GOES-13: Images at 30-Second Intervals
On 12 December 2006 (Day 6 of the GOES-13 post-launch NOAA Science Test), the GOES-13 satellite was placed into Super Rapid Scan Operations (SRSO) mode, providing images at 30-second intervals for the entire day. A 200-image QuickTime animation of visible imagery (above) shows the development of convection along an advancing cold frontal boundary during the late morning into the early afternoon hours; isolated severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for counties in eastern Mississippi (however, no reports of severe weather were received from these particular storms). Previous GOES satellites have provided 30-second interval imagery during special test periods (for example, GOES-8 in 1996), but such SRSO test periods were much shorter (about 10 minutes total duration).
A QuickTime animation of GOES-13 10.7µm IR images (below) reveals fairly cold cloud top temperatures (around -55 to -60 C, orange to red enhancement), but no “enhanced-v” signature was observed. A few cloud to ground (CG) lightning strikes were seen in the vicinity of the strongest convection, but flash rates were quite low (GOES-12, MODIS IR images with CG strikes).
