{"id":23545,"date":"2017-03-23T19:38:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-23T19:38:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/?p=23545"},"modified":"2017-03-25T22:27:29","modified_gmt":"2017-03-25T22:27:29","slug":"goes-16-cirrus-channel-and-dust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/archives\/23545","title":{"rendered":"GOES-16 Cirrus Channel and Dust"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a class=\"thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_REDVIS_23MARCH2016_2132_2232anim.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_REDVIS_23MARCH2016_2207.GIF\" alt=\"GOES-16 Visible (0.64 \u00b5m) images, 2132-2232 UTC on 23 March [click to play animated gif]\" width=\"640\" height=\"540\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">GOES-16 Visible (0.64 \u00b5m) images, 2132-2232 UTC on 23 March [click to play animated gif]<\/p><\/div><strong>GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data that are undergoing testing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The visible animation from late afternoon over west Texas, above, shows a characteristic signature of a shroud of dust around El Paso, TX behind a <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/sfc032317_191110.gif\">dryline associated with a developing cyclone<\/a> in the lee of the Rocky Mountains. This pall of dust was visible in many of the 16 channels on the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) that sits on GOES-16. The toggle below cycles through the Red visible (0.64 \u00b5m), the Blue visible (0.47 \u00b5m), the Cirrus channel (1.38 \u00b5m), the Snow\/ice channel (1.61 \u00b5m) and the Upper-Level and Lower-Level water vapor channels (6.19 \u00b5m and 7.34 \u00b5m, respectively) (Click <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_6channeltogglefast.gif\">here<\/a> for a faster image toggle). In\u00a0 addition, a 2-panel comparison of GOES-16 Visible and Cirrus band imagery is available <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/170323_goes16_visible_cirrus_NM_TX_blowing_dust_anim.gif\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><div style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_6channeltoggleslow.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_6channeltoggleslow.gif\" alt=\"GOES-16 Visible (0.64 \u00b5m and 0.47 \u00b5m), Cirrus (1.38 \u00b5m), Snow\/Ice (1.61 \u00b5m), Upper level Water Vapor (6.19 \u00b5m) and Lower Level Water Vapor (7.34 \u00b5m) images, 2132 UTC on 23 March [click to enlarge]\" width=\"640\" height=\"540\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">GOES-16 Visible (0.64 \u00b5m and 0.47 \u00b5m), Cirrus (1.38 \u00b5m), Snow\/Ice (1.61 \u00b5m), Upper level Water Vapor (6.19 \u00b5m) and Lower Level Water Vapor (7.34 \u00b5m) images, 2132 UTC on 23 March [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>Several aspects of the toggle above bear comment. Note that the <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_BLUEVIS.GIF\">blue channel<\/a> (0.47 \u00b5m) has in general a &#8216;hazier&#8217; appearance than the 0.64 \u00b5m <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_REDVIS.GIF\">red channel<\/a>. Atmospheric scattering is more important at shorter wavelengths, and that is picked up by the satellite. The <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_CIRRUS.GIF\">1.38 \u00b5m &#8216;Cirrus&#8217; Channel<\/a> generally does not see the surface because of water vapor absorption at that wavelength. However, the atmosphere behind the dry line is sufficiently parched (total Precipitable Water in <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/ELPSounding_0000UTC_24March2017.png\">the El Paso sounding on 0000 UTC 24 March<\/a> is less than 6 mm; sounding from <a href=\"http:\/\/weather.uwyo.edu\/upperair\/sounding.html\">this site<\/a>) that complete attenuation by water vapor is not occurring; dust is highly reflective at 1.38 \u00b5m and a signal becomes apparent in the dry air from west Texas southwestward into central Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Thin dust is very difficult to detect in the <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_SNOWICE.GIF\">1.61 \u00b5m snow\/ice channel<\/a> because solar energy at that wavelength reflected from the surface moves unimpeded through thin dust; thus you can generally see the surface in dusty regions in the 1.61 \u00b5m channel. On this date the <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_SNOWICE.GIF\">1.61 \u00b5m channel<\/a> nimbly discriminated between water clouds (over central Mexico) and ice clouds (over much of the rest of the domain, as shown in <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_VIS_SNOWICEtoggle.gif\">this toggle<\/a> between <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_REDVIS.GIF\">0.64 \u00b5m<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_SNOWICE.GIF\">1.61 \u00b5m<\/a> : only the clouds composed of water are reflective (white) in both channels.<\/p>\n<p>The atmosphere was sufficiently dry on this date that the lower-level (<a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_LOW_WV.GIF\">7.34 \u00b5m<\/a>) water vapor channel detected surface features (horizontal convective rolls) associated with the blowing dust. (click <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/GOES16_2137UTC_23MARCH2017_HIGHWV.GIF\">here<\/a> for the 6.19 \u00b5m image; surface features are not so apparent). <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2017\/03\/ELPWeightingFunctions_0000UTC_24March2017.png\">Weighting functions computed at those wavelengths<\/a> show a significant contribution from the surface at 7.4 \u00b5m (the red line), and also at 7.0 \u00b5m, (the green line), so the mid-level water vapor imagery from GOES-16 likely also shows surface influences); the 6.5 \u00b5m weighting function (the blue line) does not extend to the surface (These GOES-13 Sounder Weighting Functions that are similar to those from the GOES-16 ABI are from <a href=\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/goes\/wf\/\">this site<\/a>) so it&#8217;s unlikely that the 6.19 \u00b5m imagery shows surface features.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/\">GOES-R Website<\/a> has fact sheets on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABI%20Band%201%20Fact%20Sheet_Revised%202.24.15.pdf\">0.47 \u00b5m<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABI%20Fact%20Sheet%20Band%202.pdf\">0.64 \u00b5m<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABI_Band%204_cirrus_factsheet_FINAL.pdf\">1.38 \u00b5m<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABI_Band%205_snow-ice_factsheet_FINAL.pdf\">1.61 \u00b5m<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABIBand8UpperLevelWVFINAL.pdf\">6.19 \u00b5m <\/a>and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goes-r.gov\/education\/docs\/ABI-bands-FS\/ABIBand10_LowerLevel_WV-IR_FINAL.pdf\">7.34 \u00b5m<\/a> channels.<\/p>\n<p>Added: The <a href=\"http:\/\/rammb.cira.colostate.edu\/ramsdis\/online\/loop_of_the_day\/\">RAMSDIS GOES-16 Loop of the Day<\/a> from 23 March showed the <a href=\"http:\/\/rammb.cira.colostate.edu\/ramsdis\/online\/loop.asp?data_folder=loop_of_the_day\/goes-16\/20170324000000&amp;number_of_images_to_display=150&amp;loop_speed_ms=100\">Dust RGB product<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data that are undergoing testing. The visible animation from late afternoon over west Texas, above, shows a characteristic signature of a shroud of dust around El Paso, TX behind a dryline associated with a developing cyclone in the lee of the Rocky Mountains. This pall of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":23558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-goes-16"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23545"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23566,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23545\/revisions\/23566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}