English

Microburst applications of brightness temperature difference between GOES Imager channels 3 and 4

Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics 2012-01-09 v3

Abstract

This paper presents a new application of brightness temperature difference (BTD) between Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imager channels 3 and 4. It has been found recently that the BTD between GOES infrared channel 3 (water vapor) and channel 4 (thermal infrared) can highlight regions where severe outflow wind generation (i.e. downbursts, microbursts) is likely due to the channeling of dry mid-tropospheric air into the precipitation core of a deep, moist convective storm. Case studies demonstrating effective operational use of this image product are presented for two significant marine transportation accidents as well as a severe downburst event over the Washington, DC metropolitan area in April 2010.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1004.3506,
  title  = {Microburst applications of brightness temperature difference between GOES Imager channels 3 and 4},
  author = {Kenneth L. Pryor},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1004.3506},
  year   = {2012}
}

Comments

11 pages, 7 figures; text and graphic revision; 12 pages, 8 figures, manuscript for presentation at 39th Annual Conference on Sail Training And Tall Ships