Overview of CIMSS Proving Ground Plans

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Overview of CIMSS Proving Ground Plans
Scott Bachmeier, Jordan Gerth, Timothy J.
Schmit_at_ and Steve Ackerman, Kaba Bah, Wayne
Feltz, Jun Li, Justin Sieglaff, Kathy
Strabala, Gary S. Wade_at_ _at_ NOAA/NESDIS/Satellite
Applications and Research SSEC/CIMSS,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Proving Ground Kick-off meeting Boulder, CO
16 May 2008
UW-Madison
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Outline

• Current/near-term activities (Scott)
• Coordination/feedback/data flow (Jordan)
• Plans (e.g., goals), product sensors, schedule
  and decision aids (Tim)
• Summary
• Questions

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CIMSS Satellite Proving Ground NOAAs
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological
Satellite Studies (CIMSS) is engaging in
activities that serve as a Satellite Proving
Ground for new satellite products that are not
yet operationally available in the National
Weather Service AWIPS environment.
AWIPS images of the MODIS visible channel, NDVI,
and LST product showing the Mississippi Alluvial
Valley on 12 May 2008.
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CIMSS Satellite Proving Ground NOAAs
Cooperative Institute for Meteorological
Satellite Studies (CIMSS) is engaging in
activities that serve as a Satellite Proving
Ground for new satellite products that are not
yet operationally available in the National
Weather Service AWIPS environment.
AWIPS images of the MODIS visible channel and
near-IR snow/ice channel, highlighting the
extent of river flooding across the central
Mississippi River and Ohio River valley regions
on 20 March 2008.
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Support of National Weather Service Forecast
Offices

• Routine feed of University of Wisconsin (UW)
  MODIS Direct Broadcast (DB) products to NWS
  Central Region Headquarters began in June 2006
• Other satellite products (GOES sounder derived
  product imagery, GOES mesoscale winds, CRAS
  forecast imagery) added during the 2006-2007
  period
• NASA SPoRT (Marshall Space Flight Center) also
  providing products to NWS Southern Region
  forecast offices (using UW MODIS DB data).

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Support of National Weather Service Forecast
Offices

• Conducted site visits to the NWS forecast offices
  at Milwaukee, La Crosse, and Green Bay WI (2007,
  2008)
• cr.cimssinfo_at_noaa.gov email list was set up for
  the dissemination of notices and information
• CIMSS Satellite Blog http//cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/go
  es/blog serves as a reference library of examples
  of satellite imagery from recent weather events

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Support of National Weather Service Forecast
Offices

• Created VISIT training lessons MODIS Products in
  AWIPS, CRAS Forecast Imagery in AWIPS,
  Introduction to GOES N/O/P, and An
  Introduction to the Advanced Baseline Imagery
  (ABI) on GOES-R

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Installation of AWIPS Workstations at CIMSS

• One of the few AWIPS sites outside of the NWS
• Familiarity with AWIPS software and datasets
• Allows CIMSS to thoroughly test products for
  AWIPS insertion and display
• Development of custom MODIS software and menus
  for display of new products in AWIPS
• Critical for VISIT and SHyMet training programs

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AWIPS Menu Enhancements
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Types of MODIS Imagery and Products

• Individual MODIS Bands (1 kilometer resolution)
• Visible channel (0.6 µm)
• Near-IR snow/ice channel (2.1 µm)
• Near-IR cirrus detection channel (1.4 µm)
• Shortwave IR channel (3.7 µm)
• Water vapor channel (6.7 µm)
• IR window channel (11.0 µm)
• Fog/stratus product (11.0 - 3.7 µm)

NOAA's National Weather Service Central Region
Headquarters Kansas City, MO
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Types of MODIS Imagery and Products

• Surface Products - Land and Marine (1 kilometer)
• Sea Surface Temperature (SST)
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
• Land Surface Temperature (LST)
• Atmosphere (4 kilometer)
• Total Precipitable Water (TPW)
• Cloud Top Temperature (CTT)
• Cloud Phase

NOAA's National Weather Service Central Region
Headquarters Kansas City, MO
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Types of MODIS Imagery and Products

• True color imagery (250 meter)
• Red/Green/Blue (RGB) combination (Bands 1/4/3)
• Uses a custom-built display software tool to
  allow 24-bit true color imagery (since AWIPS is
  restricted to 8-bit displays)
• Available over Wisconsin only at this time

NOAA's National Weather Service Central Region
Headquarters Kansas City, MO
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Value to Forecasters

