VISIT: Meteorological Interpretation Blog

Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) over Texas on 9 June 2017

The GOES-16 data posted on this page are preliminary, non-operational data and are undergoing testing.  Users bear all responsibility for inspecting the data prior to use and for the manner in which the data are utilized.

GOES-16 IR band 13 at 10.35 microns depicts an MCS across Texas:

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/8jun17/B13&loop_speed_ms=100

The MCS decays during the loop.  Can you identify a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) in this loop?

Next, look at the GOES-16 visible (0.64 micron) loop:

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/templates/loop_directory.asp?data_folder=training/visit/loops/8jun17/B02&loop_speed_ms=100 

Now can you identify a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV)?  On the northwest flank of the decaying convection, a circulation can be readily seen in the visible imagery associated with a MCV.  Note that it can be detected in the IR loop as well, although it was more subtle.  In fact, due west of the decaying convection we can see another circulation, likely an MCV associated with convection that took place prior to the start of the IR loop.

For MCV identification, using both IR and visible imagery in tandem is ideal in that the IR imagery can trace the origins of the MCV from the MCS while the visible imagery generally provides a clear indication of the circulation associated with the MCV after the decay of the MCS.