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Integrated Sensor Training (IST) Professional Development Series

GOES Low Cloud Base Product

Ken Pryor and Gary Ellrod
 Center for Satellite Applications and Research (NOAA/NESDIS)

1) Introduction
    Objective:
    To provide a better understanding of techniques for assessing the risk of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions associated with low clouds and fog utilizing Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imager data.

    Outline:
    Environmental conditions
    Detection of low clouds
    Determination of low ceilings
    Case studies / prediction exercises
2) Prerequisites

    This is a basic course.

    There are no prerequisites.

3) Teletraining Installation Instructions


4) Training Session Options:

    A.) The interactive VISITview training session. (To be used with a VISIT instructor leading the session ). Click here to signup for teletraining. The session will last 60 minutes. This teletraining session uses the VISITview software, where Windows PC with an Internet connection is needed.

    B.) Web-based training session - coming soon - a "stand alone" version viewed via a Web browser, with embedded talking points included. This lesson version may be viewed at any time. These slides are ideal for printing from the web-browser, just print preview first to choose portrait or landscape mode. Best viewed with Internet Explorer or Netscape (prior to version 6).

    C.) local Visitview session - This is the same version of the lesson used in a "live" VISITview teletraining session, but no connection is made to an external VISITview server. You may download the file off this page and go through the lesson on your own in "local mode" by starting the "visitlocal.bat" file. Talking points are not included in this lesson version, but can be viewed in a separate Web browser ( or printed out beforehand).

5) References/Additional Links

    GOES Nighttime Fog and Low Cloud Products

    Brown, R., 1987: Observations of the structure of a deep fog. Meteorological Magazine, 116, 329-338.

    Ellrod, G.P., 1995: Advances in the detection and analysis of fog at night using GOES multispectral infrared imagery. Wea. Forecasting, 10, 606-619.

    Ellrod, G.P., 2000: Proposed improvements to the nighttime GOES fog product to improve ceiling and visibility information. Preprint volume, 10th Conf. on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanography, 9-14 January, 2000, Long Beach, California, Amer. Meteor. Soc., Boston, 454-456.

    Ellrod, G.P., 2002: Estimation of low cloud base heights at night from satellite infrared and surface temperature data. Nat. Wea. Digest, 26, 39-44.

    Lee, T.F., F.J. Turk, and K. Richardson, 1997: Stratus and fog products using GOES-8-9 3.9 um data. Wea. Forecasting, 12, 664-677.

6) Train the trainer
    Talking points (Word document) - these may be used by local offices in tandem with the visitview training session (run in local mode - "visitlocal.bat"). The talking points may be printed out to easily review the session in detail at any time. The web page version contains talking points embedded in each slide (useful for printing).
7) Content developed/updated
    Developed: 2007
8) Information contact