1. CIMSS Board of Directors Meeting 12 December 2003 Personnel: John Mecikalski (Principal Investigator) and Kristopher Bedka Objective: Develop methods to identify and quantify the precursors to convective initiation (CI) within geostationary (GOES-12) satellite imagery. Quantify the “interest fields” important for convective characterization and the nowcasting of convective initiation. Infuse satellite-based CI nowcasting products into NCAR Product Development Teams (PDT’s) convective weather diagnostics to improve aviation safety Accomplishments: Development of a “convective cloud mask” using 1 km resolution visible data Utilized UW-CIMSS Visible, IR, and Water Vapor satellite-derived winds to assess cloud-top temperature trends in moving cumulus clouds Combined both infrared and visible analysis techniques to produce the project’s first CI nowcasts at 1 km horizontal resolution Development of a web-page for real-time display of CI interest fields and nowcasts Processing Meteorological Satellite Information to Nowcast Convective Initiation and Convective Character from Space Funded by: NASA New Investigator Award (NAG5-12536)

2. CIMSS Board of Directors Meeting 12 December 2003 Convective Cloud Mask Animation, 1900-1945 UTC, May 4, 2003 Red: Immature Cumulus, Green: Mature Cumulonimbus/Cirrus Technique uses 2-D brightness thresholds/gradients, 10.7 μm T B and 6.5-10.7 μm thresholds

3. CIMSS Board of Directors Meeting 12 December 2003 Cloud Top Cooling Estimates using Cloud Motion Vectors 45-minute Cloud-Top Cooling Estimate ΔT B = 10.7 μm T B (1945-1900 UTC) 1900 UTC 1945 UTC Evaluates the growth rate of developing cumulus clouds using a 1 km satellite-derived wind field

4. CIMSS Board of Directors Meeting 12 December 2003 Preliminary CI Nowcasts, April 6 th and May 4 th, 2003 Red: Pixels with High CI potential, Grey: Cirrus Clouds 1445 UTC1600 UTC 1945 UTC 2030 UTC

5. CIMSS Board of Directors Meeting 12 December 2003 UW-CIMSS Convective Initiation Studies Web Page http:biscayne.ssec.wisc.edu/~johnm/CI_home.html