Hurricane simulation. This screenshot is from the award-winning simulation 'Towers in the Tempest', produced by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio in 2007. This view shows the formation of a phenomenon known as a 'hot tower' (yellow). This 18-kilometre-high structure conveys energy rapidly to higher levels within the hurricane (blue arrow), intensifying its strength. A 'hot tower' forms when the difference in wind speeds between the calm central eye (lower right) and the winds in the eye wall, causes vortices to form, forcing incoming air upwards. This simulation was based on observations of Hurricane Bonnie using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRRM) spacecraft.