Satellite images during the year, especially during hurricane season, are very important as they provide an image of clouds and thunderstorms across the world. Satellites are important for areas that are over the ocean, where there is no radar network. So what is the difference in different types of satellite images? Visible satellite imagery: Shows all clouds, regardless of height. It can show very tall thunderstorms and hurricanes across the world. One limitation is that it is only visible during the daylight hours. Infrared satellite imagery: Shows clouds based on infrared temperatures. Typically, the warmer the clouds, the lower the tops of the clouds are. Lower cumulus clouds are usually warmer and darker while high cirrus clouds, very tall thunderstorms and hurricanes are usually colder in infrared imagery. The brighter the clouds, the colder and the higher the clouds are. Water vapor imagery: Indicates the amount of water vapor, or moisture, in the atmosphere. The darker it appears, the drier the air while the brighter it is, more moisture is available. This is important to see upper level low pressure systems and drier air, which can be very hostile for hurricane development. For more information on how satellites work, satellite imagery and surface observation systems: srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/remote/remote_intro.htm
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 14:00:01 +0000