Introduction to the GOES Imager Tutorial
The material presented in this module is designed as a beginner's guide to the use of GOES imagery. The GOES provide frequent images at five different wavelengths, including a visible wavelength channel and four infrared channels. The satellites scan the continental U.S. every 15 min.; most of the hemisphere, from near the north pole to ~ 20S latitude, every 30 min; and scan the entire hemisphere once every three hours in their "routine" scheduling mode. Optionally, special imaging schedules are available which allow data collection at more rapid time intervals (~7.5-min and 1-min), over reduced areal sectors. These will be discussed in more detail in the sections that follow.
You will have the option to proceed through the material, one "page" at a time, in the baseline order it was assembled or, you may go back to the Table Of Contents (TOC) and immediately go to a section of your choice from there. Throughout the module you will find links to more advanced material and various sub-topics. To "jump" to topics out of order from the baseline sequence (as outlined in the TOC), one may click the mouse over the hyper-text (bold, blue, underlined text) phrase of interest. You may return to the "page" you jumped from by clicking the PREVIOUS button; otherwise, clicking the PREVIOUS button takes you to the "page" just preceding the current one in the baseline sequence of the tutorial.
Much appreciation to Martin Holecko of Computer Graphics Group for his great work in developing and providing the image player (looper), jsImagePlayer 1.0, which is used so extensively throughout this module.
NOTE: You are invited to review two other RAMMT tutorials covering the GOES 3.9 micron Channel and the Advanced GOES Imagery Applications.

