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January 2007 Monthly Briefing February 20, 2007

January 2007 Monthly Briefing February 20, 2007. NESDIS – STAR on January 31, 2007. G. B. Green = Performance Met; Yellow = Performance Discrepancy; Blue = Ahead of Schedule. G. G. Key Issues or Risks. Variances –

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January 2007 Monthly Briefing February 20, 2007

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  1. January 2007 Monthly BriefingFebruary 20, 2007

  2. NESDIS – STAR on January 31, 2007 G B Green = Performance Met; Yellow = Performance Discrepancy; Blue = Ahead of Schedule G G Key Issues or Risks Variances – Issues – GOES-R Program suspended funding of HES-Coastal Waters tasks needed to finish assessment study by CIOSS (Oregon). –75% reduction in IPO IGS funds led to termination of multi-year projects directed toward independent verification and validation of NPOESS products

  3. Major Grants and Acquisitions * Awaiting proposal submission & pending funding approval after CR. All info. is subject to change. Only awards > 500K and managed by NESDIS are included CIRA awards not included as they are managed by OAR

  4. STAR Recruitments • Two persons have been recruited: Deputy Director of STAR, and • Air Quality and trace gas scientist. • STARhas 6 other vacancies: • Air Quality scientist, Madison, WI: interviewing • Research to Operations Integration Leader: Subject Matter Expert reviewing applications • Radiative transfer scientist: announcement is on the street • STAR is writing recruitment packages for 3 positions: • an Executive Officer, Deputy Director for Joint Center (JCSDA), and Chief, Satellite Oceanography and Climatology Division. • At present 8.4% of FTE’s are vacant and 91.6% are filled. • Once the two new employees enter in mid-March, our rates will be 6.3% vacant and 93.7% filled.

  5. Milestones Completed in December and January • • Impact Assessment of the WindSat Data Product in the Global Forecast System model. • Impact Assessments of COSMIC satellite data (Refractivity and Bending Angle) in Global Forecast System • Real-time polar winds from AVHRR available experimentally for the Joint Center, and the numerical weather modeling community. • Impact Assessment of SSMIS microwave radiances in the Global Forecast System model.

  6. Milestone Completed: Impact Assessment of WindSat Data Product in the Global Forecast System (GFS) model • WindSat is an experimental conically scanning passive microwave polarimeter. • Ocean surface wind vectors (OSWV) can be retrieved from WindSat channel radiances. • The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation has developed quality control and assimilation techniques to use WindSat surface wind vectors in the GFS model of the National Weather Service. • Forecast impact of WindSat is comparable to that of scatterometer. The GFS Anomaly Correlation (forecast skill score) in the Southern Hemisphere is increased significantly by adding WindSat OSWVs to the control data set, for long term forecasts. Significance: The demonstration of positive forecast impact with WindSat ocean surface wind vectors prepares for instruments in the era of National Polar-orbiting Operational Satellite System (NPOESS).

  7. Milestone Completed: Preliminary Impact Assessment of COSMIC Data in the Global Forecast System (GFS) model • The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) consists of 6 Radio Occultation Sounders launched in April 2006. • Over 1500 profiles of refractivity and bending angle from COSMIC are now delivered to the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation daily • Preliminary Impact Assessments of COSMIC data in the Global Forecast System model show positive impact near the tropopause. The GFS Anomaly Correlation (forecast skill score) in the Southern Hemisphere is increased significantly by adding COSMIC bending angles (BND) data to the control (E) data, especially for 4 – 6 day forecasts near the tropopause. Significance: COSMIC data will be assimilated operationally by the NWS as part of the next scheduled upgrade of the GFS, less than a year after launch.

  8. Real-time, Experimental Winds from the AVHRR for Numerical Models • Milestone Completed (December) • Real-time winds in the polar regions from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data are gene- rated experimentally. Four satellites (NOAA-15, 16, 17, & 18) are used separately. • The method is the same as for MODIS winds, though without a water vapor channel, only cloud-drift winds are generated. • Data are available in BUFR, text, and McIDAS formats on a CIMSS FTP server. Significance: Assimilation of this product in NWP models will improve weather forecasts. It complements the MODIS polar wind product, and will provide insight into the model impact of a VIIRS polar wind product in the future. Yellow: Below 700 hPa Light Blue: 400-700 hPa Magenta: Above 400 hPa Composite winds from four NOAA-satellites over the Arctic, 19 Dec. 2006.

