Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch

Introductory Summary of the GOES-8 & -9 Imagers

The GOES Imagers measure radiation in five spectral bands, including one visible (channel 1) and four infrared channels. These spectral bands are summarized below and are also briefly discussed in another RAMM Branch tutorial, Introduction to GOES-8.

GOES’ Imager Channel Spectral Bands

The GOES Imagers’ IR Bands

Fig. 1a presents a high resolution atmospheric absorption spectrum and comparative blackbody curves for temperatures ranging from 200 K to 300 K. The spectrum was observed by a satellite-borne interferometer, over a region where the earth surface temperature was around 295 K. The spectrum shows the effect of various atmospheric gasses on what is observed at the top of the atmosphere. At 6.7 um notice that most of the radiance received by the sensor comes from very cold temperatures; this is because water vapor is a very active absorber in that portion of the spectrum, and thus any radiation reaching the sensor comes from emission of water vapor that is very high in the atmosphere.

Around the 10.7 um region, most of the energy radiated from the surface reachs the sensor, thus the term “atmospheric window” since the temperature measured is close to scene temperature. The window region around 12 um, especially out toward 12.8 um, is contaminated by low level water vapor, and thus is called the “dirty window.” Notice the region around 4.0 um (detailed in Fig. 1b), this is another “atmospheric window” region, and it is “cleaner” than either 10.7 or 12.0 um, however, it is contaminated by solar reflection during daytime. It is the GOES imagers’ spectral band that lies in this window region, 3.78 – 4.03 um, that is the focus of this tutorial.

Basic Radiation Science & its 3.9 um Channel Application

This module highlights the utility of the GOES 3.9 um imagery, available for the first time as a dedicated imager channel from geostationary orbit. It is also one of the nineteen channels of the GOES sounding instruments. Interpretation of 3.9 um data differs from that of the longer wavelength infrared bands, which the user may be more accustomed to, since it contains both reflected solar, and emitted terrestrial, radiation. Characteristics of reflected and emitted radiation in this band are different from either the visible or the 10.7 um bands, thereby promoting enhanced capabilities of GOES multispectral imagery.

This section presents the user with a short technical discussion of radiation. Most meteorology texts devote several chapters to the topic of radiation, and there are texts devoted entirely to this subject. The reader is referred to those sources for more detailed information. The purpose of this section is to refresh users with those aspects of radiative transfer pertinent to the analysis of satellite imagery, particularly the channel at 3.9 um. Review the following subjects either in order or, if you wish, click on any one of them to go directly to its subject content:

Energy Sources and Their Importance

GOES satellites measure energy in spectral regions ranging from the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to the far infrared. At visible wavelengths, that energy is only reflected solar radiation (radiation from the sun which is reflected by the earth’s surface and clouds); at far infrared wavelengths, that energy is only emitted terrestrial radiation. However for the short wavelength infrared channel, the 3.9 um spectral band, energy measured by the satellite can be a mixture of solar radiation that is reflected by the earth’s surface or clouds and radiation that is emitted by the earth’s surface or clouds.

Figure 2a shows the Planck blackbody radiance curves for the sun (6000 K) and the earth (300 K). The energy received from the sun at the top of the atmosphere is represented by the area under the left-hand curve, and energy emitted by the earth is represented by the area under the right-hand curve. If all the sun’s energy reaching the earth were reflected back to the satellite, a satellite detector would sense the values represented by the solar curve (the left side of Fig. 2a). However, about 50% of the sun’s energy is selectively absorbed by various atmospheric constituents (ozone, water vapor, molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide, certain aerosols) and the earth’s surface. The remainder is scattered back to space by aerosols and reflected by clouds and the earth’s surface. That scattering and reflection is a function of wavelength and the particular constituent (cloud phase/droplet size, soil type, etc.) with which the interaction is occurring. This reflected and back scattered solar energy can be detected by a satellite sensor. The vertical lines in the figure locate the spectral region sensed by GOES in the 3.9 um band. Satellite detectors do not measure energy at a single wavelength, the GOES imagers’ 3.9 um channel extends from 3.78 – 4.04 um. In the figure, notice that satellite measurements in the 3.9 um band are a combination of earth emitted and solar reflected radiation.

Figure 2b shows a close-up view of the portion of Figure 2a (previous page) where the Planck curves for the sun and the earth overlap. Curves for solar reflection at 50% and 20% are shown as well. The exact combination of solar and terrestrial energy measured by the satellite at 3.9 um depends on the time of day as well as the reflectance and emissivity of the underlying surface. This combination of emitted terrestrial energy and reflected solar energy during daytime, combined with information on cloud and surface characteristics, is one of the things that make interpretation of imagery at 3.9 um so interesting.

The contribution to the measured radiance temperature at 3.9 um, due to the reflected solar component, may be determined from Fig. 2c. The set of curves shows the radiance temperature that would be measured by a satellite for cloud tops at several temperatures (with albedo = 0 and emissivity = 1.0), with respect to increasing amounts of reflected solar radiation. Notice that the radiance temperature measured at 3.9 um begins to converge near an upper limit, around 350 K. This convergence occurs because as cloud albedo increases, the addition of reflected solar radiance far outweighs the cloud’s emitted radiance (evident in Fig. 2b). When inspecting Fig. 2c, keep in mind that cloud top temperatures above 285 K are rare.

The GOES-8 3.9 um sensor gain is set to saturate at 335 K, and 3.9 um saturation for GOES-9 occurs at 325 K. Saturation for this sensor in future GOES Imagers, like GOES-8, will be at 335 K.

Emission & Reflection

Emissivity is a function of both wavelength and surface type. Fig. 3a is a plot of emissivity vs. wavelength for four different surfaces. Notice that the emissivity for soil types is more variable near 3.9 um than 10.7 um, e.g., dry sand has an emissivity near 0.8 at 3.9 um and 0.95 at 10.7 um. Imagery of sandy areas appears cooler at 3.9 um than at 10.7 um when there is no reflected solar radiation (e.g., at nightime, in a dry atmosphere). This “apparent” temperature difference affects the interpretation of derived image products

Referring again to Fig. 3a, strong absorbers at a particular wavelength are also strong emitters at that wavelength. Furthermore, during the daytime, radiation that is not absorbed is reflected by the surface. Because of this, in the 3.9 um imagery, land surfaces will appear different, depending on their composition. This is especially apparent over regions like White Sands, NM, where the soil type is mainly sand (g = 0.75 to 0.85) and across north-central GA, AL and MS, where more reflective soils are found. The imagery shown in the “fire detection” section also demonstrates this characteristic.

