NASA Langley ICING Page

(Minnis Group)

Introduction

A theoretically based algorithm to derive super-cooled liquid water (SLW) cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties is applied to the GOES operational satellite multi-spectral data. The method has shown to correctly identify the existence of SLW provided there is no higher-level ice crystal clouds above the SLW deck. The goal is to determine the extent to which the satellite-derived cloud parameters can be used to improve icing diagnoses and forecasts.

This work is directed by Dr. Patrick Minnis, Atmospheric Sciences Competency, NASA Langley Research Center(LaRC)

Satellite derived icing, case study on March 18, 2004.


Near real-time aircraft icing product derived from GOES-E and GOES-W satellite data. The higher probabilities correspond to regions of high liquid water path and larger droplet sizes in supercooled liquid water (slw) clouds. Magenta-colored areas on the RGB image over NC, OH, and MI show optically thick high clouds, which obscure possible slw clouds below. These areas are denoted as indeterminate in the satellite icing product. The pattern of positive GOES icing probabilites looks similar to the current icing potential (CIP) product derived from the RUC model and PIREPS data. The major difference is the CIP has greater coverage of high icing risk. The satellite icing intensity shows mostly light icing expected over a wide area from the upper-Midwest to the Northest US, with the area around Chicago's Ohare airport having moderate-heavy icing.