# Atmospheric motion vectors (AMV)
*analysis . methodologies*

Derives horizontal wind vectors by tracking cloud and water-vapour features across consecutive visible, infrared, or water-vapour imager scenes, then assigning vector height and quality metadata for NWP and atmospheric-wind analysis.

## Specifications
- **family**: Atmospheric dynamics
- **requirements envelope**: {"kind":"temporal","cadence_max_days":1,"time_series_length_min":2,"integration_pattern":"track cloud or water-vapour targets across consecutive calibrated and navigated imager radiance scenes; assign wind vector speed, direction, representative height, and quality indicators"}
- **entity type**: methodology
- **last verified date**: 2026-06-14
- **verified by**: agency-doc
- **claim status**: agency-sourced
- **subtype**: analysis
- **attributes**: {"family":"Atmospheric dynamics","kind":"analysis","summary":"Derives horizontal wind vectors by tracking cloud and water-vapour features across consecutive visible, infrared, or water-vapour imager scenes, then assigning vector height and quality metadata for NWP and atmospheric-wind analysis.","requirements_envelope":"{\"kind\":\"temporal\",\"cadence_max_days\":1,\"time_series_length_min\":2,\"integration_pattern\":\"track cloud or water-vapour targets across consecutive calibrated and navigated imager radiance scenes; assign wind vector speed, direction, representative height, and quality indicators\"}"}
- **relevance**: in-scope

## Editorial
Atmospheric motion vectors are used to estimate horizontal winds by tracking cloud or water-vapor tracers across consecutive calibrated and navigated satellite imager scenes.[^eumetsat-avhrr-wind-atbd][^ecmwf-forsythe-amv-2008][^bams-amv-2d-3d-2025]

The method is an analysis layer on top of visible, infrared, or water-vapor radiance imagery. Operational processing selects trackable targets, matches them between image times, assigns a representative vector height, and applies quality indicators before the wind field is used in atmospheric analysis or numerical weather prediction.[^eumetsat-avhrr-wind-atbd][^noaa-ospo-high-density-winds]

The requirements envelope is temporal rather than hardware-bound: at least two time-ordered, well-navigated imager scenes are needed, and the scene pair must contain cloud or water-vapor structure that can be followed. If the tracer cannot be tracked or assigned a usable height, the methodology does not produce a dependable vector for that location.[^eumetsat-avhrr-wind-atbd]

Operational AMV production is not limited to one orbit class. Meteosat Second Generation provides a geostationary AMV implementation, while Metop AVHRR provides a polar-orbiting global implementation.[^eumetsat-msg-amv][^eumetsat-metop-avhrr-amv]

Because AMV depends on image sequences rather than a dedicated wind sensor, it is best treated as an analysis technique that consumes imager radiance products and returns speed, direction, representative height, and quality metadata.[^eumetsat-avhrr-wind-atbd]

## Sources
- [eumetsat-avhrr-wind-atbd] | AVHRR L2 Wind product ATBD | https://user.eumetsat.int/s3/eup-strapi-media/pdf_avhrr_wind_prod_atbd_34b6932fde.pdf | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | author=EUMETSAT | published=2016-03-02
  Describes AMV derivation from Metop AVHRR imaging observations, including cloud/water-vapour target tracking, height assignment, quality control, and geostationary/polar-orbiting coverage context.
- [ecmwf-forsythe-amv-2008] | Atmospheric Motion Vectors: Past, Present and Future | https://www.ecmwf.int/sites/default/files/elibrary/2008/74512-atmospheric-motion-vectors-past-present-and-future_0.pdf | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | author=Forsythe, Mary / ECMWF
  ECMWF seminar paper covering AMV derivation by tracking cloud or water-vapour features through consecutive satellite imagery and their NWP use.
- [bams-amv-2d-3d-2025] | Tracking atmospheric motions for obtaining wind estimates using satellite observations | https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/106/2/BAMS-D-24-0027.1.xml | tier=peer-reviewed | accessed=2026-06-14 | published=2025-02-01
  Modern overview of satellite feature tracking for wind estimates and evolution from 2D AMVs toward 3D wind information.
- [noaa-ospo-high-density-winds] | High Density Winds | https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/products/atmosphere/hdwinds/ | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | author=NOAA NESDIS Office of Satellite and Product Operations
  Operational satellite-derived winds page describing AMV generation from GOES/POES imagers by following cloud and water-vapour tracers in image sequences.
- [eumetsat-msg-amv] | Atmospheric Motion Vectors - MSG - 0 degree | https://user.eumetsat.int/catalogue/EO%3AEUM%3ADAT%3AMSG%3AAMV | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | author=EUMETSAT
  Operational Meteosat Second Generation AMV data-product catalogue endpoint.
- [eumetsat-metop-avhrr-amv] | AVHRR Atmospheric Motion Vectors - Metop - Global | https://user.eumetsat.int/catalogue/EO%3AEUM%3ADAT%3AMETOP%3AAVHAMV2D | tier=agency-doc | accessed=2026-06-14 | author=EUMETSAT
  Operational Metop AVHRR AMV data-product catalogue endpoint.

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Source: https://eo-atlas.org/methodologies/atmospheric-motion-vectors
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