The new geostationary satellite series, GOES-R, will provide for a unique perspective in monitoring convection with the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). The multi-spectral information that it will provide can be used to infer cloud-top properties as well as the growth properties of clouds with a high temporal resolution. A new instrument on GOES-R will be the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). Coupling ABI and GLM data can be used to diagnose storm intensity. Knowledge of storm intensity is extremely important in radar sparse locations and over oceanic regions. This information can be especially important for aviation interests over the oceans where radar data and pilot reports may not be available.

For this study, the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) is used as a proxy for GLM, and Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) is used as a proxy for the GOES-R ABI. Initial intensity estimates will be made using TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) variables (i.e., maximum 40 dBZ height, IWP, reflectivity gradients, etc.) from a TRMM storm cell database that has been produced for the months of August 2006 and January 2007. These storm cells are evaluated for their spectral and temporal properties in MSG data in addition to lightning features analyzed by LIS. These properties will be correlated with the storm intensity index and radar properties to develop a storm intensity index based solely on infrared and lightning information. The results from the development of the spectral/temporal indicators and LIS lightning data will be presented along with the development of the intensity categories.