Reflection at 3.9 um is sensitive to cloud phase and is very sensitive to particle size, as is shown in Fig. 3b. Notice how water droplets are more reflective than ice particles of the same size. In clouds, water droplets are normally between 5 and 20 um in diameter, depending upon cloud type, while ice crystals are usually an order of magnitude larger. Reflection that is detected by a satellite is from multiple scattering (Fig. 3b represents a single scatter) and each reflection further reduces the amount of energy returned to the satellite. For example, three reflections each, by ice at 100 um and water at 10 um, yield scattering values of 0.16 and 0.73 respectively.

During the daytime, clouds with small water droplets, such as cumulus, fog and stratus over land, are much brighter when viewed at 3.9 um than are ice clouds, which are very poorly reflective and hence, dark. Marine stratocumulus, with their larger water droplets, appear relatively dark when compared to cumulus or stratus over land.

3.9 and 10.7 um Channel Comparisons

Aside from emissivity and reflectivity, several other factors are responsible for differences in the appearance of imagery between the 3.9 um and 10.7 um bands: 1), different responses to scene radiance make possible the detection of sub-pixel hot regions at 3.9 um that are not detected at 10.7 um; 2), the exaggeration of noise at cold temperatures in the 3.9 um band makes it virtually useless for thunderstorm top analysis; 3), because of diffraction effects, the 3.9 um and 10.7 um bands view slightly different areas; and 4), criteria for displaying 3.9 um imagery may differ between day and night since the 3.9 um band also contains reflected solar energy during the daytime.

For more in-depth discussion of these differences, please review the following topics:

Temperature Responsivity

Sub-pixel Response

In Fig. 4a, satellite-measured radiance temperatures at 3.9 and at 10.7 um are compared at night-time, when there is no reflected radiation at 3.9 um, for a FOV where the ground at 300 K becomes increasingly covered with clouds at 260 K. Also, in this case, surface emissivities are assumed to be equal to 1.0 and atmospheric absorption is assumed to be negligible.

Notice that when the FOV is either totally clear or totally cloud covered, the radiance temperatures at 3.9 and 10.7 um are the same. However, as fractional cloud cover increases, the radiance temperature at 3.9 um becomes greater than the radiance temperature at 10.7 um due to the stronger response at 3.9 um to the warm portion of the partially filled FOV.

Figure 4b shows the radiance temperature difference,

between the 3.9 um and the 10.7 um wavelengths as a function of cloud fraction. In this case (ground at 300 K and cloud at 260 K) the radiance temperature difference reaches a maximum of nearly 6 K, at about 65% cloud cover. The difference in radiance temperature may be of value in determining sub-pixel information about the clouds. If uniform cloud and ground cover (whose temperatures are known) can be assumed, then the fractional amount of cloud can be determined (if the effects of diff

Noise

Figs. 4c & 4d are plots of radiance versus temperature for the GOES channels at 3.9 um and 10.7 um respectively. The accuracy of the radiance measurements at each wavelength is constant and is shown by the horizontal dashed lines in each figure. However, temperature measurement accuracy, shown by the corresponding vertical dashed lines in each figure varies with respect to scene temperature. Notice that the radiance at 10.7 um (Fig. 4d) is fairly linear with temperature compared with radiance versus temperature at 3.9 um (Fig. 4c). This means that 10.7 um radiance temperatures may be determined very accurately for both warm and cold scene temperatures. In the 3.9 um figure, notice how radiance increases rapidly with increasing temperature. Also notice how “flat” that curve is at cold temperatures. Since the inherent measurement accuracy of the GOES instrument at 3.9 um is constant, the result is a much less accurate temperature measurement at cold versus warm scene temperatures. Interpretation of this figure shows that GOES’ 3.9 um imagery is less useful for analyses in cold temperature regions, such as thunderstorm tops; however, for measurements of warm surface temperature the 3.9 um channel does a fine job.

Fig. 4e is a plot of noise equivalent temperature as a function of scene temperature for the 3.9 and 10.7 um channels. The figure shows that the accuracy with which temperature can be measured at 3.9 um is worse than 2 K for scene temperatures below about 250 K. On the other hand, at 10.7 um, the accuracy is always better than 0.5 K for all possible scene temperatures. Another way of showing the effect of low scene radiance at 3.9 um is by inspecting the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) versus temperature, Fig. 4f. Signal-to-noise, as used here, is the ratio of the scene radiance divided by GOES’ radiance accuracy. Fig. 4f shows that the 10.7 um channel has a much better S/N than the 3.9 um channel. In fact, the S/N at 3.9 um decreases to where there is no signal above noise at temperatures below about 230 K, making this channel of little use at colder scene temperatures.

Diffraction

3.9p um Image Presentation

Since the 3.9 um channel contains both reflected and emitted radiation, the question arises “Should it be displayed as a visible or an infrared image?” To address this issue, a short review of satellite image display history is appropriate.

With the early TIROS, visible imagery showed clouds as bright white and ground as dark, a direct relationship between scene energy and image grey scale. When the first longwave infrared (IR) imagery was received and visible lookup tables were used to display the data, high energy areas (ground and ocean) were white and low energy areas (cirrus and thunderstorm tops) were dark. This was opposite from the convention analysts were accustomed to using. As a result, it was decided to invert the IR display table so that low infrared energy was displayed as white and high infrared energy as dark. This has served us well for many years, but now, since the 3.9 um channel senses both reflected and emitted radiation during the daytime, a choice must be made as to how that channel should be displayed. (Perhaps, in time, it will be presented as a derived image product, in combination with one or more other channels.)

In this tutorial the 3.9 um imagery is presented in terms of energy vs. grey scale (as with the VIS imagery), cold clouds, ice, ice clouds and snow appear dark; while warm surfaces, water clouds and sun glint appear light-to-bright (sun glint at 3.9 um is much more intense than at visible wavelengths). Land surfaces, being both hot and reflective, can appear very bright. Alternatively, the 3.9 um information may be presented as any one of the other wavelengths/channels. Whatever choice is made, the user must analyze the information in terms of energy and cloud/surface type to minimize confusion. See a winter storm example for comparing the presentation of the different imager channels.

