| Caption: |
This map of sea surface topography, prepared from satellite radar altimeters, shows that Hurricane Katrina intensified from Category 3 to Category 5 as it crossed the Loop Current and Eddy Vortex. Oceanographic soundings indicate that sea surface topography correlates with the amount of warm water below the ocean surface. The size and color of the circles marking Katrina's positions show its stage of development from a tropical depression to a tropical storm, to the category of hurricane. (Modified from Scharroo, R., Smith, W. H. F., and Lillibridge, J. L. 2005. Satellite altimetry and the intensification of Hurricane Katrina. EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union 86: 366) |
