[ Reporter ] NASA is unveiling a new global portrait of rain and snow.
Here to show us this portrait and tell us a little about it is Dr. Eric Brown de Colstoun.
Thanks for joining us.
[ Dr. Brown de Colstoun ] Thanks for having me.
[ Reporter ] This global view is very compelling.
What makes this map so special?
[ Dr. Brown de Colstoun ] First of all, we don't have a full global picture all the time,
so the data from this joint Japan/US mission,
called the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission,
gives us, really, a global picture from pole to pole
of precipitation every 30 minutes,
and about at the size of about 6 miles across.
So what we're seeing is intense storms across ...
all the way from the eastern Pacific all the way to the southern Atlantic.
[ Reporter ] Can you take us on a tour and show us some of the surprising things you've seen?
[ Dr Brown de Colstoun ] Sure ... sure.
So one of things that we have here is, I think,
a clip of several events in one week in August, so it was a busy time on Earth.
And so you see here, actually, Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio
going through Hawaii - it was the first storm to hit Hawaii in 22 years.
You also see what we call this "popcorn" precipitation and clouds
over the Amazon river basin.
And obviously all that rainfall falls into the Amazon and feeds the tropical forest.
You see all these big storm tracks through the southern ocean.
Where you actually see in blue, you see the snow and ice on the top of the clouds.
And then the red and greens are the rainfall.
[ Reporter ] This is the first satellite designed to measure falling snow.
Show us a recent snowstorm.
[ Dr. Brown de Colstoun ] A recent snowstorm.
On the east coast of the US we have a couple examples that we can show you.
So, I think what's interesting here is we can actually see this sort of CAT scan
or three dimensional structure of the storm
which I think is really exciting as well, and scientists do.
What you see is the top of the clouds are blue and purple
which is ice or snow, and then at the bottom is the rain.
Again, the reds and purples are stronger precipitations.
This is a storm in February of this year in the eastern US.
And the other part, as well, is we can track the snow
all the way from top of the atmosphere all the way to the ground.
And so you get this really, pretty cool three dimensional picture
of every storm everywhere on Earth.
[ Reporter ] How will forecasters and emergency managers use this map?
[ Dr. Brown de Colstoun ] This is kind of the step in technology.
We're now able to see the whole globe every 30 minutes
so that's critical for all kinds of forecasts, not only for weather forecasting
and climate forecasting as well.
Here you have an example of Typhoon Haiyan,
Super Typhoon Haiyan hitting Japan.
When we're looking at the accumulation of rainfall,
not only over the oceans, but over land,
obviously you can see the applications for first responders
to know where the areas of flooding could occur,
but any number of different applications for emergency responders.
[ Reporter ] Thanks so much for joining us.
[ Dr. Brown de Colstoun ] Thank you.