![](\"https:\/\/cimss.ssec.wisc.edu\/satellite-blog\/images\/2022\/03\/220324_goes16_waterVapor_pilotReports_TX_pv_anomaly_anim.gif\")
<\/a>GOES-16 Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 \u00b5m) images, with contours of RAP40 model PV1.5 Pressure plotted in red and Pilot Reports of Turbulence plotted in yellow\/cyan [click to play animated GIF | MP4<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/div>GOES-16 (GOES-East)<\/em> Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 \u00b5m<\/strong><\/a>) images (above)<\/strong><\/em> displayed an isolated vortex of very dry air moving over Texas and Louisiana on 24 March 2022. Contours of RAP40 model PV1.5 Pressure — a representation of the “dynamic tropopause” — indicated that this dry feature was a Potential Vorticity (PV) anomaly, which forced the local tropopause to briefly descend as low as the 650 hPa pressure level as the feature passed over that region.<\/p>\n Aircraft flying in the vicinity of such PV anomaly vortices sometimes encounter turbulence within the middle to upper troposphere, near altitudes where the tropopause is being perturbed — and in this case there were 3 pilot reports of moderate turbulence near or within the dry water vapor vortex signature (below)<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n GOES-16 Mid-level Water Vapor (6.9 \u00b5m) image at 1621 UTC, with contours of RAP40 model PV1.5 Pressure plotted in red and Pilot Reports of Turbulence plotted in yellow\/cyan [click to enlarge]<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a>