CloudSat's first images

CloudSat's first images show the new satellite's ability to look into the clouds three-dimensionally. (See more here.) This horizontal cross-section of clouds shows a warm front storm over the Norwegian Sea on May 20. Warm air is seen rising over colder air; red indicates particles such as rain or snow. Blue shows thinner clouds, NASA says. More radar images will come later, with validated data available to the scientific community within nine months. (Image by NASA/JPL/The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University.)