GOES-14 SRSOR Imagery!

As an undergrad meteorology student, I was once given an assignment to complete in the fluid dynamics lab. Aside from having to enter the same building in which my differential equations class took place, it was some of the more enjoyable homework I've been subjected to. It also provided a whole new perspective of the atmosphere as a fluid.

Current GOES (13 & 15) satellite imagery provides new data every 15 minutes, giving a fairly good assessment of the atmospheric conditions and movement. However, beginning on August 16th and running though October 31st, GOES-14 is being pulled out of storage for a series of experimental Super Rapid Scan Operations (SRSOR) runs. These runs will provide 1 minute imagery for visble (1 km), water vapor (4 km), and infrared (4 km) imagery!

That fluid dynamics lab came back to mind as I worked with this data the last few days, particularly in observations of convective development. The detail provided by the higher temporal resolution of this data shows the fluid-like characteristics of the atmosphere. It is literally like watching the atmosphere bubble beneath your fingertips!

Shown below is the SRSO visible and water vapor imagery on 120816 from 1800 to 1830 UTC. Note the convective development over MO and AR, and the extra level of detail that can be observed through this SRSO imagery.

For more 1  minute imagery check out the CIMSS GOES-14 SRSOR blog at:
http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/srsor/GOES-14_SRSOR.html

120816 GOES-14 SRSO water vapor imagery from 1800 - 1830 UTC

120816 GOES-14 SRSO visible imagery from 1800 - 1830 UTC

As mentioned, this experimental data will last only through October 31st, but we can still look forward to the increased temporal resolution of GOES-R. While it will not have the 1 minute scan detail, its 5 minute data will still be a big improvement over the current GOES imagery!