ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 2, 2007

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

Manuscript on Cloud Top Heights Published: A paper entitled "Comparison of MISR and MODIS cloud-top heights in the presence of cloud overlap" was published in the March edition of Remote Sensing of Environment. The paper by C. Naud (Columbia University), B. Baum (Space Science and Engineering Center, SSEC), M. Pavolonis, A. Heidinger, R. Frey (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, CIMSS), and H. Zhang (CIMSS) presents an analysis on the performance of the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud top height algorithms when multi-layered clouds are present. (M. Pavolonis, E/RA2, 608-263-9597, Mike.Pavolonis@noaa.gov, A. Heidinger, E/RA2, 608-263-6757)

Analysis of Cloud Climate Record Reported in Nature: Amato Evan, Andrew Heidinger and Dan Vimont recently published a paper in Geophysical Research Letters that analyzed the well-known long-term trend in global cloud amount reported by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). The journal Nature reported these results in its most recent issue and on its web-site. The paper demonstrated that the ISCCP global long-term trend is in large part due to artifacts arising from variations in the satellites used in constructing the climatology. This paper is relevant because many other studies have used the ISCCP trend in long term cloud amounts to corroborate trends in other climate parameters over the last three decades. A. Heidinger, E/RA2, 608-263-6757, andrew.heidinger@noaa.gov, A. Evan, CIMSS, 608-263-3951)

Satellite Recapitalization Plan Workshop: T. Schmit attended a workshop to develop a NOAA Satellite Recapitalization Plan. This workshop was held at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) from Tuesday, February 27, through Friday, March 2, 2007. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

FY2007 ASPB Property Inventory Completed: The mandatory annual wall-to-wall physical inventory of NOAA personal property at the Advanced Satellite Products Branch in Madison, WI, was successfully completed on February 27, 2007. All assets in the Sunflower Enterprise property software system, assigned to ASPB, were, after verification, appropriately resolved. ("Resolved" is Sunflower parlance for data entry acknowedging the verification of the actual existence and possesion of a property asset.) A hardcopy of the verified list of Sunflower assets was also sent to L. Oates (NOAA Personal Property Management Branch) in line with the schedule for the annual NESDIS inventory to be completed by 2nd quarter FY2007. (G. S. Wade, E/RA2, 608-263-4743, gary.s.wade@noaa.gov)

AVHRR Polar Winds Available on NESDIS FTP Server: The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) polar wind data are now available on a NESDIS FTP server. The Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation is interested in testing the impact of the AVHRR winds on model forecasts, but can only use the dataset if it is available on a NESDIS server. The product is not yet officially operational, so access to the NESDIS server required special approval. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu)

Other Meetings and Telecons:

None.

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