What Can You Learn About the Weather From Satellite Images?

Satellite images warn us of thunderstorms by identifying stormy clouds.

Weather forecasts often include colorful satellite images of the world taken from space. These images are important in predicting the weather and warning against possible upcoming dangers, such as hurricanes or storms.

Significance

Satellite images are important to a meteorologist. According to the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, or CIMSS, "They are essentially the eyes in the sky." Satellite images give forecasters an accurate picture of the behavior of the atmosphere all over the world. This is essential for forecasting weather correctly and for conducting research.

Meaning

Satellite images can be either colorful or black and white. Darker areas represent clear weather since the satellite can see the Earth's surface clearly. Lighter shades represent clouds. Thunderstorm clouds are the lightest indicating stormy weather. Certain infrared satellite images enable us to distinguish rain clouds from other clouds. They measure heat; dark areas indicate warmer temperature while lighter areas indicate colder temperatures.

Benefits

Looking at satellite images, we learn about visibility, the type of weather in a certain area and the chance for precipitation. Satellite images help us determine planet temperatures, humidity pictures, cloud pictures and wind data to help identify long-term trends and make accurate weather predictions.

References

• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies: Satellite Images- Oakfield, WI Tornado
• StuffInTheAir.com: Image Satellite Weather- Do You Understand What You See?

Resources

• NOAA's National Weather Service: Satellite Images
• NASA Earth Science Office: Interactive Weather Satellite Imagery Viewers from NASA GHCC