Satellite-Derived Moisture-Bogusing Profiles for the North Atlantic Ocean

• Main Author: Eddington, Lee W.
• Other Authors: PACIFIC MISSILE TEST CENTER POINT MUGU CA GEOPHYSICS DIV
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Meteorology; *IMAGE PROCESSING; *MOISTURE; *MARINE ATMOSPHERES; SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION; CLOUDS; NUMERICAL ANALYSIS; METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES; WEATHER FORECASTING; PROFILES; MATHEMATICAL PREDICTION; VERTICAL ORIENTATION; IMAGES; ERRORS; CLASSIFICATION; MARINE METEOROLOGY; NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; CLOUD PHYSICS; ATMOSPHERE MODELS; HUMIDITY; UPPER ATMOSPHERE; ATMOSPHERIC SOUNDING; SOURCES; SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHY; DATA BASES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; BOGUSING; MOISTURE BOGUSING; RELATIVE HUMIDITY; SATELLITE METEOROLOGY; PE62435N; WUDN658752; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA207829; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA207829

Due to the lack of observational data over oceans, a technique was created which uses meteorological satellite image analysis to better assess the spatial distribution of moisture in the atmosphere. The technique, called moisture bogusing, has been used since the early 1970's by the National Meteorological Center (NMC) to improve their model initialization. The technique is used by assigning one of a number of previously computed vertical moisture profiles to different areas on a satellite image, gridding the analysis, and incorporating these profiles into model initialization. A set of 12 vertical profiles of relative humidity for use in satellite bogusing of moisture into numerical weather prediction model initial analysis is presented for the North Atlantic Ocean Region. The profiles are based on a satellite image cloud classification scheme applied to a concurrent data set of satellite images and upper-air soundings. Relative humidity profile composites and statistical significance tests are presented for each cloud category. Sources of error in the compositing process are discussed, and possible improvements are suggested.