Metro-02
Meteorology and Flight Planning
NOTE: Terrain has intermediate to
low reflectivity and will appear as
some shade of grey. Water appears
almost black. Land/water contrast will
normally be good.
Fig 38: Infrared
1.
Everything with a temperature above absolute zero
Picture
radiates energy
2.
Wave length of energy varies with temperature
3.
GOES measures energy level at specific wave
lengths
4.
Earth receivers convert energy measurements to
temperatures
a.
IR imagery portrays different temperatures as
black (very warm), white (very cold), or some
shade of grey
b.
High clouds are very cold, so they appear
white; mid-level clouds are warmer, so they
appear as some shade of grey; low clouds and/
or fog often are the same temperature as the
surrounding terrain and cannot be distinguished
at all
5.
Enhanced IR Pictures
a.
Meteorologist has the option of assigning
shades of grey to specific temperatures which
allows specific items, i.e., thunderstorms, to be
highlighted
b.
Operationally enhanced IR used quite often
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