• Near-term (less than 12 hours) forecasts
• Diagnosing potential for heavy precipitation or
  severe weather
• Total Precipitable Water (TPW) severe storm
  signatures
• Determining precipitation type
• Cloud Phase product snow vs. freezing drizzle?
• Temperature trends based upon snow/ice
  boundaries, Land Surface Temperature (LST)
  product, or greenness (NDVI product)
• Short-term (12 to 36 hours) forecasts
• Areas of fog formation or dissipation
• Temperatures in lakeshore areas (cold water
  upwelling)
• Open water vs ice-covered lakes
• Fire potential - NDVI
• Post-event analysis
• Identification of Severe Weather impacts (tornado
  damage paths, hail damage swaths, flooding
  extent)
• Areal coverage of ice from freezing rain events

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Participating NWS Forecast Offices (16 JSC)

• Aberdeen SD (KABR)
• Billings MT (KBYZ)
• Davenport IA (KDVN)
• Des Moines IA (KDMX)
• Duluth MN (KDLH)
• Glasgow MT (KGGW)
• Green Bay WI (KGRB)
• Indianapolis IN (KIND)
• La Crosse WI (KARX)
• Milwaukee/Sullivan WI (KMKX)
• Minneapolis MN (KMPX)
• Riverton WY (KRIW)
• Reno NV (KRNO)
• Spokane WA (KGEG)
• Springfield MO (KSGF)
• Wichita KS (KICT)
• Spaceflight Meteorology Group (Space Shuttle
  forecast support, NASA Johnson
  Space Center)

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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 1 Visible channel (0.6µm)
MODIS visible channel
GOES visible channel
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 7 Snow/Ice channel (2.1µm)
Snow/ice vs. supercooled water cloud
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 7 Snow/Ice channel (2.1µm)
Snow/ice vs. supercooled water cloud
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 7 Snow/Ice channel (2.1µm)
Snow/ice vs. supercooled water cloud
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 7 Snow/Ice channel (2.1µm)
Areal coverage of ice from freezing rain event
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 01 Visible (0.6µm)
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Band 26 Cirrus detection (1.3µm)
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
1-km MODIS 3.7 µm shortwave IR
4-km GOES 3.9 µm shortwave IR
Improved fire detection capability
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
1-km MODIS 6.7 µm water vapor image
4-km GOES 6.5 µm water vapor image
Improved feature identification (jet streaks,
turbulence, etc)
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
1-km MODIS 11.0 µm IR window
4-km GOES 10.7 µm IR window
Improved feature identification (overshooting
tops, enhanced-v)
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
1-km MODIS fog/stratus product
4-km GOES fog/stratus product
Improved fog/stratus detection capability
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Sea surface temperature
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Sea surface temperature
Identify areas of upwelling
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MODIS SST Product in AWIPS
Utilized for Space Shuttle Forecast Support
February 10, 2008
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MODIS Imagery in AWIPS
Cloud phase product
Can aid in the precipitation type forecast problem
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
12 August before heavy rains
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MODIS True Color Imagery Viewer
25 August after heavy rains
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SSEC MODIS DB image 24-bit (16 million colors)
AWIPS image 8-bit (256 colors)
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MODIS in AWIPS Strengths

• Higher Resolution, Better Image Quality
• More accurate depiction of small-scale features
  (severe storm signatures, fog, snow/ice
  boundaries, regions of potential turbulence,
  surface temperature gradients)
• New Products
• True Color imagery at 250 m resolution
• NDVI product at 1km
• Land Surface Temperature product at 1 km
• Cloud Phase product (day and night consistency)
• Sea Surface Temperature at 1 km
• Prepares users for future satellite sensors
  (NPOESS and GOES-R)

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MODIS in AWIPS Weaknesses

• Timeliness (Data Latency)
• Processing and delivery takes from 30 minutes to
  1 hour (processing takes place on Sun/Opteron
  Linux cluster)
• Temporal Coverage
• Large gaps in temporal coverage (4 passes per
  day)
• Overpass times are not exactly the same everyday
• Less frequent observations mean more chance of
  cloud/clear interference (i.e. No Water Vapor
  retrievals because of cloud cover)

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ValidationHow do we know if the products are
useful to NWS forecasters?

• MODIS used in Area Forecast Discussions as a tool
  in decision making
• Mentioned by forecast offices 42 times
• Online surveys taken by forecasters
• Results
• 20 forecasters from KMKE, KRIW, KARX and KDVN
• 75 of forecasters rate DB MODIS AWIPS products
  as either very useful or useful
• Only 10 rated products as not useful
• Most used products are Visible, SST, Fog Product
  and Water Vapor

