Soundings

Several variations of image products generated from GOES Sounder channels have been displayed on the Sounder RAMSDIS at CIRA. The Sounder RAMSDIS used for testing channel combinations that might yield useful meteorological information. The fog/reflectivity product and longwave infrared channel-difference products are generated from GOES Sounder channels in spectral regions equivalent to those normally used to generate these products from the GOES Imager. In addition, the products are generated from more than one channel in each spectral region since the Sounder has a choice of channels. As examples, the fog/reflectivity product can be generated using either the 3.9 or 3.7 µm channel, and the longwave difference product can be generated using either the 12.0 or 12.6 µm channel.

The technique of clustering satellite measurements into groups of similar values before doing retrievals is being re-investigated. Software for clustering any combination of GOES Sounder channels is being tested at CIRA on data from the NESDIS server. Clustering will eventually be tested in an ‘operational’ GOES retrieval mode to compare it to normal blocking of sounding FOVs into either 5x5 or 3x3 groups. The initial steps to this testing have been taken with further progress expected as the initial cases are examined.