Book Description
Determination of rainfall from satellite data requires the examination of the following features: (1) Watch for a rapid growth of the anvil cloud. It is a clear indication of strong updrafts inside the cloud. (2) Determine the motion of the head area on the upwind side. If the upwind side does not drift fast, or even stays at the same spot, it is an indication of a giant storm standing against the steering winds. (3) Rainfall does not end when the overshooting tops disappear. A ground truth experiment for interpretation of SMS/GOES data is presented. Included are: (1) techniques for cloud growth analyses from successive pictures, (2) development of a time lapse whole sky photograph program, and (3) the solution of camera calibrations that relate to the cloud height and growth computations. (Author).