IMO, it makes more sense to do the following activity extension after the YSLG lab activity, (03) "Heat on the Move - Radiation Station." == Think about this... How do we know whether we are looking at land, water, or clouds? Add sidebar re: ground-truthing. Do this... 1. Date is shown in dd/mm/yy format. What is the meaning of the following time-related acronyms: UTC; EST; EDT 2. What is the current surface air temperature in Washington, D.C. (IAD)? Do you think the IR image shows the temperature of the land surface or the temp of the cloud-tops? 3. Experiment w. Grenci Java applet; answer ques. by looking at IR wxsat image. 4. Note: AMS IR wxsat image features an outline of North America (boundaries between U.S. and Canada & Mexico not shown); Great Lakes and Great Salt Lake are outlined. == Google Search: infrared + satellite + education == The following resource is GOLD!!! https://www.e-education.psu.edu/public/meteo/meteo101demo/index.html Dept. of Meteorology/e-Education Institute College of Earth and Mineral Sciences The Pennsylvania State University Instructor: Lee Grenci Department of Meteorology 523 Walker Building University Park, PA 16802 Telephone (814) 863-4227 E-mail: grenci@ems.psu.edu https://www.e-education.psu.edu/courses/meteo101/Images/Section3/IR_sim0308.html Simulating Infrared Imagery To drive home the scientific principles that serve as the bases [sic] for interpreting infrared satellite imagery, please take a little time to explore this nifty (you can resize the window to best fit your screen). Click on the link to open the tool and keep it open as you read further. Just so that you have your bearings, please note that the controls for cloud thickness, cloud-top height and surface temperature on the right cross section of the atmosphere. After you set the controls in the right window, the left window will show you the corresponding infrared image that corresponds to your settings in the right window. Please keep in mind that the window on your left displays a simulation of what the real infrared image would look like. javascript:doWindowOpenCD('../../Images/Section3/ir_interactive0308.swf','new_frame','width=800,height=600,menubar=0,toolbar=0,scrollbars=1,status=0,location=0,resizable=1,resizable=1',0) Note: Wash., DC appears on simulator! Let's try a couple of examples. First, set the ground temperature to an arbitrary 20 degrees Celsius. Next, set the cloud depth to "thick". Okay, drag the cloud up and down (thus decreasing and increasing the temperature of the cloud top). Note that, as you drag thick the cloud upward into the increasingly colder upper troposphere, the appearance of the overcast region gets progressively brighter and whiter on the simulated infrared image (conversely, dragging the cloud downward into the warmer lower troposphere causes the overcast region looks increasingly gray on the simulated IR image). Okay, ready to try a second example? Keep the ground-temperature setting at 20 degrees Celsius. Next, move the cloud (still on the thickest setting) so that its base lines up fairly closely with minus five degrees Celsius (the cloud has a low, warm base). Then change the thickness of the cloud to "thin" (the top of the now "skinny" cloud stays at the same altitude as it did on the thick setting). Note that the appearance turns darker. That's because radiation from the warmer earth's surface likely leaks through the thin cloud, making its cloud top appear warmer than it actually is. Are you getting the hang of it now? Time for one last example. First, set the ground temperature to minus ten degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit, which would correspond to a temperature on a cold, winter night). Next, set the thickness of the cloud to medium -- halfway between thick and thin. Drag the "medium cloud" so that its top lines up with minus 10 degrees. What do you observe on the simulated infrared image? You're right -- except for the labels, you really can't detect the presence of the low clouds because the temperature of their tops is approximately the same as the temperature of the ground. That's one of the limitations of infrared imagery -- it cannot be used to effectively detect low clouds at night. Please experiment more with this interactive tool. Hopefully, it will clear up any and all questions pertaining to infrared imagery. -- pop-up window: Infrared Remote-Sensing Simulator This activity is designed to help you understand IR satellite imagery. In the panel on the right, you can adjust cloud height, cloud thickness, and surface temperature. Then, observe the appearance of cloudy sky and clear sky on the simulated grey-scale IR image below. Radiative Temperature (degC) -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 Clear Sky / Cloudy Sky Average Atmosphere Temperature (degC) -40 -35 -30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 Surface Temperature (degC) -20 | -10 | 0 | 10 | 20 Cloud Thickness thick | thin Drag to adjust cloud [top] height == Satellite Meteorology Course Homepage http://www.comet.ucar.edu/class/satmet/ == Eyes on Earth http://www.omsi.edu/visit/earth/eyesonearth/links.cfm == Satellite Meteorology Modules http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/modules/index.html Infrared Satellite Images [*features link to wxsat img simulator Java applet] http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/modules/sat_images/infrared.html Satellite Meteorology Glossary and List of Acronyms http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satmet/glossary/glossary.html == http://www.metoffice.com/education/data/satellite.html Visible satellite images Visible images show reflected sunlight (reflected from the earth or the clouds). In general, the brighter the cloud appears, the thicker it is. Visible images are only available during daylight hours. Infrared satellite images These are effectively measuring the temperature of the cloud or the Earth's surface. The images are usually prepared in such a way that cold surfaces such as high cloud appear white, and warm surfaces such as low cloud or the Earth's surface appear darker. Infrared images are always available. -- Environment Canada Project Atmosphere Canada Module 13 / Weather Satellites http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/education/teachers_guides/module13_weather_satellites_e.html Module 6 / Air Sea Interaction http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/education/teachers_guides/module6_air_sea_interaction_e.html see: Activity - Sea-Surface Temperatures Module 2 / Weather Radar Detecting Precipitation http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/education/teachers_guides/module2_weather_radar_detecting_precipitation_e.html -- Exploring Satellite Oceanography (A set of lesson plans for high school science students) Lesson Plan #1: Introduction to Satellite Oceanography Graduate School of Oceanography / University of Rhode Island Amy Schubert and Peter Cornillon http://dcz.gso.uri.edu/amy/avhrr.html -- What is the Difference Between Visible and Infrared Satellite? http://www.wunderground.com/about/satellite.asp == Copyright (c) 2005-2012 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.