Editing Infrared (section)

=== Meteorology ===

[[File:NOAA Shares First Infrared Imagery from GOES-17 (43904870711).gif|thumb|left|IR satellite picture of cumulonimbus clouds over the [[Great Plains]] of the United States]]
[[Weather satellite]]s equipped with scanning radiometers produce thermal or infrared images, which can then enable a trained analyst to determine cloud heights and types, to calculate land and surface water temperatures, and to locate ocean surface features. The scanning is typically in the range 10.3–12.5&nbsp;μm (IR4 and IR5 channels).

Clouds with high and cold tops, such as [[cyclone]]s or [[cumulonimbus cloud]]s, are often displayed as red or black, lower warmer clouds such as [[Stratus cloud|stratus]] or [[stratocumulus]] are displayed as blue or grey, with intermediate clouds shaded accordingly. Hot land surfaces are shown as dark-grey or black. One disadvantage of infrared imagery is that low clouds such as stratus or [[fog]] can have a temperature similar to the surrounding land or sea surface and do not show up. However, using the difference in brightness of the IR4 channel (10.3–11.5&nbsp;μm) and the near-infrared channel (1.58–1.64&nbsp;μm), low clouds can be distinguished, producing a ''fog'' satellite picture. The main advantage of infrared is that images can be produced at night, allowing a continuous sequence of weather to be studied.

These infrared pictures can depict ocean eddies or vortices and map currents such as the Gulf Stream, which are valuable to the shipping industry. Fishermen and farmers are interested in knowing land and water temperatures to protect their crops against frost or increase their catch from the sea. Even [[El Niño]] phenomena can be spotted. Using color-digitized techniques, the gray-shaded thermal images can be converted to color for easier identification of desired information.

The main water vapour channel at 6.40 to 7.08&nbsp;μm can be imaged by some weather satellites and shows the amount of moisture in the atmosphere.
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