CIMSS-NOAA Weekly Report [ Archive ]

CIMSS AND ASPB WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 22, 2021

PRODUCTS AND APPLICATIONS:

GOES-17 Fog/Low Stratus Products Become Operational: The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-17 fog/low stratus (FLS) products, which were developed by the STAR Aviation Team, became operational on October 14, 2021. The GOES-17 FLS products are available on the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) Satellite Broadcast Network (SBN). The SBN delivery will replace the experimental Local Data Manager (LDM) feed provided by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS). The NWS are long time users of the FLS products, utilizing them for assessing and nowcasting aviation, maritime, and ground transportation hazards. The FLS products provide probabilistic information on cloud ceiling and surface visibility via data fusion and machine learning (artificial intelligence). Additional information on the FLS products, including links to training material and use cases, are available on the NWS Virtual Lab (https://vlab.ncep.noaa.gov/). (M. Pavolonis, E/RA2, 608-263-9597, Mike.Pavolonis@noaa.gov, C. Calvert, CIMSS, S. Lindstrom, CIMSS)

CIMSS Reports On GOES-17 87K Setpoint Test: Researchers from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) provided preliminary feedback at the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Calibration Working Group (CWG) and Algorithm Working Group (AWG) meetings this week on a 48-hour test run on GOES-17's Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI). The test was designed to determine the impacts on radiances and imagery of increasing the nominal temperature of the Focal Plane Module (FPM) of the ABI by 3 degrees to 87K. CIMSS provided an analysis on the qualitative impacts on the imagery and some Red-Green-Blue (RGB) composite imagery products that make use of band differences, as well as some quantitative impacts on GOES-17 minus GOES-16 comparisons. Data quality figures from CIMSS websites were used in the analysis and were also used by the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) in their separate analysis of the test event. (M. Gunshor, CIMSS, 608-263-1146, J. Nelson, CIMSS, & T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

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Figure: ABI Band 08 (6.2um) GEO-GEO (GOES-17 minus GOES-16) differences plotted alongside GOES-17 Focal Plane Module (FPM) temperatures on Oct 19, 2021 up to 10:30 UTC. On the previous several days, with an 84K setpoint, the 10:30 UTC GOES-17 image (upper left) was striped and unusable, but after 24 hours of a setpoint of 87K, the ABI has cooled off enough to allow at least one more usable image. Results are preliminary and GOES-R CWG and AWG teams continue analysis.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

Lindstrom Awarded NESDIS Collaboration Award: Scott Lindstrom was awarded the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Collaboration Award for 2021. Dr. Lindstrom was nominated for excellence in collaboration, communications and knowledge sharing through satellite remote sensing training that supports NOAA’s mission by extending its reach to under-represented youth, international users, and the National Weather Service. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

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Figure: Scott Lindstrom teaching at a short course in 2017.

PUBLICATIONS:

WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES, AND MEETINGS:

TRAINING AND EDUCATION:

MEDIA AND OUTREACH:

SSEC and CIMSS Scientists in the News: Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) and the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) provide expert interviews, imagery and case studies to promote science. This week: 1. SSEC's Schwerdtfeger Library, in collaboration with the American Meteorological Society Oral History Project, conducted oral history interviews with prominent figures in satellite meteorology at the AMS Joint Satellite Conference in Boston, MA, September 28 – October 4, 2019. SSEC News published this story about the recently-released collection: https://www.ssec.wisc.edu/news/articles/13994/, https://schwerdtfegerlibrary.omeka.net/exhibits/show/oral_histories_joint_satellite. 2) CIMSS Satellite Blog contributors Alexa Ross, Scott Lindstrom, and Scott Bachmeier published case studies on "Viewing Fall lightning with RealEarth" (Oct. 21), "Eruption of Manam in Papua New Guinea" (Oct. 19), "Prescribed burn in southern Wisconsin" (Oct. 19), "GOES-17 Fog/Low Stratus (FLS) product availability in AWIPS" (Oct. 18), "Using NUCAPS to diagnose threats in a region of Enhanced/Moderate risk" (Oct. 13), "TROPICS Pathfinder view of super typhoon Mindulle" (Sept. 26). Read more: https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/. (J. Phillips, SSEC, 608-262-8164, E. Verbeten, SSEC, A. Ross, SSEC, S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, S. Bachmeier, CIMSS)

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Figure: Papua New Guinea's Manam Volcano erupted on Oct. 19, 2021. The eruption cloud reached altitudes of 16-18 km based on ash height values retrieved from the NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Cloud Monitoring site. Read more at the CIMSS Satellite Blog: https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/archives/42898. Credit: CIMSS, NOAA, JMA.

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Figure: A comparison of Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) Pathfinder imagery with Himawari imagery of Super Typhoon Mindulle on Sept. 26, 2021 when the storm was near peak intensity. Read more at the CIMSS Satellite Blog: https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/satellite-blog/archives/42909. Credit: CIMSS, TROPICS Science Team, JMA.

OTHER:

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Pledges Completed: The Advanced Satellite Products Branch (ASPB) completed the 2021 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) pledges. A participation rate of 100% was achieved. ASPB is part of the CFC mid-western region (https://midwesterncfc.org/). (T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291)