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RAMMB: Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch logo CIRA: Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere logo NESDIS: NOAA Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service logo

The Window (10.7 µm) Channel

Channel No. Central Wavelength (µm) Sample sub-point (E/W x N/S)
Resolution (km)
Common Reference
4 10.7 2.3 x 4.00 window, longwave IR

The 10.7 µm channel is a so-called "window channel" meaning that radiation at this wavelength is not absorbed (to any significant degree) by atmospheric gases. When we look at clouds, or the cloud-free ground, with this channel, we are "seeing" the actual temperature of the scene in the field-of-view. Channel 4 imagery has a wide variety of uses, including determination of cloud top heights, identification of cloud top features, tracking synoptic and mesoscale features at night, etc.

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