Most users of water vapor satellite imagery interpret the patterns they see as variations in moisture within the middle to upper troposphere — and for the most part, this is often a good first-order assumption. However, one must keep in mind that the water vapor channel is essentially an InfraRed... Read More

A rare “hybrid” solar eclipse occurred on 03 November 2013 (photos), which began over the western Atlantic Ocean as an annular eclipse and transitioned into a full total solar eclipse for observers along the narrow path of totality in the far eastern Atlantic and over parts... Read More

Sting jets are wind maxima near the end of bent-back fronts in cases of strong cyclones. As noted earlier on this blog, they can acquire a characteristic look in water vapor imagery, vaguely reminiscent of a scorpion’s stinger. In addition, strongly sinking air around the jet, usually associated with both a tropopause fold and a... Read More

McIDAS-V “before” (22 October 2013) and “after” (23 October 2013) night-time images of Suomi NPP VIIRS 0.7 µm Day/Night Band data (above; courtesy of William Straka, CIMSS) showed the coverage of power outages across much of Syria, caused by a rebel attack on a gas pipeline (near Damascus International Airport)... Read More