Jérôme Benveniste ESA-ESRIN Earth Observation Science and Application Department

1. Development of Algorithms Specification for the generation of a SMOS User ToolboxShort title:SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification (SUITS) Jérôme Benveniste ESA-ESRIN Earth Observation Science and Application Department -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

2. Need of a SMOS User Toolbox? • Previous experience with Envisat and GOCE shows the major role of a User Toolbox to boost the familiarisation and use of a Mission’s products and produce research results: • BEST (SAR, ASAR) • POLSARPRO (Polarized SAR) • BEAM (MERIS, (A)ATSR extended to MODIS • BEAT (Envisat Atmospheric chemistry) • BRAT (Basic Radar Altimeter Toolbox) • Just released: see http://www.altimetry.info or http://earth.esa.int/brat • GUT (GOCE User Toolbox - extension to oceanography and more, in construction) -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

3. Need of a SMOS User Toolbox? • The usefulness in a User Toolbox lies in the ability to • Ingest and visualize SMOS products, • compute self-designed variations, customisations, enhancements to the ESA products • re-sample, re-grid, filter, smooth, change map projection, compute local error covariance, error maps • provide auxiliary and in-situ data not imported in the SMOS products • The toolbox is also the berth of didactic material: a Tutorial on Soil Moisture, Ocean Salinity, Snow Cover and on SMOS Mission and Products -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

4. User Toolbox Development Approach Two phase approach • Consolidate the User Requirements, write processing algorithms and input-output Specs, draft a Toolbox architecture -- By scientists • This is “Phase One”: “SUITS” • Detailed design, integration of existing code, coding and testing -- by SW company + beta testing by scientists • This will be initiated as “Phase Two”: “SUIT” -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

5. First Phase: SUITSSMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification • Tasks to be performed • Task 1: User Requirement Consolidation • Covering Oceanography, Land and Cryosphere • Task 2: Processing Algorithm Scientific Trade Off Study (+ collection and analysis of reusable code) • Task 3: Toolbox System Documentation -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

6. Task 1: User Requirement Consolidation • Consolidate the User needs (Toolbox User requirements), • Which SMOS products, from which other missions (e.g. Aquarius, Hydros, …) and which auxiliary data are to be ingested? • Which functions are needed to support which user community (Oceanography, coastal areas, Cryosphere, Land, Hydrology, …)? • Which type of data are to be output (e.g. same geophysical parameters as in L2 products but after instrumental corrections, or re-sampled, or temporally accumulated?) -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

7. Task 2: Scientific Trade Off Study • A trade off study is needed to select the best (accuracy, CPU time…) algorithms to compute the variables listed in the user requirement doc. • Task: Carry out a scientific trade off study (in view of selecting the toolbox processing and viewing functions): • Basic processing functions (e.g. statistical analysis of SM temporal evolution for climate studies, ) • Specific processing functions (e.g. daily temporal evolution over an area (land), or different space-temporal averaging over oceans, assimilation of SM fields to estimate root zone soil moisture for meteorology applications, …) • Basic viewing functions (e.g. SM or SSS global/regional maps or profiles along a transect, …) • Collect and analyse exising software that ca be integrated in the Toolbox -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

8. Task 3: Toolbox System Documentation • Produce a Toolbox Documentation :- • Input (incl. aux. data) / output (visu, SM and SSS variants, error maps) specification document, • an algorithm specification document • architectural design document mapping the required functionality and interfaces. • Provide a summary study report with scope of tutorial for future toolbox user • These 4 documents will be the input to the Toolbox implementation contract. -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

9. A Science Working Consortium to Build the toolbox • SMOS Toolbox development approach should be similar to the GUTS approach: • The consortium is an Open Science Working Group • Open to any further membership • Core working group producing the deliverables (contracted by ESA) • Observers-reviewers (can hold non-member States scientists) • Open to all donators of existing source code libraries • Quite numerous in the case of GUTS • 3 Working Group meetings will be organised during the duration of the study • Workshop at kick off, mid term and final • Open to all: Core working group and Observers-reviewers as well as any future users or would-be working group members -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

10. Toolbox Implementation Approach • The Basic Radar Altimeter Toolbox has re-used building blocks of BEAT • Data I/O libraries (1 call to load products, usable in Matlab/IDL) • VISAT (GUI and Visualisation) • Python Open Source Language (custom evolutions by users) • GUT will be an expansion of BRAT • Radar Altimetry already in BRAT • Many aux. files in common (MSS, Geoid) • SUIT should strongly benefit from the BRAT + GUT developments both in terms of experience and building blocks re-use. • SUIT shall reuse tools already developed for the GS by simply “packaging” them for public use. -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

11. SUITS/SUIT Procurement • Two options for procurement: • Direct procurement with representative open science working group • Scope for forming a unique consortium encompassing all scientists rather than select a fraction by competitive tender (can hold non-member state scientists) • Competitive tender limited to ESA member states (may be geo return limitation) • May destroy the concept of an open working group. • Required close links with ESL groups throughout development • Important not to miss correct knowledge of IPF algorithms and latest product evolutions • Advisable that ESL groups are active partners of the toolbox development. • Funds (250K) will be requested in the EOP-SE Exploitation Plan, flagged for year 2007 • Need a strong Project Plan, clearly expressed User need and good justification to be granted these funds • Need to plan and justify the approach for SUITS follow-on SUIT • ROM: SUITS 150K, SUIT 100K (TBD), re-use of BRAT and GUT elements -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste

12. SUITS/SUIT Procurement • Write a Procurement Justification • Get it approved! SUIT is not a SMOS Project obligation! • But can be developed a part of the EO Data Exploitation Project to support PIs to boost the use of SMOS data products. • Need to add user requirements and details on each “tool”. • Need to survey all existing tools that can be “packaged” in the toolbox to make them available to the Users. -- SMOS User Interactive Toolbox Specification -- J. Benveniste