Satellite Meteorology

For Grade 7-12

10

Three New Satellites: SUOMI NPP, JPSS & GOES-R

GOES-R

Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI)

The ABI will have much better temporal resolution than the current GOES imager, meaning that it will be able to scan the atmosphere faster and acquire images more frequently. One mode is that every 15 minutes, ABI will scan the full disk (FD), plus continental United States (CONUS) 3 times, plus a selectable 1000 km × 1000 km area every 30 seconds. Alternatively, the ABI can be programmed to scan the FD iteratively every 5 minutes. Given that the current GOES imager takes approximately 25 minuets for a FD, this implies there will be a fivefold increase in the coverage rate! Why does temporal resolution matter? To answer this, compare the following side-by-side animations of Hurricane Igor. The one on the left (GOES-15) displays stunning glimpses into the eye of the hurricane with multiple images taken one minute apart. The animation on the right (GOES-13) shows the same time period with 15-minute imagery. They're both cool but the one minute imagery provides much more detail and reveals more information about the storm.

This Satellite Meteorology Course was developed at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) located within the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) at the UW-Madison. Funding was provided by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) and NOAA/NESDIS.