  9. Milestone Completed: Impact Assessment of Radiances from SSMIS sensor in the Global Forecast System (GFS) • The Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) is a conical scanning microwave sensor developed by the US Navy. • Technical difficulties required a multi-agency effort to characterize errors before operational use of SSMIS could be tested. • The preliminary impact assessment of their radiances in the GFS model has been successful, with refinements expected. The GFS Anomaly Correlation (forecast skill score) in the Southern Hemisphere is improved slightly at all forecast times by adding SSMIS radiances to the set of observations assimilated. Significance: This work enables SSMIS observations to be used in the Global Forecast System of NCEP, and assists in consideration of a conical-scanning microwave sensor on NPOESS.

  10. Upcoming Milestones • • Select all new grants for Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation, Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) • Execute experiments for ASCAT calibration and validation flight, with EUMETSAT and Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute, KNMI.

  11. Monthly Highlight: The First GSICS Research Working Group Meeting GSICS Research Working Group Meeting: The Global Space-based Inter-Satellite Calibration System (GSICS) Research Working Group (GRWG) met for the first time on 22-23 Jan. 2007. STAR hosted the first meeting of the Research Working Group of the GSICS. Scientist-representatives from China, France, Korea, Japan, the United States, the European EUMETSAT, and the United Nations (WMO) attended. Dr. X. Wu chaired this meeting, which focused on the inter-calibration of Infrared (IR) instruments in geostationary (GEO) and low earth (LEO) orbits. Participants reviewed existing algorithms, and adopted an initial version of a "consensus" algorithm to be used by all member organizations. They defined common data sets for further testing and refinement of this algorithm. At the second GRWG meeting planned for June 2007 in Europe, members will report on IR inter-calibration and efforts to do calibrations in Visible and Near-Infrared regions of the spectrum. Significance: By improving satellite data quality by inter-calibrating critical components of the global observing system, GSICS is important for GEOSS. The Research meeting realized many objectives of GSICS.

  12. Monthly Highlight: Microwave Surface and Precipitation Products (MSPPS) from METOP-A Satellite Products from MSPPS are being generated, validated • STAR has figured out how to remove asymmetry across scan of AMSU-A • New MHS data has been converted to old AMSU-B formats • Still awaiting granule processing L1b data sets to test “pipeline” capability in MSPPS • Still on target for May 2007 transition to operations • Provides continuity of services for • products of MSPPSwhich support Weather • and Water and Climate goals.

  13. Monthly Highlight: GOES frontal product transitioned to operational status Sea surface temperature (SST) fronts have been produced by STAR from the daily-average GOES SST data since 2000.  An algorithm developed by Canny [1986] automatically detects these fronts for the entire GOES domain on a daily, nearly real time basis.  The daily maps of the frontal positions are used and served by the West Coast CoastWatch. The frontal product uses the operational GOES-SST 24 hour daily average product. The frontal product satisfies a request from the NOAA Pacific Fisheries Environmental Laboratory, and also our West Coast CoastWatch regional node. This satisfies an Ecosystem Goal requirement. Caption: Sea Surface Temperature and fronts. SST is represented by the color bar above. Each heavy black line represents a front.

  14. Coral Reef Watch Highlights Outreach to Congress • Congressional Briefings on Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs • Drs. Mark Eakin and Dwight Gledhill briefed the Senate Commerce Committee Democratic staff, and the staff of Senators Inouye, Cantwell, Nelson, Kerry, and Lautenberg (30-Nov-2006). • Drs. Mark Eakin and Dwight Gledhill briefed staff of the House Science Committee (10-Jan-07). • The briefings focused on: • how increasing atmospheric CO2 is changing ocean chemistry; • the impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms such as corals; • ongoing and future research and monitoring • steps that can be taken to reduce vulnerability of corals to stressors that can be controlled by managers at the local level. Coral Reef Watch website: http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/

  15. Environmental Visualization Program El Niño on CNN: Animation included with primetime interview on climate change with Tom Karl NOAA at AMS: Provided Evolution of GOES and 2006 Weather Montage for NESDIS and NOAA 200th booths Weather Anomalies:POESSST and GOES water vapor used in animations for ABC and Smith-Barney New 3D Satellite model animations on display • Also: • National Geographic book with 10 EVP images • Hurricane animations aired on Fox 5 News (DC affiliate) Local NESDIS News: Provided Public Affairs with a visualization to accompany press release of VA Beach tsunami DEM by NGDC 15

