1. Who We Are
SSEC (Space Science and Engineering Center) is part of the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW).
SSEC hosts CIMSS (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies), including a NOAA/NESDIS (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration /National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) research branch – ASPB (Advanced Satellite Products Branch).

2. Orbits of environmental (Earth weather) satellites
“LEO” – low earth orbiting (or polar-orbiting) orbit:
km altitude
- 100 minute period
- global coverage
- e.g. NOAA-19 (polar-orbiter operated by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
“GEO” – geostationary
(or geosynchronous) orbit:
- 36,000 km altitude
- 24 hour period
- frequent monitoring
- e.g. GOES-15 (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite)

3. Meteorological Satellites and Instruments (2012)
GOES-15
- Imager
- Sounder
135 W
GOES-13
- Imager
- Sounder
75 W
GOES-12
- Imager
- Sounder
60 W
Meteosat-8
MSG-2
- SEVIRI
10 E
Meteosat-7
MSG-1
- MVIRI
57 E
MTSAT-2
Imager
145 E
~ 36,000 km
NOAA-18
- AVHRR/3
- HIRS/4
- AMSU
- MHS
14:00
NOAA-19
NOAA-17
- AVHRR/3
- HIRS/3
- AMSU
09:30
METOP-A
HIRS/4
IASI
- MHS
SuomiNPP
- VIIRS
CrIS
ATMS
13:30
DMSP
F-17
- SSM/IS
05:30
F-18
08:00
~ 850 km
Aqua
- MODIS
AIRS
13:30
Terra
- MODIS
10:30 AM PM
[sats-o-day-gsw ppt]

4. The electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic radiation – a form of energy emitted and absorbed by material objects, which exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space.

5. Verner E. Suomi and Robert J. Parent

6. Explorer VII
The successful launch of Explorer VII, on 13 Oct 1959, and the subsequent operation of the Suomi-Parent radiometer, providing the first radiation balance measurements of the earth-atmosphere system, were commemorated on 02 Nov 2009, in conjunction with the GOES Users’ Conference held in Madison (WI). Explorer VII ushered in the era of climatic measurements from space.

7. On 6 December 1966, the Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-1) was launched. We have had the benefit of the geostationary perspective for over 45 years!
ATS-1's spin scan camera (UW’s Suomi and Parent 1968) provided full disk visible images of the earth and its cloud cover every 20 minutes. The spin scan camera on ATS-1 occurred because of extraordinary efforts by Verner Suomi and Homer Newell, when the satellite was already well into its fabrication.

8. Professor Suomi and McIDAS
(Man computer Interactive Data Access System) an
1972 – “McIDAS”
2012 – “McIDAS-V”
Including VIS-AD and HYDRA

9. Water vapor tracked “winds” from Meteosat during FGGE (the First Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Global Experiment)
(15 Nov 1979)

10. What Is McIDAS-V? McIDAS – Man computer Interactive Data Access System
Storm cloud temperatures, showing overshooting tops in 2-D from above
Satellite composite image overlaid with
GFS relative humidity contour cross-section
Same overshooting tops, rotated to view from the side
McIDAS
– Man computer Interactive Data Access System
Powerful data analysis and 3-D visualization tool
McIDAS-V is the fifth generation of McIDAS
“V” stands for 5 (the Roman Numeral V)
The first generation of McIDAS began in 1972

11. All GOES Sounder Spectral Bands
Hourly animation: 12UTC on 13 May 2009 – 12 UTC on 14 May 2009

12. Fundamental CIMSS research: striving to make quality real-time GOES Sounder radiance observations into practical useful information for weather forecasting
Atmospheric continuity and evolution are clearly evident in multi-spectral animation.
Where will clouds be? Comparison between observed imagery (bottom) and forecast imagery (top) builds confidence in how well the CRAS model is assimilating retrieved GOES Sounder cloud and moisture information.
Where will forecast (GFS) moisture need to be modified, monitoring trends, to provide a better forecast for convection (as across Texas)? Differences between retrieved GOES Sounder TPW and the GFS forecast values are plotted over the GOES TPW Derived Product Imagery (DPI).
[1800 UT 2 Apr 2004]