Exercises using LEOWorks - Continued


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Clouds in the winter
 
Clouds in the winter in the Northern Hemisphere
 
 
Climate, seasons, and vegetation - Continued
  
Open LEOWorks. If you have not downloaded the weather images yet, do so now.

Choose File>Open. A dialogue box will pop up. Choose the folder Weather, and select the first image Meteosat_020331_12v.jpg. Open Meteosat_020630_12v.jpg, Meteosat_020930_12v.jpg, and Meteosat_021231_12v.jpg, too.
 
 
 Dates of recording:

Meteosat_020331_12v.jpg = 31 March 2002
Meteosat_020630_12v.jpg = 30 June 2002
Meteosat_020930_12v.jpg = 30 September 2002
Meteosat_021231_12v.jpg = 31 December 2002





Describe the cloud formation in Africa as shown in the four images. The position of the clouds near the equator varies. Divide the four images into two groups based on similar cloud patterns.

 
 
Arithmetic
 
Arithmetic
 
 
To show the cloud formation during the winter and summer months, we will merge the December and March images as well as the June and September images.

Choose Image>Arithmetic and select Meteosat_020331_12v.jpg for Image #1, and Meteosat_021231_12v.jpg for Image #2.
  
 
Precipitation legend
   
Precipitation legend
 
Now select Maximum for Operation and click OK. A new image will appear containing the cloud formation for December and March.

Save the image as Clouds_winter in your folder Weather.

The same procedure is required for the summer images, only using Meteosat_020630_06v.jpg for Image #1, and Meteosat_020930_12v.jpg for Image #2.

Save the image as Clouds_summer in your folder Weather.
 
 
 Compare the two new images with the images of precipitation and the position of the ITC, as well as the NDVI images.


 
 

Precipitation and position of ITC in June Precipitation and position of ITC in June
Precipitation and position of ITC during the month of January Precipitation and position of ITC during the month of January

  
 
NDVI in JuneNDVI in June
NDVI in JanuaryNDVI in January


Explain the relationship between cloud formation, rainfall, sun position, ITC position and spread of vegetation.

Use the animation of the seasonal change of the NDVI.

Why does the ITC zone for the winter months bend south right over the African continent?

Draw the position of the ITC in the Meteosat and NDVI images, and compare the position of the ITC with the main position of clouds and the spread of vegetation.

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Last update: 17 April 2013


African climate

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM1C3KTYRF_0.html)
 •  Background (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEMLD3KTYRF_0.html)

Exercises

 •  Introduction (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM5L3KTYRF_0.html)
 •  Manual exercises (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEMCM3KTYRF_0.html)
 •  Exercises using LEOWorks (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM7Y3KTYRF_0.html)

Links

 •  Meteosat images (http://www.eumetsat.int)
 •  Actual weather
animation using
Meteosat (http://oiswww.eumetsat.org/IPPS/html/MSG/IMAGERY/IR108/BW/FULLDISC/)
 •  Weather broadcast worldwide (http://weather.edition.cnn.com/weather/intl/forecast.jsp)
 •  Climate system (http://www.espere.net/index.html)
 •  Seasonal change of the NDVI (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEML04KTYRF_0.html)

Eduspace - Software

 •  LEOWorks 3 (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/LEOWorks3.exe)

Eduspace - Download

 •  Africa - Meteosat visible channel (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/img/2013/11/Meteosat_VIS.zip)
 •  Africa - Meteosat thermal infrared channel (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/img/2013/11/Meteosat_IR.zip)
 •  Africa - Meteosat water vapour channel (http://esamultimedia.esa.int/img/2013/11/Meteosat_WV.zip)