  16. NOAA Research Council TWO MEETINGS on January 3 and January 29, 2007 Old Business: - Ranked priority of under-funded transition projects. - Formed a task team to inquire whether under-funding of research is systematic in NOAA, working with CFO Council. New Business: - Presented findings of Hurricane Intensity Research working group (HIRWG) of Science Advisory Board (SAB), to the NEP. - Reviewing Decadal Survey of N.A.S. and contributing to NOAA’s response (NOSC has the lead) - Revising 5 yr. Research Plan after review by SAB; Plan will go to NEP on Feb. 20 and to the public for comment in March. - Provided reviewers for Report 2.2 (Carbon Cycle) of Climate Change Science Program. - Al Powell presented to NEP the Council’s proposal for Monitoring Research in NOAA. Future Business: Joint meeting with Science Advisory Board in March.

  17. NOAA Transition Board • Meeting on January 4, 2007. • Received Research Council prioritization on underfunded research projects. Transition Board will then review and submit to CFO Council. • Discussion: Closed out FY2009 Planning and Programming; • discussed path forward for FY2010 process • Executive secretariat provided a briefing: • 1. How transition was addressed in the PPBES process • 2. a review of the FY2009 Planning and Programming phases • 3. FY2009 lessons learned, and • 4. a suggested planning path forward in FY2010.

  18. NOAA Weather & Water Goal Team No meeting held in January 2007.

  19. Backups

  20. Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA) - January, 2007 G Major Performance Measures G G G Key Issues/Risks Issues: Recruitment of the new JCSDA Director and Deputy Director (NESDIS), to replace John LeMarshall and Jim Yoe. Risks: None

  21. GOES-R Algorithm Working Group January 2007 Major Performance Measures G G Major performance measures for this year are the algorithm execution Spend plan, establishment of high performance computing for algorithm development and GOES-R full disk, mesoscale, & CONUS simulations, and allocation of resources G G FY07 AWG Budget/Funding Key Issues/Risks Issues:Continuing resolution funds are coming slowly, so procurement and grant processes are delayed Risks: Delay in starting some projects Mitigation: Continue. Program Is Executable

  22. GOES-R Algorithm Working GroupJanuary 2007 Highlights • Briefed the GOES-R Program Office on AWG monthly Application Team progress reports. Provided budget, EVM, schedule and tasks updates. • Participated in a GOES-R data format discussion at GSFC with the GPO. • Visited the Space Environment Center in Boulder CO to discuss AWG Space Weather Application Team activities and deliverables. • Delivered a SEVIRI proxy data set, CRTM software and MAIDB item updates to the GPO.

  23. Ocean Remote Sensing -- January 2007 FY07 Milestones /Jan 1 to Jan 31 (Planned=3 / Completed=4) FY07 Corporate Performance Measures G G Green = Performance Met Gray = No performance expected Budget / Funding FY2007 G Key Issues / Risks / Variances G Issues – Continuing Resolution prohibits spending -MTSAT SST implementation delayed until May 2007 due to calibration/navigation corrections required. -Awaiting Meteosat data stream channel setup. Risks – Future launch delays Variances – 4.40% due to continuing resolution and prohibited spending

  24. Monthly Highlight: FIRST L-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Wind Image from ALOS PALSAR This image is the first attempt by the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University (STAR contractor) to provide winds from the Japanese L-band Phased Array Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) on the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS). There are cross track (i.e., east/west) calibration problems to be solved yet, and the geophysical model function is only theoretical at this point, but this initial sample is encouraging.

  25. Monthly Highlight: SAR Wind Images in Google Earth Format STAR has derived Wind Images from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, now available from the STAR Alaska SAR Demonstration Web Site: http://ww.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/sod/mecb/sar. SAR Wind Image in Google Earth format SAR Wind Image for January 24, 2007. Coastal Winds for the Alaska Peninsula, the Kenai Peninsula, and Kodiak Island are shown as derived by STAR from Envisat Advanced SAR (ASAR) data. Google Earth allows the user to see the impact of coastal topography on the wind field.

  26. Monthly Highlight: UpgradedWeb Site of Alaska SAR Demonstration • STAR has upgraded the Applied Physics Laboratory wind product on the Alaska SAR Demonstration site: • (http://www.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/sod/mecb/sar) • Changes include: • incorporation of the new “look and feel” of the STAR web pages, • (2) a calendar look-up to more quickly access products generated on a chosen date, and • (3) the addition of a Google Earth format for the SAR wind product.