Card “B”

Been hit by a tornado.
Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Are you injured or trapped?

If the caller IS injured:
Tell the caller…

• Stay where you are. We are sending help.
• If there are fires dangerously close, or if you smell natural gas, move as far away from the area as your injuries allow, but remain in the general vicinity so that rescuers can find you.
• Begin EMD per local protocols.

If the caller IS NOT injured:
Q3: Do you know if there are others injured around you?
Q4: Please describe the damage in your area?
Tell the caller…

• If there are no fires close to you, and if you cannot smell natural gas, walk around the affected area carefully. Try to determine if there are injured victims nearby. Avoid potentially deadly downed power lines.
• Do not try to extricate victims from debris on your own. You might harm them without the use of professional rescue techniques and equipment.
• If you find victims, mark their location with something bright and obvious, call back, and remain in the area until fire-rescue arrives on-scene.

NOTE: If this tornado has not been previously reported, you should pass the report along to both the local Emergency Operations Center, and the nearest National Weather Service office.

Card “A”

Calling to report a tornado sighting.
Q1: Are you in the tornado’s path?

If the caller IS in the tornado’s path:
Q1: Are you calling from a building, wood-frame house, mobile home, or car?

If the caller is…

If the caller IS NOT in the tornado’s path:
Q1: Where is the tornado from your position (direction and approximate distance)?
Q2: Has the tornado hit anything? If so, what?
Q3: What is your best estimate of its direction and speed of motion?
Tell the caller…

• Thank you for your call. We will pass this along to the proper authorities. Please call back if you see further indications of severe weather.

NOTE: If this tornado has not been previously reported, you should pass the report along to both the local Emergency Operations Center, and the nearest National Weather Service office.

Tornadoes

There are only two (2) contingencies that necessitate E-911 response:

• Caller has spotted a tornado: refer to card “A”
• Caller has been hit by a tornado: refer to card “B”

Non-Emergency Advice (if time permits):

• You can get general information at our local emergency broadcast radio station (if available). The station is at: AM.
• You can call our local non-emergency phone line (if one is set up for the incident).
  The number is .
• You can also listen to NOAA weather radio (if you have one), or get in touch with the nearest National Weather Service office.

NOTE: Types of injury associated with tornadoes: lacerations, blunt-force trauma, trapped by debris, automobile accidents, cardiovascular.
NOTE: The dispatcher is not required to ask every question in the natural disaster series. Ask only those questions that pertain to the specific call.

Card “D”

Caller is worried by nearby lightning.
Q1: Where are you?
Dispatcher:

• Ask the caller how many seconds there are between the lightning flash and the associated sound of thunder. If the count is 30 seconds or less, the caller is at risk for further strikes. If the count is less than 10 seconds, the caller is in grave and imminent danger.

Tell the caller…

• Your house is the safest place to be in a lightning storm. If you are inside, stay there. Avoid windows and electrical appliances.
• If you are not inside, and lightning is still striking nearby, you must get to a safe place immediately. Get inside a house or building, or into a metal-roofed car, and roll up the windows.
• Unless you are on a portable or cell phone, hang up until the lightning has passed. Lightning can travel along phone lines and injure or kill you.
• Call back if you see lightning hit something such as a person or a structure.

Card “C”

Caller reporting a house hit by lightning.
Q1: Where are you?
Q2: Is the structure on fire?
Q3: Do you see or smell smoke?

If the structure IS on fire, dispatch a full structure response:
Tell the caller…

• You need to evacuate the structure immediately.
• If lightning is still striking nearby, you must get from your house to another shelter quickly. Get to a neighbor’s house, or into a metal-roofed car and roll up the windows.

If the structure does NOT appear to be on fire:
Dispatcher:

• Ask the caller how many seconds there are between the lightning flash and the associated sound of thunder. If the count is 30 seconds or less, the caller is at risk for further strikes. If the count is less than 10 seconds, the caller is in grave and imminent danger.

Tell the caller…

• Stay in your home unless some indication of fire develops.
• If you see fire, or see or smell smoke, then you must evacuate the structure.
• If lightning is still striking nearby, you must get from your house to another shelter quickly. Get to a neighbor’s house, or into a metal-roofed car and roll up the windows.
• Unless you are on a portable or cell phone, hang up until the lightning has passed. Lightning can travel along phone lines and injure or kill you.

Card “B”

Caller reporting someone (else) hit by lightning.
Q1: Where are you?
Q2: Where is the victim?
Q3: Is the victim still exposed to lightning?

Dispatcher:

• Try to determine if the victim is disoriented, or having difficulty breathing.
• Ask the caller how many seconds there are between the lightning flash and the associated sound of thunder. If the count is 30 seconds or less, the caller is at risk for further strikes. If the count is less than 10 seconds, the caller is in grave and imminent danger.

If the caller is still directly exposed to further lightning strikes:
Tell the caller…

• You must try to get the victim to a safe place.
  NOTE: Inform the caller that they are at risk of further lightning strikes if the lightning-thunder count is low.
• Try to get the victim inside a building, or into a metal-roofed car and roll up the windows.
• Avoid isolated tall trees.
• Unless you are on a portable or cell phone, hang up until the lightning has passed. Lightning can travel along phone lines and injure or kill you.

Once the caller is in a safe place, handle any injuries per normal EMD procedures.

Card “A”

Caller has been hit by lightning.
Q1: Where are you?
Q2: Are you still exposed to lightning?

Dispatcher:

• Try to determine if the victim is disoriented, or having difficulty breathing.
• Ask the caller how many seconds there are between the lightning flash and the associated sound of thunder. If the count is 30 seconds or less, the caller is at risk for further strikes. If the count is less than 10 seconds, the caller is in grave and imminent danger.

If the caller is still directly exposed to further lightning strikes:

Tell the caller…

• You must get to a safe place.
  NOTE: Inform the caller that they are at risk of further lightning strikes if the lightning-thunder count is low.
• Try to get inside a building, or into a metal-roofed vehicle and roll up the windows.
• Stay away from windows and electrical appliances.
• Avoid isolated tall trees.
• Unless you are on a portable or cell phone, hang up until the lightning has passed. Lightning can travel along phone lines and injure or kill you.

