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AWE Interactive 3D Visualization

Atmospheric Waves Experiment

AWE Interactive 3D Visualization

Throughout its lifetime, NASA's AWE mission frequently observed how powerful convective storms in the lower atmosphere can disturb the upper atmosphere. Over the United States, especially in late spring, these storms can generate rippling signatures that propagate across large horizontal scales. This gallery showcases two representative cases through video and interactive 3D visualization.

March 11, 2026

Case Overview

During nighttime, AWE observes infrared airglow emissions from the OH layer, which allows for a snapshot view of upper atmospheric dynamics near 85-87 km altitude. In this visualization, AWE observations are highlighted that were obtained when the ISS flew right over the March 11, 2026 storms.

The observations reveal short-wavelength, coherent gravity-wave signatures tracking eastward toward the Atlantic sector. These spread-out coherent waves may perhaps also be attributed to the weather system over the US. Note that AWE also records cloud structures comparable to GOES imagery.

March 11, 2026 timeline video (23:23 to 06:00 UTC). As the sun sets, AWE starts to make its way across the Northeastern US.

GOES cloud imagery updates about every 10 minutes; NEXRAD radar updates about every 2 minutes. Data credits: NOAA GOES-East/West satellite imagery and NOAA NEXRAD/MRMS radar data (served via Iowa Environmental Mesonet).

May 26, 2024

Case Overview

On May 25, 2024, the Valley View supercell in North Texas produced a long-track EF3 tornado. This AWE pass lines up with the reported touchdown window near 9:41 p.m. CDT, capturing the storm at a critical moment.

That timing is scientifically important: gravity-wave signatures seen by AWE near the OH layer (~85-87 km) generally originate from earlier convective forcing and can take hours to propagate into the mesosphere-lower thermosphere. In other words, AWE is observing the upper-atmosphere response to storm processes that began before tornadogenesis.

May 26 timeline video (23:23 to 06:00 UTC). A powerful convective system is observed by AWE as it flies over Dallas, TX.

GOES cloud imagery updates about every 10 minutes; NEXRAD radar updates about every 2 minutes. Data credits: NOAA GOES-East/West satellite imagery and NOAA NEXRAD/MRMS radar data (served via Iowa Environmental Mesonet).