Abstract:
Wind field analysis using optical flow is presented. The method is demonstrated for
infrared images of clouds over the Indian Ocean region captured by the geostationary
meteorological satellite METEOSAT-7 during one year period (2008 August to 2009
July). The optical flow is calculated using Horn-Schunck method for consecutive
images taken in every 30 minutes interval. A fuzzy inference system is used to remove
false vectors that do not belong to their neighbourhood. The filtered vector field is fed to
another fuzzy inference system to identify vector directions and grey levels in the
neighbourhood. The resulting image produces regions where the wind direction and
cloud height changes rapidly – regions of high atmospheric activity. These regions are
labelled and their centroid is calculated for tracking purposes. The calculated wind
vectors are compared with the wind diagrams produced by the Indian Meteorological
Department