Once the caller is in a safe place, handle any injuries per normal EMD procedures.

Lightning

There are three (3) contingencies that warrant E-911 response:

• Caller has been hit by lightning:
  Injuries should be handled per normal EMD procedures but, to reduce exposure to further injury…
  refer to card “A”
• Caller is reporting someone else hit by lightning: refer to card “B”
• Caller is reporting house hit by lightning: refer to card “C”

Otherwise (time permitting):

• Caller is worried about nearby lightning, no damage or injury: refer to card “D”

Non-Emergency Advice (if time permits):

• You can get general information at our local emergency broadcast radio station (if available). The station is at: AM.
• You can call our local non-emergency phone line (if one is set up for the incident).
• The number is .
• You can also listen to NOAA weather radio (if you have one), or get in touch with the nearest National Weather Service office.

NOTE: Types of injury associated with lightning: electrical shock, burns, cardiovascular.

NOTE: The dispatcher is not required to ask every question in the natural disaster series. Ask only those questions that pertain to the specific call.

Card “C”

Calling to report extremely deep hail.

Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Are you currently in large hail?
Q3: What size is the hail?
Q4: When did it start?

If the hail is a foot deep or greater, and is “flowing:”

DISPATCHER NOTE: Hail that is a foot deep or greater, and is “flowing” represents a very dangerous situation. Call the Street Department, the Emergency Manager, and the National Weather Service to report the situation immediately.

If the caller is…

If the hail IS NOT a foot or more deep, nor “flowing” downhill:
Tell the caller…

• Thank you for your call. We will pass this along to the proper authorities. Please call back if hail gets larger than an inch, or if the depth gets greater than a foot, or if deep hail begins flowing downhill and clogging drains.

NOTE: Pass the report along to both the local Emergency Operations Center (or Emergency Manager), and the nearest National Weather Service office (as time permits).

Card “B”

Someone else injured by large hail.

First: Help the caller reduce the victim’s continued exposure to injury by following the below instructions.

Second: When exposure to further injury has been reduced as much as possible, then follow standard emergency medical procedures.

Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Is hail occurring now? If so, what size is it?
Q3: Is the victim outdoors, inside a structure, or in a car?
If the caller is…

NOTE: If the reported size is ¾” or greater, mark the location of the report on a map. Pass the report along to both the local Emergency Operations Center (or Emergency Manager), and the nearest National Weather Service office (as time permits).

Card “A”

Calling to report large hail – not injured.

• Q1: Where are you calling from?
• Q2: Are you currently in large hail?

If the caller IS in large hail:

Q1: What size is the hail?
Q2: When did it start?
Q3: Are you outside, inside a structure, or in a car?
If the caller is…

If the caller is NOT in large hail at the time:

Tell the caller…

• Thank you for your call. We will pass this along to the proper authorities. Please call back if large hail begins again.

NOTE: If the reported size is ¾” or greater, mark the location of the report on a map. Pass the report along to both the local Emergency Operations Center (or Emergency Manager), and the nearest National Weather Service office (as time permits).

Large Hail

There are four (4) contingencies that warrant E-911 response:

• Caller is reporting large hail, but is not injured: refer to card “A”
  • Caller has been hit and injured by large hail:
    Injuries should be handled per standard EMD but, to reduce exposure to further injury…
    refer to card “A”
• Caller is reporting someone else injured by hail: refer to card “B”
• Caller is reporting extremely deep hail: refer to card “C”

Non-Emergency Advice (if time permits):

• You can get general information at our local emergency broadcast radio station (if available). The station is at: AM.
• You can call our local non-emergency phone line (if one is set up for the incident).
• The number is .
• You can also listen to NOAA weather radio (if you have one), or get in touch with the nearest National Weather Service office.

NOTE: Types of injury associated with hail: blunt-force trauma, falls, broken glass (especially in the eyes).

NOTE: The dispatcher is not required to ask every question in the natural disaster series. Ask only those questions that pertain to the specific call.

Card “E”

Calling from an automobile (van, SUV).

Q1: Where are you located?
Q2: Are you trapped in your vehicle?
Q3: Is the water deep, or flowing fast?
Q4: Is your vehicle floating? If so, which direction is it going?

If the person IS trapped in very deep, fast-moving water and/or the vehicle is floating away (especially if water is getting into the automobile and their life is threatened):

Tell the caller…

• Try to open a side window, or break it with your shoe or some other solid object.
• Try to find a flotation device of some sort in your automobile. If nothing else is available, you can use a jacket or shirt to trap air, and create your own makeshift flotation cushion.
• Leave the vehicle and try to make your way to dry ground, keeping a tight grip on the flotation device.

If the victim IS NOT in very deep, fast-flowing water, nor floating away:
Tell the caller…

• Stay in your car. We are sending the fire department.

Card “D”

Calling from a flooding mobile home.

Q1: What address are you calling from?
Q2: Is the mobile home on fire, or are there any sparking outlets?
Q3: Is the structure collapsing?

If there IS a fire danger, or threat of structural collapse:
Things to tell the caller…

• We are sending the fire department. Evacuate the structure immediately.
• If the water in the street outside your house is deeper than a foot, do not attempt to drive away.
• If the water outside the home is deeper than 3 feet and/or seems to be rising or flowing fast, take a flotation device (such as a couch cushion) with you when you leave. Take one such device for each person leaving.
  • If there is no nearby dry ground, try to get into a tree, or onto a roof.
• Make sure that pets are free to swim with you. Do not attempt to carry larger pets. You could both lose your lives.

Calling from a flooding mobile home – no fire problem.

Q1: Is the water inside the mobile home?
If the water HAS already gotten into the mobile home:
Things to tell the caller…

• If the water outside isn’t flowing too fast, or if the water doesn’t contain too much debris, then choose a place to evacuate (such as nearby dry ground).
• If the water is flowing too fast, or if for any other reason it seems unsafe to try to get to high ground, try to get to the roof of a stable structure.
• Take some sort of flotation device (such as a couch cushion) with you when you leave. Take one such cushion for each person that is leaving
• Make sure that your pets are free to swim with you, and do not attempt to carry larger pets. You could both lose your lives.

