This figure shows sea-surface temperature (SST) and cloud distribution observed by the Global Imager (GLI) aboard Midori-II (ADEOS-II) at around 9:45 a.m (JST) on January 25, 2003 (GLI First-light images). Kuroshio warm current and its extension are peeping out from clouds in the western and eastern observation areas respectively.

The Kuroshio current brings warm water (SST is 20-25 degree C) from the subtropical Pacific, and cold air masses (less than 0 degree) are often surged by a winter monsoon from Siberia to the south of Japan Islands. The air-sea temperature difference causes large heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere, which is thought to play important role in the global energy transport from lower to higher latitudes. The GLI first light image gives us a glimpse of the dynamic energy cycle on the Earth.

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This figure illustrates a cloud top height (km) retrieved from the same first data of the GLI. It was found that the cloud system, which has formed as a result of the cyclone partly reached to around 8-km altitude. The GLI instrument observes and measures the types and structures of clouds using a large number of spectral channels.

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Earth Observation Research and application Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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