Detecting low-level moisture with proxy data at ESSL events in preparation for MTG
Pieter Groenemeijer (ESSL) presents his findings in using low-level moisture proxy data from polar orbiting satellites at European Severe Storms Laboratory training events.
In preparation for MTG data, ESSL is carrying out a series of expert workshops and Testbeds in collaboration with EUMETSAT. At both event types, the increased capabilities of detecting low-level moisture from geostationary orbit, which the MTG program will enable, have received a high amount of attention. In our presentation, we will discuss a number of convective storm cases that were studied using proxy data from polar-orbiting instruments, such as MODIS. One of the ways to visualize low-level moisture is by depicting the ratio of the 0.91 and 0.85 μm channels with an intuitive color scale. We will discuss to what extent this and other proxies for low-level humidity can be used to anticipate the presence of a crucial ingredient for severe deep, moist convection...