Thunderstorms pose high risks for landings, departing and flying
aircraft. This collaborative research effort between the Cooperative
Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), the
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is to incorporate
satellite-derived information into systems designed to nowcast
atmospheric convection and its first-time initiation. Developing
improved means of monitoring and characterizing convective clouds to
nowcast convection initiation is a key goal. Data sets currently being
processed include GOES visible, infrared and sounder-based satellite
imagery (from GOES-10 and GOES-12). Future work will involve the use of
MODIS, MSG and eventually GIFTS imagery.
This work supports a component of the NASA Advanced Satellite
Aviation Products (ASAP) initiative with the primary focus of improving
aviation safety through the use of satellite-based products. This
project supports the National Convective Weather Diagnostic Forecast
Product developed in part by the NCAR Convective and Oceanic Weather
Product Development Teams (PDTs), as operated by the FAA. The plan at
CIMSS and UAH is to process several types of satellite information into
"Interest Fields" and "Pattern Fields" that can be used to describe
convective initiation across large geographical regions.
This work is supported by the NASA New Investigator Program grant, NAG5-12536
and the NASA Advanced Satellite Aviation Products Initiative, 4400071484.
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