MODIS Sea Surface Temperature product

An AWIPS image of the MODIS Sea Surface Temperature (SST) product from 12 March 2011 (above) showed 2 prominent warm water features which exhibited SST values in the middle to upper 70s F (darker orange to red color enhancement): the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current, and the axis of the Gulf Stream moving northward off the East Coast of the US.

Closer views of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current (above) and the axis of the Gulf Stream (below) displayed the great SST detail that is associated with these warm water features.

MODIS Sea Surface temperature product (Gulf Stream)

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POES AVHRR 0.63 µm visible image + POES AVHRR 3.7 µm shortwave IR image

AWIPS images of 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 0.63 µm visible and POES AVHRR 3.7 µm shortwave IR data (above) showed a large number of IR “hot spots” (black to red to yellow color enhancement) due to widespread fire activity across southeastern Oklahoma on 10 March 2011. One well-defined smoke plume could be sen streaming southeastward ffrom one of the larger fires.

On the following day (11 March 2011), the POES AVHRR 3.7 µm shortwave IR image again displayed a large number of fire hot spots over that same region.

POES AVHRR 3.7 µm shortwave IR image

CIMSS participation in GOES-R Proving Ground activities includes making a variety of POES AVHRR images and products available for National Weather Service offices to add to their local AWIPS workstations.

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GOES-11 3.9 µm shortwave IR images (click image to play animation)

A fissure eruption on the Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii began on 05 March 2011 — and 3 days later, McIDAS images of GOES-11 3.9 µm shortwave IR data (above; click image to play animation) displayed a prominent “hot spot” (yellow to red enhanced pixels) during the day on 08 March 2011.

GOES-11 0.65 µm visible images (below; click image to play animation) showed the hazy summit plume spreading southwestward during the day. This volcanic plume contained high levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), as seen on an image of OMI total column SO2 (courtesy of NOAA/NESDIS).

GOES-11 0.65 µm visible images (click image to play animation)

About 3000 miles (4800 km ) to the north, GOES-11 0.65 µm visible images (below; click image to play animation) showed the movement of ice in the Bering Sea west of Alaska. Note that the motion of the ice was toward the northeast early in the animation, but then changed to motion toward the southwest later in the day. Surface winds along with tidal currents in the Bering Sea have an influence on the overall motion of the ice.

GOES-11 0.65 µm visible images (click image to play animation)

The motion of the ice in the Bering Sea could also be seen on a sequence of AWIPS images of POES AVHRR 0.86 µm visible channel data (below).

POES AVHRR 0.86 µm visible images

The POES AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature (SST) product (below) indicated that SST values were in the low to middle 30f F (darker blue color enhancement) in the ice-free water south and west of the ice edge.

POES AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature product

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POES AVHRR 10.8 µm “IR window” image

A pair of interesting “Figure 8” aircraft condensation trails (or “contrails”) could be seen on a 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 10.8 µm “IR window” image over eastern North Dakota on 07 March 2011 (above). The contrails appeared slightly colder (brighter white) than the surrounding snow-covered ground surfaces. These contrail patterns were presumably made by military jets conducting training exercises from nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base.

The contrail patterns were even more apparent on the corresponding POES AVHRR 3.7 µm “shortwave IR” image (below). The contrail features appeared darker on the shortwave IR image due to reflection of solar radiation off the small supercooled water droplets that comprised the cloud features — and their shadows appeared as slightly cooler (brighter white) signatures on the surface.

POES AVHRR 3.7 µm “IR window” image

On the 0.63 µm POES AVHRR visible image (below), the contrail shadows showed up very well as darker features against the bright snow-covered ground. Using an Interactive Image Fader Tool, the distance offset between the contrails themselves (darker features on the shortwave IR image) and their shadows (darker features on the visible image) was quite obvious — this distance offset was due to the fairly low sun angle at this time of the day over North Dakota in early March.

POES AVHRR 0.63 µm visible image

Tip of the hat to Gregg Gallina (NOAA/NESDIS/SAB) for bring this interesting feature to our attention!

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