CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report [ Archive ]

ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 9, 2018

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

CIMSS Scientists contribute to NOAA-20 CrIS Calibration Refinements: In support of efforts to reach Provisional maturity status and in support of the NASA/NOAA Handoff of NOAA-20 at Launch plus 90 days, Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) scientists have provided critical refinements and assessments of calibration parameters for the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). Since first light on January 4, the work has focused on radiometric nonlinearity and Instrument Line Shape (ILS) characterization that impacts on the overall accuracy of the CrIS radiance products and the consistency of spectra from its 27 detectors, which is essential for atmospheric sounding applications and data assimilation for numerical weather prediction. The refined calibration parameters are planned for upload on Launch plus 90 days with the CrIS version 114 Engineering Packet. (D. Tobin, CIMSS/SSEC, 608-265-6281).

BAMS Article on GOES-10/12 over South America: A paper was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) titled "A Successful Practical Experience with Dedicated Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites GOES-10 and -12 Supporting Brazil". The lead author is Simone M. S. Costa, INPE (Brazilian National Institute for Space Research). Tim Schmit (ASPB) is one of the co-authors. The paper highlights the importance of international scientific communication for advancing satellite meteorology, as demonstrated by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-10 and -12 experience; when those retired satellites operated over Brazil between parts of 2007 and 2013. The paper is available at https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0029.1. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291)

Visit to the Met Office and ECMWF to Discuss Model Verification and Data Assimilation: As part of a GOES-R/JPSS visiting scientist project, Jason Otkin met with scientists at the Met Office and ECMWF to discuss the use of all-sky infrared brightness temperatures for model verification and data assimilation applications. The visit fostered a very useful exchange of ideas on both topics. For example, the Met Office is planning to start using infrared brightness temperatures to assess the accuracy of their regional and global numerical weather prediction models. Results from prior satellite-based model verification studies performed at SSEC/CIMSS provide useful guidance as they map out their model verification plans. Likewise, ECMWF is planning to begin assimilating all-sky infrared brightness temperatures within a couple years. Useful discussions were held regarding the development of suitable methods to set the observation error and to remove the bias from all-sky infrared brightness temperatures prior to their assimilation. This visit helped strengthen informal collaborations between SSEC/CIMSS and researchers at the Met Office and ECMWF. (J. Otkin, CIMSS, 608-265-2476)

GOES-16 Training Provided to Local WFO: Completing a series of visits to local National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices, scientists from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) traveled to the NWS forecast office in Sullivan, Wisconsin, to provide Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-16 training to the staff on 5 February (Jordan Gerth), and 8 February (Scott Lindstrom (CIMSS) and Tim Schmit (ASPB)). The training was for three staff each day and started with conversations on each of the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Channels, focusing on interesting winter weather phenomena occurring on those days, as well as Channel Differences, Red/Green/Blue (RGB) Composites and Baseline "Level 2" Products -- in short, all of the GOES-16 data that are available under the satellite menu in the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). Training also included a discussion of mesoscale sectors and why they should be used. (J. Gerth, CIMSS, 608-263-4942, S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, 608-263-4425; T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

Seminar on ABI at University of Arizona in Tucson: P. Menzel gave an hour long seminar titled "Introducing the Advanced Baseline Imager on the GOES-R Series" on 8 February as part of the Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences Colloquium Series. Approximately 50 faculty and graduate students heard about the evolution from the early days of geostationary remote sensing to the greatly enhanced capabilities of the GOES-16 ABI. The role of the NASA Earth Observing System in helping to make the spectral selections for the ABI channels was described. The students were given a demonstration of how to use a freeware software package called HYDRA to access near real-time ABI data on line at various web sites, and then to create composite multi-spectral images and identify land, ocean, and atmospheric features. (P. Menzel, CIMSS, 608-263-4930, paulm@ssec.wisc.edu)

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