Simulated GeoXO/GXI Imagery Shows Boundary Associated with CI near Wichita Falls

Figure 1: Clockwise from top-left: (a) 5.15 µm simulated imagery, (b) Simulated water vapor transmittance (0.91 µm-based), (c) 0.64 µm ABI, (d) 10.35 µm ABI

Two simulated GeoXO/GXI products demonstrated skill in identifying the location of convective initiation near Wichita Falls, TX.

Although the HRRR model on which the synthetic imagery is based did not initiate convection soon enough, the imagery did identify the approximate location of initial storm formation near Wichita Falls.  The simulated 5.15 µm imagery (upper-left panel of Figure 1), which focuses on low-level water vapor, showed a southwest-northeast oriented tongue of water vapor extending into the Wichita Falls area.  Even in the model, convection did eventually form on this boundary, and visible and infrared imagery from ABI (bottom panels) confirm the actual location of convection initiation close to that location.  The 0.91 µm-based WVT product (upper-right panel) also showed the boundary, though not with the same level of contrast in this case.  This may suggest that the moisture pooling was focused in the boundary layer, eliciting a larger response at 5.15 µm, or perhaps a different color table could be used on the WVT product to better depict differences in total precipitable water.  The topic of color tables for the WVT product has come up in the discussions with the forecasters.

 -VortexTilting