If the water HAS NOT gotten into the mobile home:
Things to tell the caller…

• Stay in the structure until water begins to come in and locate things to use for flotation devices, such as couch cushions, and have them ready to go. Find one for each member of the family.
• Decide where to evacuate if it becomes necessary. Nearby dry ground is best, but only if the water isn’t flowing too fast, or if it doesn’t contain much debris.
• The roof of the trailer or tree might be used, if nothing else is available.
• Call back if water begins to get inside the mobile home.

Card “C”

Calling from a flooding house or building.

Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Is the structure on fire, or collapsing?
Q3: Are there sparking utility outlets?

If there IS a fire danger, or threat of structural collapse:
Things to tell the caller…

• We are sending the fire department. Evacuate the structure immediately.
• If the water in the street outside your house is deeper than a foot, do not attempt to drive away.
• If the water outside your house is deeper than 3 feet and/or seems to be rising or flowing fast, take a flotation device (such as a couch cushion) with you when you leave. Take one device for each person leaving.
• Make sure that pets are free to swim with you, but do not attempt to carry larger pets, you could both lose your lives.

If there is NO danger of fire or structural collapse:

Calling from a flooding house – no fire problem.

Q1: Do you have a basement?
If the caller DOES have a basement:
Q1: Is there water in the basement?
Q2: Is the water at least knee deep (2+ feet) and/or rising fast?

If the answer is knee deep and/or rising fast:

• Stay out of your basement. You could be drowned or electrocuted if you go downstairs.

If the answer is not deep nor rising fast:

• If you decide to go to the basement to salvage valuables, you first need to turn off the power.
• Leave the basement if the water starts to get deeper.
• You might also want to call a plumber, and/or purchase a sump pump from a local hardware or discount store.

If the caller DOES NOT have a basement:

Q1: Is the water getting into your house?
Q2: Is the water knee deep (2+ feet) and/or rising fast?

• If the answer is knee deep and/or rising fast:
  • You need to evacuate immediately.
  • If the water in the street outside your house is deeper than 1 foot, do not attempt to drive away.
  • If the water is 3 feet or more, take a flotation device with you, such as a couch cushion. Take one such device for each person leaving.
  • Make sure pets are free to swim along with you, but do not try to carry larger pets. You could both lose your lives.
• If the answer is not knee deep nor rising fast:
  • Turn off the power.
  • Evacuate if the water begins to get deep and/or starts to rise fast.

Card “B”

Calling about someone (else) drowning in a creek or ditch.

Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Where is the victim?
Q3: Is the victim washing away, or stationary?
Q4: How deep is the water?

If the victim is washing away down a creek or ditch:
Tell the caller…

• We are sending the fire department.
• Where did you last see the victim? About how long ago was it in minutes? About how fast, and in what direction did they seem to be traveling?
• Do not try to search for the victim unless you can clearly see the edge of the embankment, and can remain at least 10 feet from the water’s edge at all times.
• DO NOT ENTER THE WATER TO TRY TO HELP THE VICTIM ! ! !

If the victim is clinging to an object and seems relatively safe for the moment:
Tell the caller…

• We are sending the fire department. Go back to where the victim is trapped, let the victim know that help is on the way, and stay in the area to help direct the firefighters in.
• DO NOT ENTER THE WATER TO TRY TO HELP THE VICTIM ! ! !

Flash Flood Card “B”

Card “A”

Calling about someone (else) trapped in a vehicle.

Q1: Where are you calling from?
Q2: Where is the vehicle?
Q3: Is the car in deep, fast-moving water?
Q4: Is the victim’s vehicle floating? If so, what direction?

If the trapped victim IS in deep, fast-moving water – especially if water is getting into the vehicle and the victim feels their life is threatened:

Tell the caller…

• Have the person in the car try to open a side window, or break it out with a shoe or some other solid object.
• Try to find a flotation device of some sort in your vehicle, or theirs. If nothing else is available, tell them to use a jacket or shirt to trap air, and create their own makeshift flotation device.
• Have them exit their car carefully and try to make it over to dry ground, reminding them to keep hold of the flotation device.
• Follow along if they get swept downstream, but DO NOT go into the water after them on your own.
• If you have a rope or a long power cord, take it along as you follow, and wait for the opportunity to use it safely.

If the trapped victim IS NOT in deep, fast-moving water, or floating away:

Tell the caller…

• We are sending the fire department. Go to a safe place near where the people are trapped, and be prepared to guide firefighters to the scene. Advise the victims to stay in their car.
• DO NOT ENTER THE WATER TO TRY TO HELP THE VICTIM ! ! !

Flash Flood Card “A”

Flash Floods

If the caller…

• is reporting someone (else) trapped in a vehicle: refer to card “A”
• is reporting someone drowning in a creek or ditch: refer to card “B”

If not, then ask…

Are you calling from a house (building), mobile home, or automobile?

• Calling from a flooding house, or a building: refer to card “C”
• Calling from a flooding mobile home (trailer): refer to card “D”
• Calling from an automobile (truck, van, SUV): refer to card “E”

Non-Emergency Advice (if time permits):

• You can get general information by listening to our local emergency broadcast radio station (if available).
• The station is at: AM.
• You can call our local non-emergency phone line (if one is set up for the incident).
• The number is .
• You can also listen to NOAA weather radio (if you have one), or get in touch with the nearest National Weather Service office.

NOTE: Types of injury associated with flooding: automobile accidents, drownings, electrical shock, cardiac, blunt trauma, lacerations, and falls.

NOTE: The dispatcher is not required to ask every question in the natural disaster series. Ask only those questions that pertain to the specific call.

NOTE: If flooding has not been previously reported, you should pass the information to both the local Emergency Operations Center, and the nearest office of the National Weather Service.

Card “E”

Q1: What is your location?
Q2: Can you see any signs or landmarks?
Q3: Are you alone? If others are with you, are they children or elderly?
Q4: Do you have food, water, and warm clothes or blankets?

Tell the caller…

• Stay in your vehicle. Disorientation occurs quickly in wind driven snow and cold. People have been lost within a hundred feet of their vehicle.
• Run the motor about ten minutes each half-hour for heat, but:
  • Open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked!
• Make yourself visible to rescuers by:
  • Turning on the dome light at night when running the engine.
  • Tying a colored cloth to your antenna or door.
  • Raising the hood (after snow stops falling) indicating trouble.
• Exercise from time to time by vigouously moving arms, legs, fingers, and toes to keep blood circulating and keep yourself warm.
• If appropriate and if there is time, give the caller with a number for a towing agency.

