CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report [ Archive ]

ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 28, 2017

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

Operational Readiness Review for S-NPP Cloud, Aerosol and Cryosphere: On April 26, 2017, STAR held an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for Suomi NPP cloud, aerosol, and cryosphere "Enterprise" products. Andy Heidinger (clouds) and Jeff Key (cryosphere) participated remotely. These NOAA-unique products provide continuity between GOES-R series and JPSS in the sense that the same algorithms are used for both systems. Operational product generation is planned to commence on May 18, 2017. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu; A. Heidinger, E/RA2, 608-263-6757, andrew.heidinger@noaa.gov)

Manuscript on volcanic ash height retrieval published: A manuscript entitled "Retrieval of volcanic ash height from satellite-based infrared measurements", has been published in Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres. Coauthors are Lin Zhu (China Meteorological Administration) and Jun Li (CIMSS). (Jun Li, Jun.Li@ssec.wisc.edu, 608-262-3755)

2017 NOAA Science On a Sphere (SOS) Users Network Workshop: Margaret Mooney from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) presented at the NOAA Science On a Sphere (SOS) Users Network Workshop in Detroit on April 26, 2017 (http://www.noaa.gov/sosnetwork/workshops/2017). Attending Mooney's talk was NOAA's Director of Education Louisa Koch and SOS program director Carrie McDougall, along with more than three dozen SOS network members. Mooney shared lessons learned from a CIMSS SOS project funded by NOAA,(http://sphere.ssec.wisc.edu/) which was followed by a robust discussion around a potential legacy product. A new collaboration emerged, epitomizing the intended purpose of the SOS workshop. (M. Mooney, CIMSS, (608) 265-2123)

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ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

Visiting Scientist Trip to Alaska: M. Pavolonis (NOAA/NESDIS/STAR) traveled to Anchorage, AK April 24-28, 2017 and met with forecasters from the Anchorage Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) and other National Weather Service (NWS) Alaska Region users with volcanic ash responsibilities. The discussions with NWS users were focused on GOES-R and JPSS era products and services generated by the Volcanic Cloud Analysis Toolkit (VOLCAT). The Anchorage VAAC routinely uses VOLCAT products and eruption alerts for operational decision-making. M. Pavolonis presented training material and briefed the users on forthcoming upgrades to the VOLCAT products, while NWS users provided valuable feedback and suggestions. In addition, the visit advanced collaborations with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on volcanic cloud monitoring. The USGS routinely collects ground-based data for their operational volcano monitoring. NOAA/NESDIS/STAR has developed state of the art satellite-based volcanic cloud products that maximize the value of heritage and next generation satellite measurements. The USGS and NOAA efforts are very complementary and, if integrated, would greatly strengthen the ability of the United States to respond to volcanic eruptions (including NOAA’s operational responsibilities), which are a major hazard. Integration of satellite and ground-based data for volcanic eruption detection and characterization requires a sustained NOAA/USGS collaboration and a new operational paradigm. Thus, institutional support is critical for achieving an inter-agency, integrated, solution. The GOES-R Visiting Scientist Program funded the trip. (M. Pavolonis, E/RA2, 608-263-9597, Mike.Pavolonis@noaa.gov)

Lake Michigan Ozone Study Brief for LADCO Planning Team: Brad Pierce presented a final briefing on the status of the 2017 Lake Michigan Ozone Study (LMOS 2017) prior to deployment on May 22, 2017 to the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO) Planning Team on April 24, 2017. LADCO provides technical assessments for and assistance to its member states on problems of air quality; and provides a forum for its member states to discuss air quality issues. The Planning Team includes representatives from Illinois,Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Minnesota air quality management as well as the US Environmental Protection Agency (R.B. Pierce, E/RA2, 608-890-1892, brad.pierce@noaa.gov)

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