Climatology from Satellites Digitized polar projections of global weather after dark on 24 October 1970, from Itos-1 infra-red evidence. The block diagrams in the upper right-hand corners describe the relationships, at various latitudes, of image tones and surface (or cloud-top) temperatures in °C. (See p. 43) (E.S.S.A. photographs) Climatology from Satellites E. C. BARRETT METHUEN & CO LTD 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4 First published in 1974 by Methuen & Co Ltd, 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4 © 1974 E. C. Barrett ISBN 0 416 65940 3 Filmset in Photon Times 11 on 12 pt by Richard Clay {The Chaucer Press) Ltd, Bungay, Suffolk Printed in Great Britain by Fletcher & Son Ltd, Norwich Distributed in the U.SA. by HARPER & ROW PUBLISHERS, INC. BARNES & NOBLE IMPORT DIVISION Contents Preface Vll A ckno wledgments ix Abbreviations xi PART I Introduction 1 The nature and scope of climatology from satellites PART II The satellites 2 American meteorological satellite systems 19 PART III Principles of weather satellite data analyses 3 Patterns of atmospheric energy 61 4 Distributions of atmospheric moisture 75 5 Wind flows and air circulations 120 PART IV Satellite data analyses in global climatology 6 Global patterns of atmospheric energy 147 7 Global patterns of atmospheric moisture 174 8 Global patterns of atmospheric circulation 195 PART V Satellite data analyses in regional climatology 9 Linear disturbances of tropical weather 221 10 Non-linear disturbances of tropical weather 260 11 The south Asian monsoon 292 12 Temperate mid-latitudes 314 13 The polar regions 344 PART VI Satellite data and climatic classification 14 The classification of climates 359 References 374 Indexes 405 Preface We all know that feeling of despair caused by just missing a bus. One runs vainly after the desired vehicle, knowing full well that it can only accelerate away despite one’s efforts to overtake it. Working and writing in any field involving the scientific exploration of space quickly recalls our experiences as frustrated would-be passengers. New spacecraft, instruments, analytical tech­ niques and absorbing satellite discoveries come and go with ever-increasing speed; it is more than usually difficult to ensure that one’s grasp of the situation is up-to-date. This daunting scenario has led me many times to question the worth­ whileness of an attempted synthesis of climatology from satellites. But each time I have been reminded of the increasing need for someone to try to piece together, within a global framework, the welter of fascinating atmospheric facts and discoveries that have emerged from more than ten years of satellite studies. Stock-taking is a useful practice from the research point of view. It is also of value to potential users of a particular range of products. It is essential for students trying to identify contemporary scientific bus-stops, the services and their future destinations. This book attempts to gather, organize and, where possible, inter-relate many satellite-based findings pertinent to the study of climatology, and to do so in such a way that its topics are reasonably rounded and self-complete. Many of the works to which references are made have not been available hitherto in readily accessible publications. Clearly, some aspects of the atmo­ sphere are more comprehensively surveyed than others, and some readers may detect substantial areas of climatology treated scantily or not at all. Others will dislike the lack of standardization in the units employed by workers whose results are summarized. I believe, however, that my coverage reflects reasonably the present state of the game and that any greater effort to viii Preface smooth or standardize the contents would misrepresent or otherwise do an injustice to some work while according more than justice to the rest. In these days of growing preoccupation with remote sensing generally, the approaches and findings of satellite climatology - tentative and fragmentary though they may be - should prove of interest not only to students of the atmosphere but also to many others who may wish to examine the planet Earth from space. My thanks are due to all who have helped me with this project. In particular, I thank Mr Vincent J. Oliver, Chief, Applications Branch, National Environmental Satellite Center, Washington, for his most helpful comments on the draft manuscript. Several members of his staff, especially Ralph K. Anderson and Frances Parmenter also helped greatly in resolving points of detail in the text. Dr T. H. Yonder Haar of the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, gave kind assistance in checking chapters 3 and 6, and Professor S. Gregory, Department of Geography. University of Sheffield, made helpful suggestions with respect to chapters 1 and 14. My thanks are also due to Dr M. G. Hamilton, recently appointed to the staff of the Edgbaston Observatory, Birmingham, for discus­ sions during his period of research at Bristol. Last, but not least, my wife Gillian has contributed much by her assistance with the Indexes, through her typing skills, and, most of all, with her unfailing encouragement. Needless to say, the responsibility for any errors that remain is mine alone. E. C. Barrett, Bristol. May, 1973