306 Flashcards
Role of Satellite imagery in PBS:
Weather Watch
- Provides a coherent view of cloud patterns, a picture from above, of a wide area. Large scale and small.
- Pressure patterns and other features met products to be inferred from distribution,motion and shape.
- Satellite can help to identify mesoscale systems tht are not easily identifiable in any other way.
Role of Satellite imagery in PBS:
During the briefing
- Imagery is often an excellent visual aid
- helps fill in data sparse areas
- it is a source of real time information
- good tool to update analysis of charts and alphanumerics
Role of Satellite imagery in PBS:
Forecasting
- Analysis tool, especially data sparse areas
- Direct aid in short term forecasting
- Input into numerical weather products
- a means of monitoring performance in the early stages of a forecast
GOES
- Geostationary orbit
- exactly matches earth’s rotation
- at 38500km
- over equator
- always points in the same direction
- 2 satelites, GOES W and GOES E
- Satellite subpoints-135 degrees W, 75 degrees W
- areas N of 70 degrees latitude are inconsistent due to the angle of incidence
- Worldwide network of 6 GOES at equator
- Scans every 15 minutes
- CMC Dorval produces images
POES
-Polar orbiting Satelite
-at 850 km
-100 minute orbital period
-Twice daily coverage of the every portion of the earth
-must wait 12 hours to get two consecutive images
-2700 km swath
-
2 types of radiation measured by satellite
-Solar (visible), reflected shortwave radiation 0.2 - 4 micrometers with peaks at 0.5 micrometers, 0.3 to 0.8 for VIS
-Terrestrial (infrared) radiated longwave from earth
3-100 micrometers, maximum intensity 11 micrometers
10-13 for IR
Water Vapour Spectral band (WV)
- Strongly absorbs radiation at very specific wavelengths of 6-7 micrometers
- poor resolution
Sensor Resolution
- The smallest area that can be distinguished from the surrounding areas by the satellite sensor.
- Radiation intensity
- Distance from source
- Radiometer Characteristics
- Distance from subpoint
Image resolution
- The smallest area that can be distinguished from surrounding areas on a satellite image
- Number of KM/Pixel
Resolution at subpoint
Geostationary Polar
- VIS: 1km 1km
- IR: 4 km 1km
- WV: 8km 1km
Disadvantages of the two satellite systems
- Distance from earth
- availability of images
- Resolution at subpoint
- Resolution at high latitude
- Cost
- Life expectancy
- Solar Eclipses
4 spectral bands used by Nav Canada
- Visable (VIS)
- Infrared (IF)
- Near Infrared (NIR)
- Water Vapour (WV)
VIS
- 1 km resolution
- black and white picture
- brightness depends on albedo and sun angle
- shadows add dimensions
- daytime use only
Albedo values
- White=high albedo
- Black=low albedo
- Couds 44-95%
- Fresh Snow 85%
- Desert land 30-40%
- land Surface 8-40%
- grass land
- cities
- forest
- water
Shadows a textures in VIS
- Helps identify cloud structure/edges
- helps identify cloud types