GOES-R Convective Initiation Product
The legacy Convective Initiation (CI) product developed by researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has been transitioned to use imagery from GOES-16 and will be able to use GOES-17 when it is fully calibrated and becomes operational. The product fuses Numerical Weather Prediction and satellite “interest” fields into a single product that yields a 0 to 1 hour probability nowcast of future convective initiation. The CI product identifies potential cumulus clouds using a unique cloud typing algorithm during the day, and relies on the Level 2 Cloud Phase product for detection at night. Once the cumulus clouds have been identified, they are tracked in successive images to see how they change with time. Clouds that depict rapid growth characteristics combined with an environment that supports convective initiation yield higher probabilities as compared to those that show little or no growth. A training database combined with mathematical techniques helps produce the probabilities seen by the end user in their decision support systems. This training database will continually be updated as more convective seasons are observed by the GOES-R series of satellites, helping refine the CI product to make it as robust as possible. NASA SPoRT helps transition the CI product to operational end users in AWIPS.
There are some details that are helpful to keep in mind when using this product. To reduce processing time, the resolution of the domain remains 1 km during the day and 2 km at night. The product will run on the 5 minute CONUS imagery. Some of the satellite “interest” fields include cloud growth, glaciation rates, and cloud top heights, while there are several model variables that indicate environmental information such as CAPE, CIN, Lifted Index amongst many others. Fusing all of these variables together provides a situational awareness product that can aid near-term forecasters in their decision making. Real-time imagery and more detailed information including product training can be found on the UAH website here.
