New Cloud Composite Climatologies Using Meteorological Satellite Imagery

Edward M Tomlinson; Donald L Reinke; Thomas H. Vonder Haar

doi:10.1117/12.951746

8 August 1989 New Cloud Composite Climatologies Using Meteorological Satellite Imagery

Edward M Tomlinson, Donald L Reinke, Thomas H. Vonder Haar

Proceedings Volume 1060, Nonlinear Optical Beam Manipulation and High Energy Beam Propagation Through the Atmosphere; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.951746
Event: OE/LASE '89, 1989, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Atmospheric variability affects the utility of most existing and planned DOD weapons systems. The goal in assessing the impact of the atmosphere is to establish the frequency and extent of the system performance degradation caused by the environment and identify both design changes and operational employment procedures which will minimize the atmospheric impact and thereby optimize the system performance. With proper understanding of the effect of the atmosphere on system performance coupled with reliable evaluations of the spatial and temporal occurrences of the constraining environmental phenomena, optimization of system performance is possible. In the case of high energy beam propagation through the earth's atmosphere, clouds are a limiting atmospheric phenomena. With current technology, clouds in the line-of-sight are "show stoppers". Hence to maximize the availability of high energy weapons, sites with low frequencies of cloud occurrence should be selected. For several reasons we have been collecting and archiving meteorological satellite imagery over the western U.S. for use in evaluating cloud conditions at the local scale. Visible light data have been archived during daylight hours and thermal infrared data collected 24 hours each day from the GOES satellite. Using these data, composite cloud climatology images have been constructed which give the frequency of occurrence of cloud cover by hour and month over the western U.S. with a spatial resolution on the order of the satellite pixel resolution. This paper will describe the techniques used in the construction of these composite cloud climatologies and their use in local area studies. Additional applications of this new satellite-derived cloud climatology will be discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Edward M Tomlinson, Donald L Reinke, and Thomas H. Vonder Haar "New Cloud Composite Climatologies Using Meteorological Satellite Imagery", Proc. SPIE 1060, Nonlinear Optical Beam Manipulation and High Energy Beam Propagation Through the Atmosphere, (8 August 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.951746

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
6 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Clouds

Composites

Climatology

Satellites

Atmospheric propagation

Satellite imaging

Beam propagation method

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years