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RAMMB: Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch CIRA: Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere

SHyMet - Distance Training Topics

Satellite imagery and products in the Forecast-to-Warning Process

  1. Understanding satellite imagery as observation
    1. Remote Sensing fundamentals
    2. GOES and POES Imaging and Sounding
      1. GOES Imager routine scans and rapid scans: area coverage and time schedules
      2. GOES Sounder scans: area coverage and image frequency
      3. POES swaths: area coverage and image frequency
      4. channels and products
      5. simple identification: cloud types, cloud patterns, the earth's surface (land and water), atmospheric pollutants
    3. Water Vapor Imagery - a great resource at many scales - synoptic to meso
    4. GOES/POES Sounders (IR and Microwave)
    5. Case examples - Advanced cloud and feature identification Why satellite observations are important!
      1. General cloud identification
      2. Synoptic and hemispheric scale cloud and moisture patterns: the top part of the Forecast Funnel.
      3. Identifying Synoptic and/or Mesoscale-scale features related to ongoing or expected weather.
      4. Fronts and mid-latitude lows or systems
      5. Jet stream identification and relation to synoptic and mesoscale trends.
      6. Convective cloud systems (MCC, MCS, MVC, etc.)
      7. Orographic phenomena and features
      8. Polar/high latitude phenomena
      9. Identifying surface features: snow cover, ice cover on lakes (bays, rivers, oceans, etc.), moist/dry land, fires/burn scars, land use .
      10. Identifying and observing trends in air clarity: smoke, dust, volcanic ash and other aerosols.
      11. Tropical system trends: from easterly waves to hurricanes.
  2. Satellite integrated with model guidance
    1. Satellite data for model initialization
      1. What satellite data actually gets used by the assimilation system?
      2. How well do the models handle the satellite data?
    2. Model data vs. real-time satellite imagery: relating features in satellite imagery to initialized features and trends.
      1. Potential topics (examples of but not limited to):
      2. General:
        1. Relating clouds to model RH/predicted sky trends
      3. Specific:
        1. Position of clearing skies in association with the short-wave trough
        2. Jet streak causing thickening clouds and development of convection.
        3. Comparing the strength/location of the vorticity center/trough in models to satellite trends.
  3. Satellite imagery and products in the Forecast Process (including the Interactive Forecast Preparation System (IFPS) (Use Weather Event Simulator (WES) cases)
    1. Assessing the short-term trends and forecast for the next 12-18 hours.
    2. Sub-synoptic, mesoscale and local effects:
      1. Identifying boundaries to focus convection - outflow from previous convection, dry line genesis from low-level moisture trends, fringe of morning cloud area, etc.
      2. Identifying morning fog and stratus development and dissipation trends.
      3. Identify snow and ice fields and relate to temperature trends.
      4. Relating past precipitation to Td and RH trends.
      5. Apply satellite techniques to expected heavy snow event.
      6. Development and dissipation of local wind events (sea/land breeze, lake effect, valley/mountain).
      7. In general, use satellite trends to better understand diurnal trends and local effects in cloud development/dissipation and precipitation events (convection over mountains, land/sea, lake effect).
    3. Optional/Special Topics:
      1. Satellite Cloud Climatologies
      2. Hazards - Atmospheric/water releases of hazardous materials
      3. Coastal Zone monitoring (for weather or environmental monitoring)
  4. Special considerations in using satellite imagery for the Warning Decision Making Process (Use Weather Event Simulator (WES) - cases)
    1. Situational awareness for Convection and Severe Weather
      1. Satellite monitoring (detection) of pre-convection and near storm environment (boundaries, moisture advection, winds (jet streaks), sounder DPI/retrievals, etc.)
    2. Nowcasting Convection and Severe Weather (old boundaries, new boundaries, moisture advection, winds (jet streaks), sounder DPI/retrievals, etc.)
    3. Flooding (situation awareness/nowcasting)
    4. Tropical (situation awareness/nowcasting)
    5. Winter Weather (situation awareness/nowcasting)
  5. Space Based Remote Sensing for Hydrology
    1. Precipitation estimation
    2. Soil moisture
    3. Land Use and effects on runoff - vegetation health, urbanization, burn scars, etc.
  6. Future Plans and Advances
    1. NPOESS
    2. Advances in Satellite Data / Model Initialization
    3. With contributions from: JCSDA, SPORT, CIRA, CIMSS, DOD
    4. GOES-R+