GOES-West Mesoscale view - Band 9 at 38°N - 118°W - Esmeralda County, NV

Band 9 key:

This band shows atmospheric temperatures in Celsius. Values in the red to yellow range represent a dry atmosphere. Values between yellow and white, including blue, represent a relatively moist atmosphere. Values colder than white, including green, represent clouds.

6.9 µm - "Mid-level Water Vapor" Band - 2 km resolution - Band 9 is the mid-level water vapor band. It is used for tracking middle-tropospheric winds, identifying jet streams, forecasting hurricane track and mid-latitude storm motion, monitoring severe weather potential, estimating mid-level moisture (for legacy vertical moisture profiles)and identifying regions where turbulence might exist. Surface features are usually not apparent in this band. Brightness Temperatures show cooling because of absorption of energy at 6.9 µm by water vapor.

The imager on GOES-16 features three mid-level water vapor bands instead of the single water vapor band on the GOES-13 Imager. The single water vapor band on GOES-13 contained a mixture of water vapor features over many levels of the troposphere, but GOES-16 enables us to focus on water vapor in the upper troposphere (band 8), the middle troposphere (band 9), or the lower troposphere (band 10). The GOES-13 Imager water vapor channel falls between ABI bands 8 and 9.

• For more details, see the Band 9 - ABI Quick Information Guide, (PDF, 550 KB)