Comparing Water Vapor Imagery to Other Satellite Imagery
Using the applet below, notice how different cloud types (e.g. cumulus, cirrus and cumulonimbus) appear in the GOES visible, 11 micron and water vapor images. Notice how the visible and 11 micron (or infrared) images see the surface and do not provide information about the atmosphere under clear clear sky conditions. The water vapor image does not see the surface and can indicate regions of high (gray regions) and low (dark regions) relative humidity of the upper troposphere. For clarity, some atmospheric features are listed on the visible image.
Created on ... February 14, 2005