Weather images are transmitted from the satellites in gray scale -- there is no color information in the "as sent" images. All "color" weather satellite images are "false" color.The MultiFAX software includes a number of different methods for false colorization of satellite images. Some of these methods add color to make temperature changes stand out, other methods attempt to add color that looks something like "real life."
Another false colorization method is available from a company called Weather Dynamics. Weather Dynamics has written software that uses a MultiFAX "raw" image (from NOAA satellites only) as input. The software uses information contained in both the IR and Visual images in a NOAA image and uses a multispectral analysis to produce a false color image that can look exceedingly life-like. Because data from both (IR & Visual) satellite detectors are used, the final color image contains much detail and even relative cloud altitudes (temperatures) are obvious at a glance. The two color images at the start of the MultiFAX home page were created using the Weather Dynamics software.
For more information on the Weather Dynamics software (price $23.95) write to:
Or send E-mail to Weather Dynamics