McIDAS User's Guide
Version 2017.1

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GOES

Satellites

GOES-16 (launched 19 November 2016; in extended checkout and validation phase for approximately one year)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Instrument

ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager)

Resolution

0.5 km for 0.64 µm band;
1.0 km for 0.47, 0.86, 1.6 µm bands;
2.0 km for all other bands


Band		 Central
Wavelength
(µm)

Primary Uses
1 0.47 Daytime aerosol over land, coastal water mapping
2 0.64 Clouds, fog, insolation, winds
3 0.86 Daytime vegetation/burn scar and aerosols over water, winds
4 1.37 Cirrus cloud detection
5 1.61 Daytime cloud-top phase and particle size, snow
6 2.24 Daytime land/cloud properties, particle size, vegetation, snow
7 3.89 Surface and cloud, fog at night, fire, winds
8 6.17 High-level atmospheric water vapor, winds, rainfall
9 6.93 Mid-level atmospheric water vapor, winds, rainfall
10 7.34 Lower-level water vapor, winds and SO2
11 8.44 Total water for stability, cloud phase, dust, SO2, rainfall
12 9.61 Total ozone, turbulence, winds
13 10.3 Surface and cloud
14 11.2 Imagery, SST, clouds, rainfall
15 12.3 Total water, ash, SST
16 13.3 Air temperature, cloud heights and amounts

 

Satellites

GOES-16 (launched 19 November 2016; in extended checkout and validation phase for approximately one year)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Data Type

Level 2 Products

Instrument

ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager)

Band		 Resolution
(km)
Primary Uses
1 2 ACM - Cloud Mask
2 10 CTP - Cloud Top Pressure
3 10 ACHA - Cloud Top Height
4 2 ACHT - Cloud Top Temperature
5 2 ACTP - Cloud Top Phase
6 4 COD - Cloud Optical Depth
7 2 CPS - Cloud Particle Size
8 10 DSI - Lifted Index
9 10 DSI - CAPE
10 10 DSI - Total Totals
11 10 DSI - Showalter Index
12 10 DSI - K-Index
13 10 TPW - Total Precipitable Water
14 2 FDC - Fire Detection Area
15 2 FDC - Fire Detection Temp
16 2 FDC - Fire Detection Mask
17 2 FDC - Fire Detection Power
18 2 LST - Land Surface Temperature
19 2 ADP - Aerosol Detection
20 2 ADP - Aerosol Detection Smoke
21 2 ADP - Aerosol Detection Dust
22 2 AOD - Aerosol Optical Depth
23 2 FSC - Fractional Snow Cover
24 2 RRQP - Rain Rate / QPE
25 2 SST - Sea Surface Temperature
26 2 VAA - Volcanic Ash Height
27 2 VAA - Volcanic Ash Mass Loading

 

Satellites

GOES-12 through GOES-15 (13 is operational at ~75°W; 14 is in standby; 15 is operational at ~135°W)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Instrument

GVAR (GOES Variable Imager)

Resolution

see table below


Band		 Central
Wavelength
(µm)
Resolution
(km)

Primary Uses
1 0.62 - 0.65 * 1 Visible cloud and surface features
2 3.9 4 Infrared low-level cloud/fog, fire detection
3 6.5 4 Infrared mid-level water vapor
4 10.7 4 Infrared surface/cloud-top temperature
6 13.3 4 - 8 ** Infrared CO2; cloud heights
* The band 1 central wavelength is 0.65 µm for GOES-12, 0.63 µm for GOES-13, and 0.62 µm for GOES-14 and 15.
** The band 6 resolution is 8 km for GOES-12 and 13, and 4 km for GOES-14 and 15.

 

Satellites

GOES-8 through GOES-11 (no longer in use)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Instrument

GVAR (GOES Variable Imager)

Resolution

see table below


Band		 Central
Wavelength
(µm)
Resolution
(km)

Primary Uses
1 0.65 1 Visible cloud and surface features
2 3.9 4 Infrared low-level cloud/fog, fire detection
3 6.8 8 Infrared mid-level water vapor
4 10.7 4 Infrared surface/cloud-top temperature
5 12.0 4 Infrared surface/cloud temperature, low-level water vapor

 

Satellites

GOES-8 through GOES-15 (13 is operational at ~75°W; 14 is in standby; 15 is operational at ~135°W)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Instrument

Sounder

Resolution

10 km


Band		 Central
Wavelength
(µm)
Absorbing
Gases		 Wave
Number
(cm-1)
Sounding
Level (mb)

Primary Uses
1 14.7 CO2 680 90 Stratosphere temperature
2 14.4 CO2 694 300 Sounding; tropopause temperature
3 14.1 CO2 709 550 Sounding; upper-level temperature
4 13.6 CO2; H2O 735 850 Sounding; mid-level temperature
5 13.4 CO2; H2O 746 900 Sounding; low-level temperature
6 12.7 H2O 787 Surface Sounding; total precipitable water
7 12.0 H2O 833 Surface Surface temperature and moisture
8 11.0 H2O 909 Surface Surface temperature
9 9.7 O3 1031 25 Total ozone
10 7.4 H2O 1351 725 Low-level moisture
11 7.0 H2O 1428 550 Sounding; mid-level moisture
12 6.5 H2O 1538 350 Sounding; upper-level moisture
13 4.6 N2O 2173 1000 Sounding; low-level temperature
14 4.5 N2O 2222 950 Sounding; mid-level temperature
15 4.4 CO2; N2O 2272 650 Sounding; upper-level temperature
16 4.1 CO2 2439 Surface Sounding; boundary layer
17 4.0 Window 2500 Surface Temperature
18 3.7 Window 2702 Surface Temperature
19 0.70 Window 14286 Surface Clouds
20         Star scan

 

Satellites

GOES-6 and GOES-7 (no longer in use)

Orbit Type

Geostationary

Instrument

VAS

Resolution

1 km VIS, 4/8 km IR


Band		 Central
Wavelength
(µm)		 Major
Absorbing
Gases
Sounding
Level (mb)

Primary Uses
1 14.7 (IR) CO2 70 Temperature sounding
2 14.5 (IR) CO2 125 Temperature sounding
3 14.3 (IR) CO2 200 Temperature sounding
4 14.0 (IR) CO2 500 Temperature sounding, cloud heights
5 13.3 (IR) CO2 920 Temperature sounding, cloud heights
6 4.5 (IR) CO2, N2O 850 Temperature sounding
7 12.7 (IR) H2O 1000 Water vapor detection
8 11.2 (IR) Window Surface Nighttime cloud detection, surface temperature
9 7.3 (IR) H2O 600 Water vapor detection
10 6.7 (IR) H2O 400 Water vapor detection
11 4.4 (IR) CO2, N2O 300 Temperature sounding
12 3.9 (IR) Window Surface Surface skin temperature, cloud detection
13* - - - -
NA 0.65 (VIS) Window Surface Daytime cloud detection
* Band 13 in a McIDAS Area is the same as band 8 but at lower resolution.

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