Short Course on Satellite Meteorology

11 January 1998 Phoenix, Arizona

Applications and Interpretation: Part 3 - Sounder Products and Applications

Donald G. GrayNOAA/NESDIS

Office of Research and ApplicationsWashington, DC

AMS 78th Annual Meeting

Presentation Outline

I. Brief review of remote sensing fundamentals, including absorption spectra and weighting functions

II. Characteristics of GOES soundings ( spatial coverage, production methodology, derived parameters) and validation)

III. Applications of GOES sounding products to weather analysis and forecasting.

Absorption Spectra

Transmittances, Weighting Functions

Examples of GOES Sounder Channels

Remote Sensing Fundamentals - Satellite Soundings

Longwave CO2

Mid-wave H2O

Shortwave CO2

Visible

Characteristics of GOES Satellite Soundings

Spatial Coverage, Frequency

Resolution, Effects of Clouds

Use of NWP Model Forecast (ETA)

Production Methodology

Radiosonde Comparison Statistics

ETA Forecast Model Impact Study

Quality Assessment

Applications/Examples of GOES Sounding Products

Nowcasting/Forecasting of Severe Weather

Horizontal Fields of Derived Products

Individual Soundings and Associated Parameters

Derived Product Images

Gradient Winds

Sounder Water Vapor Winds

Effective Cloud Amount and Cloud Top Pressure

Summary

GOES Soundings Provide 24 Hour High Resolution Coverage for CONUS and Adjacent Ocean Areas

Horizontal Resolution of ~50KM (~30KM Currently in Experimental Mode)

Provide Information on Mesoscale Features of Moisture and Stability in Pre-Convective Environments

Case Studies Indicate Strong Correlation Between GOES Soundings’ Fields and Convective Development

Other Applications: Depiction of Moisture: Eastern Pacific, Gulf of Mexico Return Flow, Southwest Monsoons, East Coast Winter Storms

Positive impact demonstrated using GOES TPW in ETA Forecast Model

Summary (cont’d)

Limitations :

Coarse vertical resolution (~3 - 4 km)

Soundings Precluded in Cloudy Areas Geographic Coverage Limited by Slow Scan Rate

Retrieval of Boundary Layer T/Td Not Possible

http://orbit7i.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/temp.html

Acknowledgments

Tim Schmit, Tony Schreiner, CIMSS, University of Wisconsin

Bill Smith, Kit Hayden and Paul Menzel

Jaime Daniels (NOAA), Gary Gray (Raytheon/Hughes)

Web Addresses (NOAA/NESDIS/ORA)

http://orbit7i.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/goes.html

GOES Sounder Products

Other GOES Quantitative Products

http://orbit7i.nesdis.noaa.gov:8080/index.htmlPOES/GOES Satellite Products

Colocation Statistics - Total Precipitable Water (mm)

Radiosondes vs. ETA Forecast and GOES Soundings

Root Mean Square Error

ETA Model Impact Study (NCEP) August 1997

Equitable Threat Score - Precipitation

Phoenix, Arizona 6 Jan 98 20 GMT - 7 Jan 98 19GMT

GOES-8 500mb Gradient Winds - Montserrat

GOES-8 Derived Product Image - TPW (mm)

6 Jan 98 21 GMT