![\"GOES-16](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/01\/190201_goes16_splitCloudTopPhase_splitWindowDifference_cirrus_visible_Cuba_meteorite_plume_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-16 Split Cloud Top Phase (11.2 – 8.4 \u00b5m),<\/em> Split Window (10.3 – 12.3 \u00b5m),<\/em> Near-Infrared “Cirrus” (1.37 \u00b5m)<\/em> and “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m)<\/em> images [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>A meteorite<\/strong><\/a> landed near Vi\u00f1ales, Pinar del R\u00edo in western Cuba (about 58 miles or 93 km northeast of San Julian MUSJ) on 01 February 2019<\/strong><\/a>. GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> Split Cloud Top Phase (11.2 – 8.4 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Split Window (10.3 – 12.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Near-Infrared “Cirrus” (1.37 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> revealed signatures of the airborne debris cloud as it drifted northeastward then eastward for about an hour after the impact (which occurred around 1817 UTC<\/strong><\/a>) — during that hour (from 1817 to 1917 UTC) the debris cloud traveled about 40 miles. A brief signature of another (lower-altitude) debris cloud moving southwestward was also seen immediately following impact, which was most apparent in the Split Window and Cirrus images.<\/p>\n The signatures in the Split Cloud Top Phase<\/strong><\/a> and Split Window<\/strong><\/a> imagery were due to the presence of mineral dust particles within the debris cloud — the emissivity properties of dust affects the sensed brightness temperatures differently for various infrared spectral bands. The Cirrus<\/strong><\/a> spectral band is useful for detecting the scattering of light by airborne particles such as ice crystals, volcanic ash, smoke or dust. The debris cloud was also casting a subtle shadow onto the surface, as seen in the Visible<\/strong><\/a> imagery.<\/p>\n Rawinsonde data<\/strong><\/a> from Key West, Florida (below)<\/strong><\/em> indicated that the northeastward to eastward drift of the debris cloud at a velocity of about 40 mph (35 knots) would have been occurring at altitudes of 4.9-5.5 km (pressures of 565-522 hPa).<\/p>\n Plots of rawinsonde data from Key West, Florida [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>The GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper<\/a><\/strong> also exhibited a signature around the time of the meteorite impact, as discussed here<\/strong><\/a>. Looking at GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Mid-level (6.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>), Low-level (7.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images with plots of GLM Groups (below)<\/strong>,<\/em> a faint debris cloud signature could best be followed in the 7.3 \u00b5m imagery (AWIPS animation<\/a><\/strong>) after the 1817 UTC<\/a><\/strong> impact — but for a shorter time period than what was seen with the other GOES-16 examples shown above. While the Water Vapor band weighting functions<\/a><\/strong> for Key West had peaks at fairly low altitudes for 7.3 \u00b5m and 6.9 \u00b5m, the signature for any low\/mid-tropospheric features would have been masked by absorption and re-radiation from moist layers within the upper troposphere.<\/p>\n GOES-16 Upper-level (6.2 \u00b5m, top left),<\/em> Mid-level (6.9 \u00b5m, top right),<\/em> Low-level (7.3 \u00b5m, bottom left)<\/em> and “Clean” Infrared Window (10.3 \u00b5m, bottom right)<\/em> images, with GLM Groups accumulated during the 5-minute period ending at the image time plotted in red [click to play animation | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>\n * GOES-17 imagery shown here is preliminary and non-operational *<\/em><\/p>\n The bright signature of the bolide exploding as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere was also detected by the GLM instrument on GOES-17,<\/em> although the viewing angle was much larger (with a zenith angle of 67 degrees, vs 30 degrees from GOES-16). The GLM Groups detected by both GOES-17 and GOES-16 were plotted with and without the native parallax<\/strong><\/a> correction (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n “Red” Visible (0.64 \u00b5m)<\/em> and Low-level Water Vapor (7.3 \u00b5m)<\/em> images from GOES-17 (left)<\/em> and GOES-16 (right),<\/em> with GLM Groups accumulated during the 15-minute period ending at 1830 UTC plotted in red [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div> The GOES-16 Lightning Mapper (GLM) may have caught the flash from the #Cuba<\/a> meteorite this aftn. This 4-panel shows an extensive \u201cflash\u201d occurring in a mostly sunny scene. Day Cloud Phase RGB (UL), 10.35um Clean IR (UR), .64um VIS (LL), regional radar (LR) pic.twitter.com\/atrtXjzOSf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Steve Cobb (@imnotycobb) February 1, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>
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