Blizzard Card “E”

Card “D”

Caller is stuck in a building
(e.g., a school, hospital, shopping mall, nursing home, or office building).

If any part of the structure is collapsing:

*FIND OUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THE BUILDING*

Tell the caller…

• If you cannot leave the building entirely, gather all of the occupants together and move them to an unaffected part of the building.
• Evacuate only if there is no other option (for example, a natural gas leak).
• Stay inside where it is dry and warm, and drive only in an emergency.

If the structure is not collapsing:

Tell the caller…

• Keep everyone inside where it is dry and warm.
• Drive only in an emergency.

If there has been a power outage:

• Call the power company.
• If there is no heat:
  • Do not use camping appliances to heat! You can use alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, or space heater, but be sure to follow all of the manufacturer recommended safeguards, and always assure proper ventilation.
  • Hyper-insulate your home. This means to:
    • Close off unneeded rooms.
    • Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
    • Cover windows at night.
  • Eat and drink if possible.
    • Food provides the body with the energy for producing its own heat.
    • Fluids prevent dehydration, which can occur quickly.
  • Layer your clothing.
    • Wear layers of loose fitting, light-weight, warm clothing.
    • Remove layers to avoid overheating, perspiration, and subsequent chill.

Blizzard Card “D”

Card “C”

Caller is stuck in a house or mobile home.

Tell the caller…

• Stay in your home. Drive only in an emergency.
• If there has been a power outage call the power company (the company that bills you for service).
• If there is no heat:
  • Do not use camping appliances to heat!
  • You can use alternative heat from a fireplace, wood stove, or space heater, but be sure to follow manufacturer recommended safeguards, and always assure proper ventilation. Don’t burn trash.
  • Hyper-insulate your home. This means to:
    • Close off unneeded rooms.
    • Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
    • Cover windows at night.
  • Eat and drink if possible.
    • Food provides the body with the energy for producing its own heat.
    • Fluids prevent dehydration, which can occur quickly.
  • Layer your clothing.
    • Wear layers of loose fitting, light-weight, warm clothing.
    • Remove layers to avoid overheating, perspiration, and subsequent chill.

Blizzard Card “C”

Card “B”

Caller is trapped outdoors (not in a vehicle).

Q1: Can you pinpoint your location?
Q2: Can you see any signs or landmarks?
Q3: Are you alone? If others are with you, are they children or elderly?
Tell the caller…

• If you are alone and in a phone booth, stay there. If you are calling on a cell phone, find shelter (for everyone) as quickly as possible, identify an obvious landmark nearby, and report your location.
• Try to stay dry.
• Cover all exposed parts of the body.

If shelter cannot be found:
Tell the caller…

• Prepare a lean-to, windbreak, or snow cave for protection from the wind.
• Build a fire for heat, and to attract attention.
• Place rocks around the fire to absorb and reflect heat.
• Do not eat snow directly. Melt it first. Frozen snow will lower your body temperature.
• Exercise lightly and regularly to keep your circulation active.

Blizzard Card “B”

Card “A”

Calling about broken water lines, tree limbs on power lines,
or broken tree limbs.

If the problem is broken water pipes:

Blizzard/Heavy Snow

If the emergency involves…

• Broken pipes, or tree limbs on power lines: refer to card “A”
• Someone stuck outdoors (not in a car): refer to card “B”

Otherwise, ask:
Are you calling from a house (building), mobile home, or automobile?

• Caller is stuck in a house or mobile home: refer to card “C”
• Caller is stuck in a building (for example, a school, nursing home, hospital, shopping mall, etc.): refer to card “D”
• Caller is trapped in a motor vehicle: refer to card “E”

Non-Emergency Advice (if time permits):

• You can get general information at our local emergency broadcast station(if available).
  The station is at: _________________ AM
• You can call our local non-emergency phone line (if one is set up for the incident).
  The number is ___________________
• You can also listen to NOAA weather radio (if you have one), or get in touch with the nearest National Weather Service office.

NOTE: Types of injury associated with blizzards: hypothermia, automobile accidents, cardiac, falls, frostbite.
NOTE: The dispatcher is not required to ask every question in the natural disaster series. Ask only those questions that pertain to the specific call.

Natural Disaster Information Cards

For Emergency 911 Dispatch Centers

Overview:

When first exposed to the chaos surrounding a natural disaster and its aftermath, many in the emergency communications profession are surprised by the vast range of questions and requests they receive from the public. Some of the requests seem unimportant or trivial to them in the heat of the moment. Many times the questions being asked are ones they have never heard before, and ones to which they have no answers. To assist with such situations, a system called “Natural Disaster Information Cards,” or “NDIC” has been developed.

Disclaimer

The Natural Disaster Information Cards were developed as a joint effort between the City of Fort Collins Office of Emergency Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). The information contained on the NDIC card sets was current and correct at the time of publication. The developers encourage each agency using NDIC to examine the card sets carefully and make necessary updates and alterations to make them viable for local use. Users of the Natural Disaster Information Cards agree by their use to hold blameless each and all of the agencies and individuals involved in their development for any liability associated with their use in any form. In addition, the developers assume no responsibility or liability for suggested actions or other information contained within NDIC which subsequently becomes outdated.

EUROMET Courses

October 21st, 2004

The EuroMET materials are currently being provided by EUMETCAL . Access is free for any educational use: a password is no longer necessary.

Updated: 25th October 2004

Powered by SPIP

MSG CHANNELS

Interpretation Guide
Weather, surface conditions and atmospheric constituents

This page contains the release of the “MSG Interpretation Guide” version 1.0, collecting material in the form of Powerpoint files for the various application areas of MSG. The next release is expected end of 2005.

Contributions from Jochen Kerkmann (EUMETSAT), Hans Joachim Lutz (EUMETSAT), Marianne König (EUMETSAT), Jose Prieto (EUMETSAT), Pirkko Pylkko (FMI), HansPeter Roesli (SMA), Daniel Rosenfeld (HUJ), Johannes Schmetz (EUMETSAT), Veronika Zwatz-Meise (ZAMG)

Edited by Veronika Zwatz-Meise (ZAMG) and Jochen Kerkmann (EUMETSAT).

