SAR data are being acquired over American Samoa for the next several weeks. SAR data from a Sentinel-1A overpass at 0553 UTC on 31 January, shown above (from this website), shows mostly light winds, mostly less than 10 m/s. The Normalized Radar Cross Section (NRCS) data can be used to view any ice contamination in the wind speed image.... Read More
One of the gases emitted from the Mauna Loa eruption is SO2. The 0223 UTC 30 November update from this site notes that emission rates of approximately 250,000 tonnes [sic] per day were measured on 28 November! What satellite products can be used to diagnose this gas qualitatively and quantitatively? There is... Read More
Day Night Band imagery from NOAA’s AOML Direct Broadcast site, above, shows a low-level circulation with deep convection over the center at 0719 UTC. GOES-16 Low-Level water vapor (Band 10, 7.3 µm) mesoscale sector one imagery, below, (from this website) shows abundant mid-level dry air to the south of the Nicole. Nicole is near... Read More
Polar-orbiting satellites have microwave detectors that give important information about the low-level structure of an evolving tropical cyclone. If high clouds are omnipresent, it can be difficult for an analyst to diagnose storm strength with accuracy. Microwave energy penetrates clouds, however, and low-earth orbit (LEO) observations of microwave frequencies can... Read More
