Global Winds, by Tracking Meteosat Water Vapor Patterns.
Abstract
Geostationary satellite images of water vapor fields show promise as tracers of air motion, even in cloud-free regions. In this study, wind vectors are calculated, using Meteosat water vapor images as passive tracers of air motion. Seven hundred eighty-one (781) individual wind vectors are obtained for the earth-disc view seen by Meteosat; this is nearly total and homogeneous spatial coverage, even in clear regions. A sample of these vectors is compared to radiosonde winds, yielding accuracies at least as good as from cloud-drift winds. These winds represent tropospheric motions, but more precise height assignments are needed. Useful heights can be estimated for large scale area averages and for macroscale horizontal depictions, but they are not adequate for the vertical placement of wind vectors in baroclinic zones or in sub-synoptic activity. Application of water vapor sensor on the other geostationary satellites could allow accurate stereographic height estimates. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA108012
Entities
People
- Larry Richard Johnson
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology