by the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

NASA peers into one of earth's strongest storms ever
Super Typhoon Haiyan’s ocean surface winds were measured by the OSCAT radar scatterometer on the Indian Space Research Organization’s OceanSAT-2 satellite at 5:30 p.m. PST on Nov. 6. The colors indicate wind speed and arrows indicate wind direction.

New Irish technology to reduce water and pesticide usage, increase crop yields and make GMOs obsolete.

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New technology invented by Irish scientists could lead to more productive crop yields, lower water and pesticide usage and make GMOs obsolete.

The technology, radio wave energized water, massively increases the output of vegetables and fruits by up to 30 percent. Plants that are watered using this technology are said to grow bigger and have increased resistance to disease.

Professor Austin Darragh and Dr. JJ Leahy of Limerick Chemistry and Environmental Science developed this technology. The pair of scientists invented a device, called Vi-Aqua, which converts 24 volts of electricity into a radio signal, which charges the water via an antenna. Attached to a hose, this device can charge thousands of gallons of water in less than 10 minutes at the cost of mere pennies.

According to independent.ie, the technology has been successfully tested in many countries in Europe and in India.

Explaining the technology, Darragh said, “Vi-Aqua makes water wetter and introduces atmospheric nitrogen into the water in the form of nitrates – so it is free fertiliser. It also produces the miracle of rejuvenating the soil by invigorating soil-based micro-organisms.”

He then went on to say, “We can also make water savings of at least 30 per cent. When the water is treated it becomes a better solvent, which means it can carry more nutrients to the leaves and stem and percolate better down into the soil to nourish the roots, which in turn produces a better root system. Hence the reason you need less water and why you end up with larger and hardier crops.”

The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, London, were so impressed by the technology that they granted Darragh and his team the right to use their official coat of arms on the device, the first time anyone has received such an honor.

Source: naturalnews.com