At the end of September 2024, when Hurricane Helene strengthened and made landfall in Florida (USA), causing flooding and widespread damage, another development occurred beyond the human eye.
At an altitude of about 88km above the Earth's surface, ISS sensors recorded an unusual pattern in the mid-atmosphere.
This data was collected by NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), installed on the ISS since November 2023.
AWE has captured clear images of "gravity waves" - wave-like disturbances spreading in the upper atmosphere - stretching hundreds of kilometers, originating from the area most affected by Hurricane Helene.
The special thing is that these waves are observed through the "air emission" (airglow) phenomenon, a dim light emitted by upper-level gases when absorbing solar energy.
When gravity waves pass, the luminance intensity changes, creating clear light-dark bands in photos taken from space.
At the time Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26, 2024, AWE detected concentric wavelengths in the middle class, shaped like water spines spreading out when dropping a pebble into a pond. These wavelengths extended from the northwestern coast of Florida and gradually spread westward.
Physicist Ludger Scherliess, head of the AWE research group at Utah State University, confirmed the origin of the phenomenon. He described: Round waves from Hurricane Helene "rise up" and spread in the upper atmosphere, showing a direct link between the hurricane on the ground and atmospheric dynamics nearly 90km away.
Atmospheric gravity waves can be created by large storms, strong thunderstorms, high mountains, and even volcanic eruptions. They affect temperature, pressure, and air density, especially in the midlands - an atmospheric region that has long been less observed continuously due to being too high compared to aerial shadows, but too low compared to traditional satellites.
AWE is part of NASA's Heliophysics Explorers Program, developed with the Space Dynamic Laboratory of the University of Utah. The mission of this device is to clarify how weather on Earth contributes to the formation of "space weather", especially in previously data-deprived atmospheres.
The AWE on the International Space Station ISS clearly records the link between strong storms and high-altitude disturbances, bringing valuable data to aerospace engineers and satellite operators.
Understanding when and where these disturbances occur helps improve the safety of space infrastructure, improve forecasting models and ensure the accuracy of communication and GPS positioning.
