A MODIS-based true-color cloud-free image, above, from SSEC’s Real Earth (link) shows a distinct lack of snow cover — for early November!!! — over the USA and Canada. These BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) fields account for sun angle, viewing angle and surface type; data over the past 16 days are used in... Read More
Imagery from the NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Monitoring website (link) shows derived Ash loading (above) from the 3 November eruption of Karymsky on the Kamchatka peninsula. The website identified an eruption beginning around 0720 UTC, with an obvious eruptive plume by 0740 UTC. In addition to Ash Loading, shown above, Ash Height... Read More
A new RGB will be implemented into AWIPS in the near future: it is scheduled for the next TOWR-S build to be released in December. Developed by NESDIS Geo Senior Scientist and Cirrus Channel (GOES-R Band 4, 1.38 µm) aficionado Dr. Andy Heidinger, the Day Cloud Type RGB starts with... Read More
GOES-16 (GOES-East) True Color RGB images created using Geo2Grid (above) showed the east-southeastward drift of ash-laden volcanic clouds from Cumbre Vieja on La Palma in the Canary Islands on 02 November 2021. Since this current eruptive period began on 19 September, intermittent periods of volcanic clouds with an elevated ash content have been observed... Read More
