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SHyMet: Satellite Foundational Course for GOES-R/16 (SatFC-G)

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).

Training Modules


Click the column heading at the top to reorder the columns - double click to switch ascending titles to descending.

Title Topic Instructor(s) Developed Updated Length (min) WMO Sat. Skill(s)
Basic Principles of Radiation SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 45
Basic Operations of ABI on GOES-R Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 15
GOES-R ABI Visible and Near-IR Bands SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 15
GOES-R ABI Near-IR Bands SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 30
GOES-R ABI IR Bands, Excluding Water Vapor SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 45
GOES-R Multi-channel interpretation approaches Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 30
GOES-R Aerosols in AWIPS Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Cloud and microphysical products, fog and low stratus Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 15
GOES-R Fire characterization, land surface temperature and snow Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Baseline Product: Rainfall rate Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 10
GOES-R Derived Motion Winds Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Volcanic Ash Product Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
Introduction to the GLM SatFC-G COMET 2016 2019 45
Visualizing the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) in AWIPS GLM Geoffrey Stano 2016 10
GOES-R Introduction to Mesoscale and Synoptic Sections Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Pre-convective cloud features Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Boundary-forced convection Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Mountain waves and orographic enhancement Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Fog / Low clouds: Formation and dissipation Mesoscale Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Marine and polar mesolows Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Cumulus growth Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Discrete Storms Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 20
GOES-R Mesoscale Convective Systems Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Cyclogenesis Potential Vorticity Concepts Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Cyclogenesis life cycle Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 20
GOES-R TROWAL Formation Sat FC-G Scott Lindstrom 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Low-level jet features Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10
GOES-R General Circulation Patterns Sat FC-G Ed Szoke 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Atmospheric Rivers Sat FC-G Ed Szoke 2016 2018 10
GOES-R Tropical to Extratropical Transition SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 15
GOES-R Impacts on Satellite Data Assimilation SatFC-G COMET 2016 2018 15
Impact of Satellite Observations on NWP SatFC-G COMET 2017 30
Comparing NWP Synthetic / Simulated Satellite Imagery to Observed Satellite Imagery Sat FC-G Dan Bikos 2016 2018 10

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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.