GOES-8 Sounder Practical Implications

The full-time availability of the GOES-8 sounder enables operational hourly sounding products for the first time. These are some of the practical implications.

• First operational geostationary sounder providing full time coverage (no untimely gaps). Much better radiometric performance (signal to noise better by factors of 5 to 10) especially in the water sensitive bands will provide positive forecast model impact. GOES-8 will yield greatly enhanced depiction of changes in atmospheric moisture and hence atmospheric stability from soundings.
• Hourly cloud definition supplement to the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) with upper level cloud information. Accurate delineation of clouds above 12,000 feet is very important to aviation and weather outlooks.
• Better depiction of boundary layer thermodynamics. Using the shortwave bands on the sounder, we expect to improve low atmospheric temperature and moisture determinations which are critical for improved severe weather watch box determination.
• Higher quality thermal gradient winds derived from the temperature soundings. This means that improved hurricane trajectory forecasts from cloud motion, moisture drift, and thermal gradient winds are possible. Better definition of landfall has huge financial implications for inhabitants on the east coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
• Improved moisture determinations for precipitable water monitoring. This capability should allow us to better isolate areas where very heavy rains are likely.
• First ever continuous monitoring of ozone. We can watch for diurnal, seasonal, and annual changes in total ozone content in the atmosphere over the northern hemisphere.
• The carbon dioxide bands on the sounder will allow continuation of an 8-year study of the fluctuations in diurnal and seasonal cirrus cloud cover over North America.