Realistic simulated satellite imagery for GOES-R using state of the art mesoscale modeling and accurate radiative transfer is being produced at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmopshere (CIRA) for use in developing and testing new products.

Products which have been produced in support of the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group (AWG) include six-hour imagery at 5 minute intervals for 3 GOES-R ABI channels (3.9 µm, 10.35 µm and 11.2 µm) that include fire hotspots. The imagery was initially produced at 400 m resolution and a point-spread function applied on the data to create ABI resolution imagery. Also created was corresponding imagery for current GOES at 2 channels (3.9 µm and 10.7 µm). These fire hotspots were simulated for 6 different cases over Kansas, Central America and California.

Additionally, high quality imagery for 10 GOES-R ABI channels (3.9 µm and higher) were produced for 4 extreme weather events. These simulations include a lake effect snow case (12 February 2003), a severe weather case (8 May 2003), Hurricane Wilma (19 October 2005) and Hurricane Lili (2 October 2002). All simulations for extreme weather events were also performed for current GOES and compared with available imagery for quality control purposes.