Water Vapor images from GOES-17 (6.9 µm, left) and GOES-15 (6.5 µm, right) [click to play animation | MP4]
East Pacific storm, as viewed by GOES-17 and GOES-15
February 18th, 2021 | Scott BachmeierGOES-15 temporarily brought out of storage
February 10th, 2021 | Scott BachmeierWater Vapor images from GOES-17 (6.9 µm, left) and GOES-15 (6.5 µm, right) [click to play animation | MP4]
- improved spatial resolution with ABI Water Vapor (and other infrared) spectral bands — 2 km at sub-satellite point for GOES-17, vs 4 km at sub-satellite point for GOES-15
- improved temporal resolution — 5-minute image interval for GOES-17, vs 15-minute image interval for GOES-15 (except for 30-minute gaps every 3 hours, during Full Disk scans)
- more stable image navigation
Multi-panel animations of GOES-15 images from the Imager and Sounder instruments are shown below (credit: Tim Schmit, NOAA/ASPB). In addition, there are animations of GOES-15 Visible and Infrared Window images.
GOES-15 Imager spectral bands [click to play animation | MP4]
![GOES-15 Sounder spectral bands [click to play animation | MP4]](https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/images/2021/02/gwall.21041.2200.gif)
GOES-15 Sounder spectral bands [click to play animation | MP4]
A view of California wildfires from 4 GOES
August 13th, 2020 | Scott BachmeierFrom left to right, GOES-17, GOES-15, GOES-14 and GOES-16 Visible images [click to play animation | MP4]
In southern California, Shortwave Infrared images from all 4 satellites (below) displayed thermal signatures (dark black to red pixels) from wildfires burning near Los Angeles. Thermal signatures varied between the 4 satellites, based upon differences in spatial resolution, viewing angle, and intermittent fire thermal signal attenuation by high clouds moving over the area. In the GOES-15 images, the occasional appearance of white pixels was due to a “roll-over” issue — where extremely hot temperatures get displayed as cold (white).
From left to right, GOES-17, GOES-15, GOES-14 and GOES-16 Shortwave Infrared images [click to play animation | MP4]
The raw GOES data was acquired and processed by SSEC Satellite Data Services.
GOES-15 is no longer sending data
March 2nd, 2020 | Scott Lindstrom
GOES-15 Clean Window (10.7 µm) Infrared imagery at 1552 UTC over the southern hemisphere (Click to enlarge)
As scheduled, GOES-15 has sent its last image (More information from NOAA’s Office of Satellite and Product Operations OSPO) . The final image sent was a 1552 UTC Southern Hemisphere sector, shown above (courtesy Tim Schmit). (One of the final Sounder images is here). However, the satellite is not gone for good: it is scheduled to transmit data again in August of this year, when the GOES-17 Loop Heat Pipe issue again renders GOES-West imagery incomplete during the eastern/central Pacific Ocean Hurricane season. (This website shows more specifics)
GOES-15 became the operational GOES-West satellite — replacing GOES-11 — back in early December 2011 (Blog Post; GOES-11 replaced GOES-10 as GOES-West back in 2006 (Blog Post)). GOES-15 ceased being the operational GOES-West when GOES-17 became operational (February 12, 2017), but GOES-15 has continued to transmit data to supplement imagery lost because of the GOES-17’s Loop Heat Pipe.
Added: The Science Test for GOES-15 is available here.