ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 12, 2008

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

2nd IPY Workshop on Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks: The Second International Polar Year (IPY) Workshop on Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) was held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. J. Key (NESDIS/STAR) participated in the workshop. The meeting was sponsored by the Canadian IPY Office. This was the second of three workshops; the first took place in Stockholm last November, and the third will be held in Helsinki in October. The overall goal of the workshops is to improve coordination and promote sustained, integrated arctic observing networks that provide free, open and timely access to high quality data that realize broad societal benefits throughout the Arctic and around the world. This second workshop was comprised of plenary session presentations and breakout group discussions on future Arctic observing networks, national agency perspectives, and funding mechanisms. There were approximately 120 participants from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu)

Significance: The need for well-coordinated and sustained international arctic observing networks that meet scientific and societal needs has been identified by the Arctic Council, in which the U.S. Department of State and NOAA play an important role. The IPY workshops on Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) were organized in response to this need. The workshop objectives are directly related to the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Cryosphere Theme, which NESDIS leads. IGOS is now transitioning its themes to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which is overseen by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). NOAA plays a leading role in GEO.

NOAA Mission Goal: Understand Climate Variability and Change to Enhance Society's Ability to Plan and Respond Serve Society's Needs for Weather and Water Information; Support the Nation's Commerce with Information for Safe, Efficient, and Environmentally Sound Transportation NOAA

Cross-Cutting Priorities: Sound, Reliable State-of-the-Art Research; Integrating Global Environmental Observations and Data Management

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

NASA Achievement Award for Work on GOES-N/13: T. Schmit and W. P. Menzel were part of a Group Achievement Award presented to the GOES-N Series Team by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The award was recognition “for providing the next generation of advanced weather satellites, a service essential to the Nation”. T. Schmit co-coordinated the GOES-13 Science Test, which occurred at the end of Post Launch Testing for GOES-13 in December 2006, and was assisted by many others who obtained and analyzed the data from GOES-13 Sounder and Imager, and whose efforts were complied into NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 125. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

AOSS Open House: As part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison  Science Expeditions, Margaret Mooney and many Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) and Cooperative Institute for  Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) personnel hosted an Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Science (AOSS) Open House on Saturday April 5th.  Nearly 500 people visited AOSS to see the premiere of  Wisconsin's first 3D weather globe and trek to the roof where they heard the Suomi story and UW's on-going connections to satellite remote sensing. NOAA's Tim Schmit presented and explained a repeating image sequence to non-stop audiences dazzled by the imagery displayed on the globe. (M. Mooney, SSEC, 608-265-2123; T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov; G.S. Wade, E/RA2, 608-263-4743, gary.s.wade@noaa.gov)

  (Click image to enlarge)

Figure caption: Howard Berger (CIMSS) at the AOSS Open House.

High school students view Suomi Museum globe: On 11 April 2008, two groups (25 each) of high school students and chaperones from around Wisconsin visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering center (SSEC) as participants in a Science Olympiad on campus. G. S. Wade and T. J. Schmit (NESDIS/STAR) each co-presented, with SSEC scientists (K. Strabala, M. Mooney), a talk and discussion to accompany displays on the recently acquired 61 cm (2 ft) Global Imagination projection globe. Acquisition, set-up, and initial operation of the globe, led by the strong efforts of M. Mooney, R. Kohrs, and J. O’Leary (all SSEC), have produced the first tangible evidence - in its own physical space - of the Suomi Science Museum initiative. Animations of SSEC satellite imagery, products, and other geo-located data sets have demonstrated the unique perspective afforded by the globe for helping viewers begin to understand how and why satellite remote sensing can be applied to earth environmental issues. This is just the beginning of building an exciting library of various global environmental data sets, many to be from NOAA and NASA satellite remote sensing platforms, that maximize the globe format, and serve as an effective outreach and education tool. (G. S. Wade, E/RA2, 608-263-4743, gary.s.wade@noaa.gov; T. J. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov; J. O’Leary, SSEC, 608-263-3373, jennifer.oleary@ssec.wisc.edu)

CIMSS VISIT Activities: The Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) distance learning lesson "Water Vapor Imagery and Potential Vorticity Analysis" (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/visit/wv_pv.html) was offered by staff from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) on April 8, 2008, with forecasters from the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office at Boise, Idaho participating in the VISIT lesson. In addition, four new cases were added to the CIMSS Satellite Blog (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog) during the week of April 7-11, with examples of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES), Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery showing such features as blowing dust in the central US, volcanic plumes in Hawaii, a precipitable water plume in the Gulf of Mexico, and the convergence of the Brazil and Malvinas Currents off the coast of South America. (S. Bachmeier, CIMSS, 608-263-3958)

Other Meetings and Telecons:

None.

VISITORS:

NEXT WEEK:

LOOKING AHEAD:


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