Short Wavelength Infrared Imaging Impacts on Storm Spotting: A Pilot Study

In this pilot study, we explore the use of short wavelength infrared (SWIR, 0.9 – 1.6 μm) imagery in observing thunderstorms, and compare the SWIR images of thunderstorm cloud bases to visible-wavelength images. The goal is to determine if the SWIR camera imaging could help improve detection of poorly-visible tornadoes in supercells (i.e., those obscured by haze or darkness). We present a methodology, built on existing storm observation techniques, for safely imaging severe thunderstorm cloud bases using a SWIR camera. We also present preliminary results of an eye-tracking study in which SWIR and visible footage of thunderstorm cloud bases were shown to trained weather spotters. It is our hope that the use of eye-tracking technology will help us more objectively assess whether the trained spotters are better able to detect pretornadic cloud features in the SWIR images.