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Unlocking the Mysteries of Satellite Imagery from COD
If you’ve ever been fascinated by the mesmerizing satellite images of Earth, you’ve probably stumbled upon the COD Weather website. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes? Join us on a journey to unravel the secrets of the GOES-R series satellites, discover the ABI bands, and explore the world of meteorological imagery. We’re here to answer your burning questions and provide insights into this captivating realm. So, fasten your seatbelts, because we’re about to take off into the world of satellite imagery like never before!
Behind the Scenes at COD Weather
Before we dive into the technical details, let’s get a glimpse behind the curtain. The COD Weather website is a remarkable platform that provides us with a treasure trove of satellite imagery. But here’s the kicker – it’s not a finished product! Active development is ongoing, which means exciting improvements are in the pipeline. If you have ideas or suggestions, they’re all ears.
Optimal Viewing Experience
To fully appreciate the breathtaking imagery on this page, we recommend viewing it at a resolution of 1920×1080 or greater, with a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. This way, you can immerse yourself in the visuals and get the most out of your visit. Keep in mind that a mobile version is still in the works, so stay tuned for even more accessibility.
GOES-R Series Satellite FAQ
1. What are ABI bands?
The Advanced Baseline Imager, or ABI for short, is the star of the show on the GOES-R series satellites. There are a whopping 16 ABI bands, each specializing in capturing specific regions of the light spectrum. Among them are two visible bands, four near-infrared bands, and ten infrared bands.
2. Which bands are closest to what I’m used to?
If you’re familiar with the previous generation of GOES satellites, ABI 02, also known as the Visible Red band, samples the same wavelength as legacy visible products. ABI 09, the Mid-Level Water Vapor band, closely resembles the legacy water vapor band. Lastly, ABI 14, the Longwave Infrared Window band, is your closest match to the legacy LW-IR band.
3. What ABI bands should I use?
The short answer: all of them! Each ABI band has its unique strengths and applications. ABI 02 boasts the highest spatial resolution at 500 meters, a significant improvement from the previous 1km resolution of visible bands. ABI 07 senses a wide range of temperatures and is excellent for detecting fires. Meanwhile, band 13 often delivers cleaner-looking images compared to its traditional counterpart, band 14. The best approach? Experiment with them all and discover their individual strengths and weaknesses.
4. How often do these products update?
Imagery from the mesoscale regions receives updates every minute, and occasionally, the two mesoscale regions can overlap to provide 30-second updates. For CONUS imagery, which is the bulk of what we offer, updates occur every five minutes. By April 1st, 2019, Full Disk imagery will update every 10 minutes, with the possibility of 5-minute updates if the mesoscale regions are deactivated.
5. What are the mesoscale regions?
Both GOES-East and GOES-West can have up to two mesoscale scanning regions. The ABI scans each of these regions once per minute, or it can scan one region every 30 seconds. This results in satellite imagery that updates faster than most weather radars! Remarkably, there is no difference in the products themselves between mesoscale imagery and CONUS imagery.
6. Who determines where the mesoscale regions are?
As much as we’d love to have a say in it, it’s not us! National Weather Service (NWS) offices and National Centers like SPC or NHC can request a mesoscale domain to be positioned to sample a specific region or feature of interest. This flexibility allows for rapid updates during severe weather, fire weather, hurricanes, and other critical events. SPC moderate or high-risk situations typically take precedence.
7. Where can I learn more about the ABI bands?
We’ve got you covered with some handy links:
And don’t forget to explore the goes-r.gov site, which is brimming with information about the GOES-R series of satellites.
8. What’s the issue with GOES-West data for some products?
Unfortunately, GOES-17 (currently GOES-West) faces a cooling system problem. To put it simply, this issue impacts the quality of data for a subset of the satellite’s ABI bands. It’s not something we or anyone else can resolve, as the problem originates from the satellite itself. If you want more details about GOES-17’s cooling issue, check out NOAA’s [Summary of the GOES-17 Cooling System Issue](insert link).
9. Where can I find older satellite imagery?
We’d love to keep every image on our site forever, but due to disk space limitations, we can only hold onto them for about three to four days. However, we’ve partnered with Iowa State University to archive most of our base satellite products. You can explore the archive here. Feel free to navigate around and find the imagery you’re looking for.
10. Found a problem with our page or imagery?
If you suspect you’ve found a bug or something’s not quite right, we want to hear from you! Please [contact us](insert link) and describe the issue in as much detail as possible. The more information you provide, the better we can address it.