ASPB and CIMSS Weekly Report
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ASPB AND CIMSS WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 21, 2014

IN THE PRESS:

ITEMS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR:

ITEMS FOR THE OFFICE DIRECTOR, STAR:

Twelfth Meeting of the IWWG: Jeff Key and Andrew Heidinger attended the 12th meeting of the International Winds Workshop (IWWG) in Copenhagen, Denmark, 16-20 June 2014. Key presented the status of the NOAA polar wind products from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and chaired the breakout group on Wind Retrieval Methods. Heidinger briefed the IWWG about the new International Cloud Working Group (ICWG) and presented a poster on the GOES-R cloud height algorithm which is an input to the NOAA GOES-R Winds Algorithm. The IWWs are an ideal forum for updating the numerical weather prediction (NWP) community on our products, and for exchanging ideas on product improvement. It is a multi-day working session where data producers and data users interact.  (A. Heidinger, E/RA2, 608-263-6757, andrew.heidinger@noaa.gov, J. Key, E/RA2, 608-263-2605, jkey@ssec.wisc.edu) 

Manuscript Examining Rapid Drought Development Using GOES Thermal Infrared Imagery Published: A manuscript entitled “Examining the relationship between drought development and rapid changes in the Evaporative Stress Index” by Otkin, et al. was published in the June issue of Journal of Hydrometeorology. The paper showed that a new drought metric, known as the Rapid Change Index (RCI), designed to identify areas of vegetation undergoing rapid increases in moisture stress using GOES thermal infrared imagery can provide useful drought early warning signals that could be used to alert vulnerable stakeholders of an increased risk for drought development over subseasonal time scales. (J. Otkin, CIMSS, 608-265-2476) 

ITEMS FOR THE DIVISION CHIEF, CoRP:

CIMSS Participates in Annual NESDIS Cooperative Institutes Director's Meeting: Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) Director Steve Ackerman and Executive Director for Science Wayne Feltz attended the annual NESDIS Cooperative Institute (CI) Director's Meeting in College Park, Maryland on June 9-10, 2014. Other NESDIS CIs also had their respective Directors present to discuss current topics related to NESDIS and Cooperative Institutes current status, function, funding, and annual tracking metrics. Other topics of discussion, with Al Powell and Ingrid Guch present, included education/outreach, optimal management of scientific resources, CI metrics, and CI costing/task 1 implementation. Steve Goodman (GOES-R science), Mitch Goldberg (JPSS science), and Sid Boukabara (JCSDA science) discussed current cooperative institutes initiatives and future opportunities. (S. Ackerman, CIMSS, 608-263-3647, W. Feltz, CIMSS, 608-265-6283)

Seventh NASA Air Quality Applied Science Team Meeting: Brad Pierce attended the Seventh Biannual NASA Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) meeting, which was held at Harvard on Jun 17-19, 2014. He gave a talk entitled "Development of spatially enhanced NO2 column for evaluation of oil and gas emissions" which presented a new approach to obtain high spatial resolution column NO2 retrievals from the NASA Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) using Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) day-night-band (DNB) radiances to provide information on sub-pixel NO2 column variability (R.B. Pierce, E/RA2, 608-890-1892, brad.pierce@noaa.gov)

CIMSS VISIT Activities: S. Lindstrom led the following Virtual Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (VISIT) lessons: "Interpreting Satellite Signatures" on June 16, "Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Imagery in Advanced Weather Interactive Weather System (AWIPS)" on June 17, and "Objective Satellite-Based Overshooting Top and Enhanced-V Anvil Thermal Couplet Signature Detection" on June 19 (http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/calendar.asp). National Weather Service forecast offices from Indianapolis, Indiana, Portland, Oregon, and Riverton, Wyoming participated in the VISIT lessons. S. Lindstrom also participated in the VISIT Satellite Chat session on June 18 (http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/training/visit/satellite_chat/20140618/). In addition, the CIMSS Satellite Blog (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/) was updated with posts on severe weather in Nebraska, Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Upper Midwest, and thunderstorms in the interior of Alaska. (S. Lindstrom, CIMSS, 608-263-4425, S. Bachmeier, CIMSS, 608-263-3958)

  (Click image to enlarge)

Figure caption: Suomi NPP NUCAPS sounding points overlaid on a VIIRS IR image, shortly before there was severe weather over Nebraska on June 16, 2014.

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