Thunderstorm cloud top observations using satellite stereoscopy.

Abstract

GOES stereoscopy is applied to the study of severe squall line cells. Detailed stereoscopic cloud top height contour maps of the mature squall line on 2-3 May 1979 were constructed and are discussed here in terms of the small-scale structure and its variability. Results show that for small-scale features (eg 5km diameter tropopause penetrating towers) the short-interval GOES data are not sufficient for studying the life cycle of such features.-from Authors