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Meteosat-8/GOES-West Split Window (merged):
Background:
This product is created by combining the split window imagery from the
GOES-West and Meteosat-8 satellites (for more details, see "Product Information"
for each satellite). The algorithm for each is sensitive to the presence of dry
and/or dusty air in the lower atmosphere (~600-850 hPa or ~4,500-1,500 m) and is
denoted by the yellow to red shading.
Uses:
This imagery is useful for monitoring the position and movement of dry air
masses such as the Saharan Air Layer. Animations of the imagery are useful for
tracking these features and can also help identify the source of the dry and/or
dusty air that is indicated in the imagery.
Notes:
• Dry air and suspended aerosols (e.g. mineral dust) both contribute to a positive
"SAL" signal in this imagery, but the relative contribution of each cannot be
determined from this imagery alone.
• Polar air originating from the mid-latitudes produces a positive signal in the
split window imagery that is similar to that of the Saharan Air Layer. This is
because both air masses contain substantial dry air in the lower to middle troposphere.
The JAVA movie is a useful tool for determining which type of air mass is being
indicated in the imagery.
• Since one of the infrared channels on the Met-8 satellite is slightly different
from the equivalent GOES-West channel, the Met-8 split window algorithm is also
slightly different. However, both the GOES-West and Met-8 algorithms produce nearly
identical imagery and are merged at ~65 W.
For more SAL information, please visit the
SAL Background Information
page.
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