Geostationary Satellite Analyses of Precipitation and Cloud Parameters.

• Main Author: Spray,Laura A
• Other Authors: NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1985
• Subjects: Meteorology; *CLOUDS; *ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION; UNITED STATES; AUTOMATION; LAYERS; PARAMETERS; OBSERVATION; INTENSITY; THESES; OPTICAL DATA; RADAR; HIGH RESOLUTION; SURFACES; PRECIPITATION; PATTERNS; INFRARED RADIATION; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; CLOUD COVER; SYNCHRONOUS SATELLITES; SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHY; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA164441; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA164441

Satellite and surface data are used to analyze mesoscale and subsynoptic cloud and precipitation patterns. Digital GOES (Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite) visible and infrared data are used to produce high resolution (4 n mi) satellite analyses of cloud amount, cloud type, cloud-top temperature and height, and precipitation intensity for an approximate 1600 x 1600 n mi area over the northeastern United States and the western North Atlantic Ocean. Conventional surface observations, the Automated Radar Summary chart and manual analysis of the imagery are used to evaluate the satellite-derived analyses for nine cases during the winger and spring 1985. The majority of cloud amount estimates for clear and overcast sky conditions are analyzed correctly; however, broken and scattered skies are underestimated. The general cloud type patterns are depicted accurately. More success occurs with uniform-textured clouds (i.e. nimbostraus, stratocumulus) and multi-layered clouds than with nonuniform-textured clouds (i.e. cirrus, cumulus). The majority of cloud-top temperature/height analyses are representative of the cloud types and patterns. Most atmospheric precipitation areas are identified correctly; however, the intensity of the precipitation is underestimated. Keywords: Cloud cover; and Thresholds.