Gary P. Ellrod

A Multiple-Case Analysis of Nocturnal Radiation-Fog Development in the Central Valley of California Utilizing the GOES Nighttime Fog Product

Abstract Radiation fog in the Central Valley of California has received very little attention in terms of climatological research. This study uses the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) nighttime fog product to develop a sequence of images and datasets that reveal patterns of nocturnal radiation-fog development in the Central Valley. Twenty long-lived, spatially extensive radiation-fog episodes, occurring from October through January, were selected for the period of 1997–2000. Mean hourly parameters for fog cover, fog development rate, and vertical development were calculated for the 20 episodes in the Central Valley. The study region is separated into five analysis divisions oriented from south to north for spatial comparisons within the valley. Large-scale radiation fog begins developing before 1800 LST, and rates of development vary widely from south to north. Radiation fog develops earlier and covers a larger area of the southern valley as compared with the central and northern p...

A comparison of ground and satellite observations of cloud cover

Abstract A processing scheme that determines cloud height and amount based on radiances from the Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) using a CO2 absorption technique has been installed on the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service VAS Data Utilization Center computer system in Washington, D.C. The processed data will complement the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS). ASOS uses automated ground equipment that provides near-continuous observations of surface weather data that are currently manually obtained. Geostationary multispectral infrared measurements are available every hour with information on clouds above the ASOS laser ceilometer viewing limit of 12 000 ft. The combined ASOS/satellite system will be able to depict cloud conditions at all levels up to 50 000 ft. The error rate of combined ASOS and satellite observations is less than 4% of the total sample in a comparison test with manual observations performed by National Weather Service per...

Detection of Important Atmospheric and Surface Features by Employing Principal Component Image Transformation of GOES Imagery

Abstract The detection of dust, fire hot spots, and smoke from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) is made easier by employing the principal component image (PCI) technique. PCIs are created by an eigenvector transformation of spectral band images from the five-band GOES Imager. The transformation is a powerful tool that provides a new set of images that are linear combinations of the original spectral band images. This facilitates viewing the explained variance or signal in the available imagery, allowing both gross and more subtle features in the imagery to be seen. Whereas this multispectral technique is normally applied to high-spatial-resolution land remote sensing imagery, the application is herein made to lower-spatial-resolution weather satellite imagery for the purpose of feature detection and enhancement. Features used as examples include atmospheric dust as well as forest and range fire hot spots and their resulting smoke plumes. The applications of PCIs to GOES utilize...

Structure and Interaction in the Subcloud Region of Thunderstorms

Abstract The subcloud inflow and outflow structures of two multicell thunderstorms were synthesized from data by a variety of observation systems. The systems included digitized radar, instrumented aircraft, radar chaff, rawinsondes and surface data. The thunderstorms occurred on two consecutive days in northeast Colorado. The data were particularly examined for evidence of horizontal accelerations of the inflow air and hence pressure perturbations in the inflow region and were also examined for indications of interactions between the inflow and outflow air. From the horizontal accelerations it was inferred that widespread but weak mesolows (≤1 mb) existed in the inflow region of each storm. Most of the acceleration appeared to have occurred in the region between the aircraft and environmental rawinsonde observations. The thermal structures of the inflow and outflow regions of both storms are presented. The location of the strongest updrafts near cloud base was generally above and to the rear of the groun...

Applications of Geostationary Satellite Data to Aviation

Weather is by far the most important factor in air traffic delays in the United States’ National Airspace System (NAS) according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Geostationary satellites have been an effective tool for the monitoring of meteorological conditions that affect aviation operations since the launch of the first Synchronous Meteorological Satellite (SMS) in the United States in 1974. This paper will review the global use of geostationary satellites in support of aviation weather since their inception, with an emphasis on the latest generation of satellites, such as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R (16) with its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). Specific applications discussed in this paper include monitoring of convective storms and their associated hazards, fog and low stratus, turbulence, volcanic hazards, and aircraft icing.