Improved GOES Sounder Coverage of Cloud-Broken Data Fields

Abstract

Geostationary satellite sounder radiances have typically been averaged over several individual fields of view before the radiances are used for retrieving thermodynamic profiles or for assimilation in weather prediction models. The purpose of the averaging is to compensate for data noise. Cloudy fields of view are excluded from averaging. In areas without a sufficient number of clear fields of view, complete profiles are not retrieved. Clouds thus cause gaps in sounder coverage. This note describes an automated method to select a set of averaging areas for a given field of sounder data, such that the gaps in coverage caused by clouds are as small and as few as possible. Test results are shown, indicating that the method can provide substantially better coverage than is obtained with a commonly used method.