  27. NOAA CoastWatch: West Coast Regional Node Update • The West Code Node designed and deployed a near-real-time chlorophyll deviation product to assist State and Municipal agencies with sampling efforts, and Harmful Algal Bloom monitoring in Oregon. • One to two week forecasting ability in conjunction with ocean models or HF-Radio derived currents. • CoastWatch West Coast Node will integrate the data sets and implement delivery to the appropriate parties. • While the approved users at CIOSS can access the actual data sets, the general user is restricted to viewing pictures on the CoastWatch Browser. Sample product shown above. (Image courtesy of Peter Strutton, presented at CIOSS Review, October 2006) • Partners: • Oregon State University (& Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Studies, CIOSS) • University of Oregon • Oregon State Department of Health

  28. Monthly Highlight: STAR Prepared AIRS Version 5 Algorithm For Delivery STAR played a significant role in defining, developing, and implementing a number of improvements to the AIRS science team algorithm. The changes are incorporated into the JPL code and will be delivered to the NASA/GSFC DAAC in early February, and operational shortly after. Some of the more significant changes are: • Computed empirical bias adjustments for 2378 AIRS channels relative to the “best estimate” sonde database (dedicated launches within AIRS overpass) and utilized the NOAA gridded reprocessing set to mitigate incorrect bias corrections due to trace gases and the atmospheric state above the sonde burst height. • Compute empirical bias adjustments for AMSU/HSB using clear scenes selected from the NOAA gridded reprocessing dataset. • Export the retrieval averaging kernel for all profile products. • Replace physical microwave startup state with a state derived from the NOAA “cloudy” regression that uses both AMSU and AIRS cloudy radiances to predict the initial temperature and moisture first guess. • Remove the ozone regression step and replace it with the Gordon Labow climatology (suggested by L. Flynn). This, coupled with improvements to the physical ozone algorithm, enables better characterization of the AIRS ozone product. These changes were tested at NOAA using WOUDC ozone-sondes and Brewer-Dobson total ozone measurements. • Addition of a AIRS methane product to the operational system.

  29. Milestone Progress Extension of AIRS global monthly carbon trace gas maps from 35 months to 47 months We have just completed a reprocessing of the NOAA/STAR AIRS gridded datasets from Sep. 2003 to the present. Features of this run are: This dataset will be utilized for • This run has all the AIRS science team upgrades for version 5 installed. • Addition of a methane first guess field derived from NOAA/ESRL aircraft and NASA/HALOE observations. • Addition of a two NOAA CO2 retrievals: one based on cloud cleared radiances and one based on “hole-hunting.” • Addition of preliminary nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric acid (N2O), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) products. • Addition of convective storm products (CAPE, LI, etc.) • Diagnostic output to be used to develop future improvements to the algorithm. • Validation of the methane and CO2 products w.r.t. aircraft and surface stations. • Comparison of the trace gas products with carbon cycle models. • Testing the value and utility of the carbon trace gas products through the distribution of these product into the carbon community. We are packaging will distribute trace gas products (w/ averaging kernels) to a number of university and government researchers. • Inter-comparison of the trace gas products to study correlations that can be used to identify sources and sinks of these gases.

  30. Milestone: METOP-A Calibration & Validation • STAR has completed Initial verification in-orbit of three MetOp-A instruments: AVHRR, AMSU-A and HIRS, within 45 days after launch of the satellite. METOP-A was launched on October 19, 2006, and made its first nadir pass on October 31, 2006. In summary, • NOAA instruments: AMSU, HIRS and AVHRR noise is quantified with all stable noise trends • AVHRR VIS/IR channels are vicariously updated • Brightness temperatures biases between MetOp-A and N-18 AMSU-A/MHS are within 0.2-0.3K for most of sounding channels • MetOp-A HIRS and AIRS convolved one biases within 0.5K, which shows an excellent performance of HIRS • MetOp-A AVHRR and MODIS visible channels agrees within 0.2% • AMSU-A bias correction from Weng’s asymmetry algorithm improve microwave products • AVHRR geolocation is 1-2 pixel off near nadir and increases to 4-5 pixels at the end of scanline • AVHRR seem to be slightly mis-aligned relative to HIRS Significance: The successful launch of METOP-A results from the cooperation between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), They integrated two polar-orbiting satellite systems to improve the weather forecasting and climate monitoring worldwide. Calibration is a prerequisite for quantitative application of METOP-A data.

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