HTML Programming and Maintenance: Christian Zwatz (ZAMG), Barbara Steiner (ZAMG) and Carsten Schaefer (EUMETSAT).

This material is provided for education and training purposes only. Any reproduction should acknowledge the source of this material.

A DVD containing the complete fileset can be ordered by contacting EUMETSAT User Services.

Copyright: EUMETSAT, 2004

For optimal use of all parts of this compendium, an Internet Browser, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint and a Media Player are required.

Please note: If you experience difficulties opening any of the files directly from you browser, it is recommended to download files to your hard drive first (e.g. right click on a link and choose Save Target As / Save Link As) and then display the files using a suitable application.

The Powerpoint files marked with (*) contain links to animation loops that can be viewed/downloaded seperately using the links marked by a “CLICK HERE” icon.

From MFG “Meteosat First Generation” to MSG “Meteosat Second Generation”
– Benefits of the new generation

From MFG to MSG (MS PowerPoint, 11890 KB) *
Comparison between MFG and MSG: Examples (MS PowerPoint, 17838 KB)

Introduction to MSG Channels

Simple Overview of all MSG channels:

Applications for weather analysis and forecasting

Ocean and Land surface

Atmospheric Constituents

Special Phenomena

• Limb Darkening – To be added
• Sun Glint – see also Introduction to Channel 04 (3.9µm) (MS PowerPoint, 8228 KB)

Climate Applications

To be added

Satellite data for Numerical Weather Prediction

To be added

Instructions for Installing the RSO VISITview Lesson

In order to install this lesson, you will need to create a new directory on your hard drive, download a self-extracting, compressed file into this directory, and then run this file in order to extract the data and program files. NWS Users: We strongly encourage you to install these files on a “modern” PDW (300 MHz Pentium II or faster, and at least 64 MB of RAM).

I. To get and install the VISITview lesson files on a Windows system:

1. Create a directory on your computer to hold this lesson.  For example, open a Command Prompt window and type:
2. Get the self-extracting exe file (it is about 42 MB in size) by aiming your Web browser to
   ftp://rammftp.cira.colostate.edu/bikos/visit/rso_14mar02.exe
   OR
   ftp://ftp.ssec.wisc.edu/visit/rso_14mar02.exe
3. Be sure to put this rso_14mar02.exe file into the same directory that you created in step 1.
4. To extract all the image and program files, just run the rso_14mar02.exe file by either:
5. opening My Computer  or the Windows Explorer and clicking on the filename rso_14mar02.exe
6. opening a Command Prompt window, typing cd \visit\rso, and then typing rso_14mar02

II. This completes the installation. open the “Display” Control Panel and make sure your Settings for the Desktop Area is 800 by 600 pixels or greater click on the visitlocal.bat filename from My Computer or Windows Explorer.
         Alternatively, you could open a Command Prompt window, and type:
        cd \visit\rso
        visitlocal A ViewClient window will appear which includes additional controls to load Selected lesson pages (or to move to the Next or Previous page). Note… If you are using a Unix or Linux system, you will need to install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software on your local computer…see the JRE instructions page.
 

Links from Aviation Hazards Session:

NOAA/NWS Links

          Alaska

NOAA – Alaska Aviation Weather Unit

Anchorage Center Weather Service Unit

NWS Anchorage

NWS Alaska Region

            Other

NOAA NCEI – Volcanic Data and Information – Natural Hazards

NOAA/NESDIS VOLCAT

NOAA – HYSPLIT Model Description

NOAA/NESDIS/SSD – Volcano Webcam Links

NOAA – READY: Volcanic Ash Transport And Dispersion (HYSPLIT Model)

NOAA/NWS Forecast Decision Training Branch (FDTB)

NOAA/NWS Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB)

USGS Links

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program

USGS – REDUCING THE THREAT TO AVIATION FROM AIRBORNE VOLCANIC ASH

USGS – Volcanic Ash fall

USGS – Volcanic Ash–Danger to Aircraft in the North Pacific

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program Fact Sheets

USGS – Volcano Hazard Assessments

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program Publications

USGS – NVEWS: National Volcano Early Warning System

USGS – Ash Properties

USGS – Mount St. Helens

USGS – Volcanic Gases and Their Effects

USGS – Volcano Status Map

USGS – Volcanoes (The Book)

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC) of the World

Anchorage, AK, United States

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Darwin, Australia

London, United Kingdom

Montreal, Canada

Tokyo, Japan

Toulouse, France

Washington, DC, United States

Wellington, New Zealand

Volcano Observatories

Alaska Volcano Observatory

Cascades Volcano Observatory

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

World Organization of Volcano Observatories

The Rest of the Observatories of the World

All The rest

Volcano Teaching Resources

Boeing Volcanic Ash Avoidance

Illustrated Volcano Glossary

Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety

San Diego State University – How Volcanoes Work

The Volcanoes of Canada

Michigan Tech University – Volcanic Clouds

Michigan Tech University – Volcano Information Links

The Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program

University Wisconsin Space Science Engineering Center (SSEC)

UW Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)

CIMSS – Satellite Blog

State of Alaska Div. Air Quality – Volcanic Ash Fall

Colorado State University – Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Colorado State University CIRA – VISIT Program

Important Links: Volcanoes and Volcanic Ash

NOAA/NWS Links

Alaska

NOAA – Alaska Aviation Weather Unit

Anchorage Center Weather Service Unit

NWS Anchorage

NWS Alaska Region Environmental and Scientific Services Division (ESSD)

Other

NOAA – Volcanoes and Links to More information

NOAA – Volcano Data and Information (NGDC) – Natural Hazards

NOAA – Volcanic Ash Advisory Database (NGDC)

NOAA/NESDIS – Experimental GOES Volcanic Ash Products

NOAA – PUFF Model Description

NOAA – HYSPLIT Model Description

NOAA – Volcanic Ash Coordination Tool (VACT)

NOAA/NESDIS/SSD – Volcano Webcam Links

NOAA – READY: Volcanic Ash Transport And Dispersion (HYSPLIT Model)

NOAA/NWS Forecast Decision Training Branch (FDTB)

NOAA/NWS Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB)

