Dust Animated

Advancing dust storm data animation, 12-2-2022 (credit: GOES-16/NOAA)

The Earth monitoring satellite GOES-16 captured the front of a dust storm moving down the eastern slopes of Rocky Mountains in Colorado and flowing into Kansas.

According to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Organization (NOAA) the true-color images showed the fast moving line of dust (in tan) being forced by a strong cold front flowing southeast from the mountains and advancing into the High Plains. The blowing dust reduced surface visibility to 1 mile at some locations. Wind gusts generated by the front ranged at speeds from 50-90m in the affected Colorado counties. The GOES photographs were used to create a photo animation that visualizes the wind speeds and other data gathered by the satellite. Its sensors have the capability of viewing lightening strikes in moving weather system that assists to improve fire forecasting.

       GOES lightening map, 12-6-2022 (credit: GOES/NOAA)

The GOES suite of NOAA's environmental satellites is an example example of how advanced remote sensing technology is now directly being applied to weather and storm warning predictions. WHB

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