ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 31, 2012

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

WIGOS Implementation Plan Meeting: A special task team of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Intercommission Coordination Group on the WMO Global Integrated Integrated Observing System (ICG-WIGOS) held a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 26-30 March 2012. Jeff Key (STAR/ASPB), participated. The objective was to produce a complete WIGOS Implementation Plan. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu)

UNESCO Meeting: Jeff Key and a WMO colleague visited the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on 30 March to discuss UNESCO's participation in the new Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW) initiative. UNESCO will contribute in the areas of glacier monitoring and cold ocean studies. (J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu)

IPCC Special Report Launched: The IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) was officially launched on 28 March 2012. Jim Kossin (NCDC/RSAD) served as a Lead Author on Chapter 3 of the report; “Changes in Climate Extremes and Their Impacts on the Natural Physical Environment” and as a Contributing Author on Chapter 9, “Case Studies”. The launch marks the culmination of an assessment and writing process that began in 2009. (J. Kossin, NCDC, 608-265-5356)

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

Risk Modeling Workshop Attended: Jim Kossin (NCDC/RSAD) attended a workshop on 20-22 March in Hamilton, Bermuda. He was among a team of five scientists invited to interact with NOAA stakeholders in the insurance, re-insurance, and risk modeling communities. The goal of the workshop was to form an assessment of the validity of the latest RMS hurricane risk model (RiskLink v11.0) and identify/quantify uncertainties. The RMS model is widely used to establish insurance rates in the U.S. The invited scientists represented NOAA, Florida State University, and the London School of Economics. (J. Kossin, NCDC, 608-265-5356)

Stray Light Correction update given to the CWG : On March 27, 2012, T. Schmit, along with H. Bysal of the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO), remotely gave the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R Calibration Working Group (CWG) an update on the Stray Light Correction (SLC). The correction went operational for the GOES-13 Imager on February 22, 2012 at 04 UTC. The GOES-15 Imager stray light correction is planned for the fall of 2012. The correction gives an equivalent of approximately 100 hours of additional imaging each year. (T. Schmit, E/RA2, Timothy.J.Schmit@noaa.gov) (T. Schmit, E/RA2, Timothy.J.Schmit@noaa.gov)

GOES and POES Images of Lower North Fork Fire in Colorado: The "Lower North Fork Fire" began to burn near Aspen Springs, Colorado during the afternoon hours on March 26, 2012, quickly increasing in size to over 4,100 acres. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-15 and GOES-13) and Polar Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) images of the fire smoke plume and the fire thermal "hot spot" were posted on the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) Satellite Blog (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/archives/10092). (S. Bachmeier, CIMSS, 608-263-3958, T. Schmit, E/RA2, 608-263-0291, tim.j.schmit@noaa.gov)

  (Click image to enlarge)

Figure caption: AWIPS image comparison of 4-km resolution GOES-13 3.9 µm and 1-km resolution POES AVHRR 3.7 µm shortwave IR data, showing the thermal "hot spot" (black to red to yellow color enhancement) associated with the Lower North Fork Fire in Colorado.

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