USGS Links

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program

USGS – REDUCING THE THREAT TO AVIATION FROM AIRBORNE VOLCANIC ASH

USGS – Volcanic Ash fall

USGS – Volcanic Ash–Danger to Aircraft in the North Pacific

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program Fact Sheets

USGS – Volcano Hazard Assessments

USGS – Volcano Hazards Program Publications

USGS – NVEWS: National Volcano Early Warning System

USGS – Ash Properties

USGS – Mount St. Helens

USGS – Volcanic Gases and Their Effects

USGS – Volcano Status Map

USGS – Volcanoes (The Book)

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAAC) of the World

Anchorage, AK, United States

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Darwin, Australia

London, United Kingdom

Montreal, Canada

Tokyo, Japan

Toulouse, France

Washington, DC, United States

Wellington, New Zealand

Volcano Observatories

Alaska Volcano Observatory

Cascades Volcano Observatory

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Long Valley Observatory

Yellowstone Volcano Observatory

World Organization of Volcano Observatories

The Rest of the Observatories of the World

All The rest

Oregon Risk Management – Ash Fall

Boeing Volcanic Ash Avoidance

National Weather Association – Gary Ellrod, Remote Sensing of Volcanic Ash

Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety

San Diego State University – How Volcanoes Work

The Volcanoes of Canada

Michigan Tech University – Volcanic Clouds

Michigan Tech University – Volcano Information Links

NASA Images and Articles

Idaho State University – Volcanoes

University of Wisconsin SSEC – Volcano Watch

Colorado State University – Volcanic Ash Detection

The Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program

National Volcanic Ash Operations Plan for Aviation

Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information

MetOffice (United Kingdom) – Volcanoes

Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research – Ash Dispersion

EUMETSAT – Near Real Time Ash Retrievals

University Wisconsin Space Science Engineering Center (SSEC)

UW Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)

CIMSS – Satellite Blog

State of Alaska Div. Air Quality – Volcanic Ash Fall

Colorado State University – Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

Colorado State University CIRA – VISIT Program

International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group (IAVWOPSG)

IC4D Users Guide and Software/Hardware Architecture

Using GOES Rapid Scan Operations (RSO) Imagery in AWIPS

Contributors:

B. Motta, A. Mostek, J. Weaver,
D. Bikos, K. Schrab, K. Waters

1. Introduction
   This is a basic course.
   This session will focus on how to obtain GOES RSO data and utilize it in AWIPS to assist with the forecast decision-making process.
   
   The objective of this training session is to:
   – Describe the GOES RSO capability
   – Identify conditions for calling an RSO
   – Use RSO effectively
   
2. Prerequisites
   Prior to attending this RSO session, you should review the following materials:
   – VISIT GOES FAQ page
   
3. Training session options:
   a.) The interactive VISITview training session. (To be used with a VISIT instructor leading the session). Click here to signup for teletraining. The session will last 60 minutes. This teletraining session uses the VISITview software, where Windows PC (with 64 MB RAM or greater) with an internet connection is needed.
   
   b.) Web-based training sessions – a “stand-alone” version viewed via a web browser, with embedded talking points included. This lesson version may be viewed at any time. These slides are ideal for printing from the web browser, just print preview first to choose portrait or landscape mode. Best viewed with Internet Explorer or Netscape (prior to version 6.)
   
   c.)Web-based Visitview session – This version uses the VISITview software within a Web browser, may be viewed at any time. It retains all the functionality of the VISITview software which you see in a “live” teletraining session. The talking points are not included in this lesson version, but can be viewed in a separate Web browser (or printed out beforehand).
   
   d.) local Visitview session – This is the same version of the lesson used in a “live” VISITview teletraining session, but no connection is made to an external VISITview server. You may download the file off this page and go through the lesson on your own in “local mode” by starting the “visitlocal.bat” file. Talking points are not included in this lesson version, but can be viewed in a separate Web browser ( or printed out beforehand).
4. References/Additional Links
5. Train the trainer

4) References/Additional Links

6. Content Developed/Updated
   1999
7. Contact Information
   Dan Bikos (970) 491 3777

VISIT

Training tutorials available on this electronic notebook from the Virtual Resource Library

CIRA Virtual Resource Library

Welcome to the Virtual Laboratory for Satellite Training and Data Utilization

The Virtual Laboratory for Satellite Training and Data Utilization (VL) has been established to maximize the exploitation of satellite data across the globe. It is a collaborative effort joining the major operational satellite operators across the globe with WMO “centers of excellence” in satellite meteorology. Those “centers of excellence” serve as the satellite-focused training resource for WMO Members.

To access VL resources or different components of the VL click on the appropriate item below.

SHyMet “Old/NewTopics” Survey

surveys

How to access recorded VISITview training sessions via an intranet

by John DiStefano
Brief instructions to set up for playback of “Recorded VisitView sessions”…

1. Find a location on the PC of your choice at your office where you will place the unzipped recorded sessions.

2. Have your ESA set in place a mapped drive to this location that will show up as each staff member performs a PC login. The ESA will need to set this up via a ‘login script’ on one of your office’s local servers. An example of how this will look once activated is noted below (blue arrow pointing to our newly mapped “T-drive”).

3. The majority of your staff should be set up to have “read” access only to these files (Windows XP operating system). Limit the number of staff (SOO, Training FP, …) who will have “full” access to this drive for the purpose of setting up the recorded sessions.4. Place your recorded sessions in separate directories (such as in the example image under #2 above (orange arrow)).

5. Alter the ‘visitauto.bat’ file as follows…

• Insert the mapped drive on the first line of this file (“T:” for our office).
• On the second line of this file, ‘cd’ to the directory where the recorded session resides.
• Save this edited file under another name.
• See example below.

6. Create a web page on your Intranet whereby your staff can have access to “recorded” training. Links to the altered ‘visitauto.bat’ files will allow your staff to view these recorded sessions from any PC in the office. Below is an example of part of our web page whereby access to recorded training can be obtained. The ‘Start Training’ buttons are where the links to the recorded training is defined.

Under this configuration, each workstation will be running “locally”, even though they are actually sharing the files. This means that the local VISITview server is running on each user’s own machine.

visit

Training/Outreach

VISIT – Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training

SHyMet – Satellite Hydrology and Meteorology

WMO’s Regional Meteorological Training Center of Excellence (RMTCoE) Activities

Education and Outreach