ATSC-110L: Meteorology 1 Lab

Satellite Products

Visible

Image 1: Example of visible imagery from a satellite. Grayscale look at the earth from outer space.

Infrared

Image 2: Example of infrared imagery from a satellite. Colder temperatures are yellow/green. Warmer temperatures are blue/purple/gray.

Water Vapor

Image 3: Example of water vapor imagery from a satellite. More moist areas are white/green and more dry areas are orange/red.

Visible Imagery

Can only be used during the day
- A snapshot of what the satellite sees - at night, this would be nothing!

To identify thunderstorms:

Look for "bubbly" cloud features, which represent convection
Look for an outflow boundary on the leading edge of the storm

Image 4: Example of visible satellite imagery. Grayscale look at the earth's surface from outer space.

GOES East Watches Derecho Slam the Midwest in 2020

Infrared Imagery

Available 24 hours a day
Observes the longwave radiation from the Earth
Can be displayed in the traditional or enhanced format

Whiter clouds (traditional) or Blue/Purple, Red/Black for thunderstorms (enhanced)

Colder temperatures
Can infer that these clouds are higher up in the atmosphere

Darker clouds (traditional) or Brown(ish) (enhanced)

Warmer temperatures
Can infer that these clouds are closer to the surface

To identify thunderstorms:

Colder temperatures represents high, cloud tops
- More developed storm
- In the case to the right, the highest clouds are in NE Nebraska

Traditional Infrared Imagery

Image 5: Example of satellite infrared imagery. Temperatures are plotted on a grayscale. Colder temperatures are lighter and warmer temperatures are darker.

Enhanced Infrared Imagery

Image 5: Example of infrared satellite imagery. Colder temperatures are blue/green. Warmer temperatures are red/orange.

Water Vapor Imagery

Used to analyze the presence and movement of water vapor in the atmosphere
Oranges and yellows indicate a dry air mass
Blue, whites and greens indicate a moist air mass
Measures mid-level moisture, so not a good indication of moisture at the surface
- - Not able to measure all the way to the surface because the atmosphere is in the way!

Image 6: Example of water vapor infrared imagery. More moist areas are white/green and dryer areas are yellow/orange.

Finding Data

Site

Visible

Traditional Infrared

Enhanced Infrared

Low-level Water Vapor

https://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/

Select "Visible (color)"

Select "Infrared - Shortwave"

Select "Infrared - Longwave"

Select "Water Vapor - Low"

https://weather.cod.edu/satrad/

Select "02: Visible (red)"

Select "07: Shortwave IR"

Select "14: Long-wave IR"

Select "10: Low-level WV"

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