If so, then water vapor imagery cannot be used to estimate winds. The figures below give an example of the characteristics of water vapor imagery. The visible image on the left shows open water and ice floes. In the water vapor image on the right the surface is not evident, and there are spatial features that are potential tracking targets. It consists of five pairs of 5-minute granules from consecutive orbits approximately 90 minutes apart, giving a total elapsed time of about six hours.
Preliminary studies indicate that, in general, water vapor can be used in wind estimation.
Cloud and water vapor wind vectors determined by the automated tracking algorithm are shown in the first figure on this page. Not surprisingly, the answer depends on the latitude and the number of satellites. Go here to learn more. Applications Applications will be posted here as they become available. Jeff Key, Chris Velden, and Dave Santek.