GOES-R launched on 19 November 2016 and is now in geostationary orbit and has been designated GOES-16. The National Weather Service (NWS) Satellite Foundation Course for GOES-R/16 (SatFC-G) is now available and contains 37 short training modules to bring forecasters, the scientific community, and others up-to-date on the capabilities of the GOES-R/GOES-16 satellite. The SatFC-G course was designed by the National Weather Service satellite training advisory team (STAT) which consists of science operations officers from five regions, satellite liaisons, and representatives from the NWS Office of the Chief Learning Officer (OCLO). Training developers included the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), COMET, the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT), the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS),and OCLO.
The GOES-R/16 satellite introduces a variety of new and improved capabilities compared to previous GOES satellites. The objective of this course is to address training needs associated with this next generation satellite. Specifically, topics will include an introduction to GOES-R/16 highlighting improved spatial and temporal resolution and additional new channels that will be available followed by products and imagery that address a broad range of applications. The intended audience is forecasters but anyone is welcome to participate.
If you are a NOAA employee, register for this course via the NOAA/NWS Commerce Learn Center.
Non-NOAA employees may take the SHyMet version of the course, your first step is to register for the course by sending an email containing your name to: nws.oaa.clo.shymet AT noaa.gov
Be sure to indicate you are registering for the SatFC-G course.
After you’ve registered via email, we will reply to you with setup instructions on how to complete the course. The expected completion time of taking the entire course (which includes all the modules, quiz completion and orientation) is 15 to 20 hours. After taking all of the lessons you will need to pass a quiz for each course section.
SatFC-G course orientation (estimated completion time = 40 minutes).
| Title | Topic | Instructor | Developed | Updated | Length (min) | WMO Sat Skill(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Principles of Radiation |
|
2016 | 2018 | 45 | ||
| Basic Operations of ABI on GOES-R | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | |
| GOES-R ABI Visible and Near-IR Bands |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | ||
| GOES-R ABI Near-IR Bands |
|
2016 | 2018 | 30 | ||
| GOES-R ABI IR Bands, Excluding Water Vapor |
|
2016 | 2018 | 45 | ||
| GOES-R Multi-channel interpretation approaches | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 30 | |
| GOES-R Aerosols in AWIPS | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Cloud and microphysical products, fog and low stratus | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | |
| GOES-R Fire characterization, land surface temperature and snow | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Baseline Product: Rainfall rate | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 10 | ||
| GOES-R Derived Motion Winds | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Volcanic Ash Product | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| Introduction to the GLM |
|
2016 | 2019 | 45 | ||
| Visualizing the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in AWIPS | GLM |
|
2016 | 10 | ||
| GOES-R Introduction to Mesoscale and Synoptic Sections | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Pre-convective cloud features | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Boundary-forced convection | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Mountain waves and orographic enhancement | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Fog / Low clouds: Formation and dissipation | Mesoscale |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Marine and polar mesolows | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Cumulus growth | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Discrete Storms | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 20 | |
| GOES-R Mesoscale Convective Systems | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Cyclogenesis Potential Vorticity Concepts | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Cyclogenesis life cycle | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 20 | |
| GOES-R TROWAL Formation | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Low-level jet features | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R General Circulation Patterns | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Atmospheric Rivers | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R Tropical to Extratropical Transition |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | ||
| GOES-R Impacts on Satellite Data Assimilation |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | ||
| Impact of Satellite Observations on NWP |
|
2017 | 30 | |||
| Comparing NWP Synthetic / Simulated Satellite Imagery to Observed Satellite Imagery | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 | |
| GOES-R ABI Water Vapor Bands | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 25 | |
| GOES-R Pre-convective environment | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 15 | |
| An Orientation to the GOES-R Foundational Course | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 20 | ||
| GOES-R Legacy Atmospheric Profiles | Sat FC-G |
|
2016 | 2018 | 10 |
The GOES-R satellite will introduce a variety of new and improved capabilities compared to previous GOES satellites. The objective of this course is to address training needs associated with the new GOES-R satellite. Specifically, topics will include an introduction to GOES-R highlighting improved spatial and temporal resolution and additional new channels that will be available followed by products and imagery that address a broad range of applications. The intended audience is forecasters but anyone is welcome to participate. Since the training content is entirely web-based, the student may take the training whenever they wish.
NOAA employees should take the SatFC-G course via the NOAA Commerce Learn Center (CLC) so that they receive training credit on the CLC. In addition, there are WES simulations available for SatFC-G offered on the NOAA CLC.
Yes. The modules in the Introduction section should be completed first, in order given on the table. The GOES-R Introduction to Mesoscale and Synoptic Sections module should be taken before any of the modules in the mesoscale, convection or synoptic sections since it introduces those sections. Ignore any reference to WES simulations as that only applies to NOAA employees who take the course via the NOAA CLC
Yes. However, you will not receive credit for completion of the SHyMet: SatFC-G course. We can provide a quiz for a section of modules (for example, convection section), and this would allow you to get credit for that section. However, completion of the introduction section would be required before receiving credit for an additional section. We are unable to provide training credit for an individual module / lesson.
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