CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 16, 2005

IN THE PRESS:

Polar Winds in Earth Observatory Article on Antarctica: An article titled "Operation Antarctica" on NASA's Earth Observatory web site describes the use of satellite data in supply operations for U.S. bases in Antarctica (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/OperationAntarctica/operationantarctica.html).  The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) polar winds product that is generated using the National Science Foundation's direct broadcast system at McMurdo is mentioned (pg. 7), as is the involvement of Matthew Lazzara (Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Jeff Key (NOAA/NESDIS) in "installing" the direct broadcast system (pg. 5). (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jeff.key@noaa.gov, M. Lazzara, SSEC)

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR

National Climatic Data Center Scientific Data Stewardship Meeting: Andy Heidinger and other Office of Research and Applications (ORA) personnel attended a meeting held at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in Asheville, NC, to foster collaboration between the ORA and NCDC Scientific Data Stewardship (SDS) activities. A. Heidinger briefed the group on ORA's reprocessing of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data and the AVHRR Pathfinder Extended (PATMOS-x) product. Jeff Key, participating by phone, reported on the use of AVHRR for deriving a new polar winds climatology. (A. Heidinger, E/RA2, 608-263-6757, andrew.heidinger@noaa.gov, J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jeff.key@noaa.gov)

New Products Generated On-Site at McMurdo: New products have been added to the real-time direct broadcast (DB) system product suite in McMurdo, Antarctica.  In addition to the polar wind product, cloud amount, cloud top pressure, cloud particle phase, clear-sky, low-level atmospheric temperature inversion strength and depth, ice surface temperature, and ice surface albedo are now generated with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data received by the National Science Foundation's DB system. All the processing is done in McMurdo, and only the wind data and plots are transferred back to the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) in Madison, Wisconsin.  The goals for the system are to provide forecasters in McMurdo with real-time products and reduce the time it takes to generate wind information so more can be assimilated in numerical weather prediction systems. Real-time plots are available at http://stratus.ssec.wisc.edu/products/db/mcmurdo. Potential Arctic DB sites are being investigated. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, M. Lazzara, SSEC, W. Straka III, CIMSS, L. Gumley, CIMSS, K. Strabala, CIMSS)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP

Seminar on GOES-R: An overview of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R series was given by T. Schmit in the University of Wisconsin-Madison department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) 907 research seminar series. This included an overview of the baseline instruments and various sample simulations. The presentation is available upon request. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

Other Meetings and Telecons:
(None)

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