Detailed Product Evaluations
A major objective of SPoRT is to not "throw data over the fence." SPoRT focuses on researching products to address operational needs, transitioning these products to operational users, and then evaluating the effectiveness of these products. These evaluations take the form of online surveys and intensive survey periods where our partner National Weather Service Offices make a concerted effort to provide feedback for a given period of time. These surveys and evaluations are then gathered together to create reports for journal articles, conference papers, or the Science Advisory Committee. This page provides a review of several specific events and evaluation periods.
Please feel free to scroll through this page for evaluations of the various SPoRT products, or please select one of the specific topic headings to jump directly to that products set of evaluations.
Total Lightning Products | GOES Aviation Products
EVALUATION
MODIS False Color Snow Detection Product
SPoRT provides the MODIS False Color composite to our WFO partners where snow cover is a forecast concern. This product combines one visible channel with two shortwave infrared channels to highlight features with infrared signatures. The advantage of this product is that snow is spectrally different from clouds and clear ground at wavelengths greater than 1.4 microns. This difference is enhanced with colors to enhance the locations of snow (red), clouds (white) and clear ground (green).
- Great Falls Evaluation 2008
- This paper describes the MODIS False Color product in detail, outlines the collaboration that has taken place between WFO Great Falls and SPoRT, and describes how the product is used operationally. An assessment period from January to March 2008 yielded two case examples, presented here. This paper emphasizes the impact the false color product has in the WFO’s hydrologic situational awareness and how this information can be used to influence operational decisions. In general, the product has show value throughout the forecast process and compliments other data sets and products from agencies such as NOAA/NOHRSC (see associated link to poster).
- Great Falls Evaluation 2008 - Poster
- Evaluation of the MODIS False Color product culminated in this poster presented at the 2009 AMS annual meeting. The poster provides an excellent opportunity to quickly communicate the product's function and impact, and could serve as a quick introductory training piece or a seasonal refresher. Comparison images show how it improves on standard imagery, and a time series of images is presented for a large snow event and melt during 2004. Note the center of the poster where a diagram shows how the MODIS False Color product has ties to improve each phase of the forecast process.
EVALUATION
MODIS Spectral Difference (Fog) Product
Another MODIS product provided by SPoRT to our WFO partners is the Spectral Difference or Thermal Difference product. This is more commonly referred to as the MODIS Fog product. This product takes advantage of the lower thermal emissivity of water clouds (3.9 micron) versus land surfaces (11 microns). This difference, calculated during the pre-dawn hours is compared to a threshold value to highlight regions of fog (yellow) versus high clouds (blue). Care must be taken as this is valid only at night and multi-layered stratus clouds may give a false indication of fog, when fog is not present.
- Albuquerque MODIS Evaluation (Jan. 2009)
- The Albuquerque, NM WFO is not the “fog” capital of the U.S., but this case example is an excellent example of how NASA polar-orbiting satellite data can help enhance the use of geostationary imagery. The MODIS spectral difference product (i.e. Fog/Low Cloud product) at 1km resolution can detect fog in narrow valleys or during events of thin fog where GOES is sometimes limited. The use of the MODIS Fog product by forecasters is demonstrated here with several comparison images as well as TAF and observational data..
EVALUATION
Total Lightning Products
The North Alabama Lightning Mapping array (NALMA) data are provided by SPoRT to four of our partner WFOs. These include Morristown and Nashville, Tennessee as well as Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama. Additionally, The Sterling, Virginia office receives data from the Washington D.C. network (DCLMA). These networks provide information on total lightning, that is both intra-cloud and cloud-to-ground observations. This ability to observe the intra-cloud component has been used by SPoRT's WFO partners to enhance their situational awareness as well as their warning decision support operations.
- Operational NALMA Uses with WFO Huntsville
- This is the paper presented at the 2009 AMS Conference in Phoenix, AZ. This paper serves as the basis for an upcoming BAMS Maproom article. This overview discusses how the NALMA data have been used to support both situational awareness and the warning decision support process for the NWS Huntsville office. Three cases discussed range from the "Super Tuesday" outbreak that resulted in two EF-4s in the Huntsville county warning area (6 Feb 2008), a large hail event on 2 Aug 2008, as well as a squall line event where the NALMA were used to highlight the locations where cloud-to- ground lightning activity may begin (31 May 2004). Additionally, SPoRT's role in training and assessments are discussed and the future role of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.
EVALUATION
GOES Aviation and MODIS Fog Products
SPoRT has partnered with NESDIS to evaluate several GOES fog products in conjunction with NASA's MODIS spectral difference product. SPoRT has conducted two intensive evaluation periods, with the most recent occurring from 5-25 January 2009.
- August 2008 and January 2009 Evaluation
- This is a preliminary summary of the intensive evaluation period focusing on the GOES Aviation products. These include the Low Cloud Base and Fog Depth products. This evaluation period was conducted with SPoRT's partner NWS offices from August 2008 (inland) and January 2009 (coastal and southwest U.S.).
