Satellite Imagery Another type of “remote sensing” observation

Two Types of Satellites Geostationary Polar-orbiting

Geostationary Parked over the equator Stays directly over the same spot 36,000 km up

Polar-orbiting Fly around the earth from north pole to south pole Very low orbit—300 km Rarely used for operational meteorology

True View of GOES-East

True View of GOES-West

OtherAngles… …are “faked” by computer programs

Real Satellite Images… …are always in black and white

Another “fake” image

Two types of images: Visible Infrared

Visible Images— Shows reflected shortwave radiation—sunlight!

Visible Images-- Just what an astronaut would see.

Visible Characteristics Terminator Shadows Clouds are white/ground is dark Sun glint

Terminator

Shadows

Higher Resolution

Infrared Pictures Really are measuring LONGWAVE radiation EMITTED by the clouds What determines the amount of radiation the satellite sees? The TEMPERATURE of the cloud. TEMPERATURE depends on how HIGH the clouds are.

On an IR image… …higher clouds are colder—whiter …lower clouds are warmer—darker

Sample IR image:

IR Works Day or Night

Compare these two images

Air Mass Modification

An even better image…