Khalsa, S. J. S., 1989: Atmospheric stability over the tropical oceans derived from TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder. J. Appl. Meteor., 28, 1002-1009.
Atmospheric static stability has a role in determining where and when deep convection can occur. Owing to a sparsity of upper-air stations through most of the tropics, satellites must be relied upon for stability information. Data from the TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) aboard NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites are evaluated for suitability in computing atmospheric stability. A stability index is derived and compared with both monthly means and individual sounding from in situ instruments. The results suggest that, although TOVS has several shortcomings, a good measure of atmospheric stability can be obtained.