CONVERGENCE LINES OVER SEAS AND LAKES - CLOUD STRUCTURE IN SATELLITE IMAGES

by KNMI

15 December 1999/12.00 UTC - Meteosat VIS image	15 December 1999/12.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image

Convective clouds are often observed in bands over large bay areas. The bands or lines can be seen as white stripes in the VIS image. Due to the fact that the convergence is only restricted to the lower levels in the troposphere, the IR image shows grey colors.
The lines are very difficult to recognise in the WV channel. Only the most active parts can be seen as light-grey to white.

January 1987/12.35 UTC - NOAA VIS image; Convergence Line developed over the Gulf of Finland	10 November 1999/14.51 UTC - Meteosat VIS image; Convergence Line over the North Sea


19 Novenber 1999/04.56 UTC - NOAA IR image; Convergence Line generated in the Skaggerrak region	22 December 1986/04.35 UTC - NOAA IR image; Convergence Line over the Irish Sea

Convective clouds are observed as white bands over the sea in the VIS image.
When convective lines are more intense and reach higher levels in the troposphere, the IR image shows more pronounced white areas, indicating colder cloud tops. See for example the convective line over the Skaggerrak and North Sea.

18 November 1999/21.00 UTC - Meteosat IR image

18/21.00 UTC - 19/06.00 UTC hourly image loop

SUB-MENU OF CONVERGENCE LINES OVER SEAS AND LAKES

METEOROLOGICAL PHYSICAL BACKGROUND