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Survey Results MODIS Product Usefulness
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• 000
• FXUS63 KMKX 311948
• AFDMKX
• AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
• NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
• 248 PM CDT FRI AUG 31 2007
• .SHORT TERM...
• ANY REMAINING AFTERNOON CU WILL BE QUICK TO
  DISSIPATE. MAIN
• FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE ON GROUND FOG POTENTIAL.
  MODIS
• PRECIPITABLE WATER INDICATING AROUND 0.90 INCHES
  UP FROM AROUND
• 0.53 INCHES YESTERDAY EVENING. SINCE MUCH OF THIS
  INCREASE IS IN
• THE MID LEVELS...EXPECT RADIATION CONDITIONS TO
  BE A BIT LESS
• FAVORABLE FOR FOG TONIGHT. HOWEVER DEW POINTS ARE
  A BIT
• HIGHER...AND WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS
  STILL THINK FOG WILL
• FORM MAINLY IN THE RIVER VALLEYS AND LOW AREAS.
  GFS MOS MIN TEMPS
• SEEM A BIT TOO COOL AGAIN TONIGHT.

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• 000
• FXUS63 KMKX 272129
• AFDMKX
• AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
• NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
• 329 PM CST WED FEB 27 2008
• .MARINE...NEARSHORE ESTIMATED TO BE 60 TO 80
  PERCENT ICE COVERED
• FROM LAST MODIS HIGH RESOLUTION VISIBLE SATELLITE
  IMAGERY FROM
• TUESDAY. SO...WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION ICE FREE
  AREAS IN FORECAST.
• WINDS AND WAVES SHOULD REACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
  CONDITIONS
• THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH TIGHTENING PRESSURE
  GRADIENT AND MIXING OF 25
• TO 30 KNOT WINDS TO SURFACE. GALES TO 35 KNOTS
  ARE POSSIBLE ON
• FRIDAY.

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Overview of Proving Ground

• GOES-R Proving Ground forecaster/AWIPS focused,
  to prepare for the GOES-R information. Get
  real-world experience by leveraging existing
  resources to prepare for the GOES-R era. Product
  tailoring. Coordinate with the NWS. Connections
  with NOAA operational offices are critical!
• What it is not another algorithm development
  testbed, basic research, researcher-focused,
  product algorithm development, science fair, etc.

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Plans (CIMSS w/ STAR)

• 1. Use high-spectral resolution IASI to simulate
  the ABI spectral bands. Use IASI and possibly
  AIRS to produce DPI in near real time over CONUS
  in the same format as the current GOES Sounder
  and put into AWIPS. Products would include (at
  least) TPW, LI, and K-Index.
• 2. Extend the number of MODIS products available
  through AWIPS, including the addition of
  additional stability indices and adding more true
  color image accessibility.
• 3. Expand interaction with and feedback from the
  NWS, including the addition of more participating
  offices, more forecaster product utility surveys
  and NWS office site visits. In addition, this
  work will be presented at relevant meetings.
• 4. Acquire additional forecaster comments.
  Develop and implement an evaluation technique
  with the NWS. Adjust algorithms/displays
  according to feedback. Document findings.
• 5. Investigate/test AWIPS-II early access and
  product demonstration. We have been asked to be
  part of the AWIPS-II evaluation team, but have
  not done so to date.
• 6. Investigate how the Normalized Difference
  Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface
  Temperature (LST) can be used for forecasting
  applications. Investigate and implement methods
  to improve image quality.

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Baltimore Inner HarborThunderstorm Event March
6, 2004
At approximately 400 p.m. EST, Saturday, March
6, 2004, a cluster of thunderstorms moved
east-southeast through the Baltimore metropolitan
area, producing wind gusts of 40 to 55 mph. A
water taxi loaded with 25 passengers on
Baltimores Inner Harbor capsized in the
thunderstorm winds. Forecasters issued a Small
Craft Advisory (SCA) Friday morning, March 5, for
all of Chesapeake Bay, and continued it through
Saturday, March 6. Wind criteria for the SCA are
25 to 33 knots along the near-shore, 20 knots in
a harbor. At 405 p.m., forecasters issued a
Special Marine Warning to warn mariners of wind
gusts to near 50 knotshigh wavesdangerous
lightning and heavy downpours Boaters were
advised to seek safe harbor immediately until
this storm passes. Forecasters understood this
was a threatening situation. Yet, high-spectral
resolution capabilities could have helped monitor
the rapid de-stabilization via a heightened
situational awareness.
NOAA Service Assessment, Baltimore Inner Harbor
Thunderstorm Event March 6, 2004. (June 2005)
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• Lifted Index ºC

Current GOES Sounder showed a stable atmosphere.
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• Lifted Index ºC

Sample of AIRS (high-spectral IR) Lifted Index
field Retrievals generated through thin clouds.
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Plans (w/ STAR CIMSS)

• Additional proposed CIMSS activities for a GOES R
  Proving Ground in FY2008
• 1. Develop imagery and data showing time trends
  with polar-orbiting data in the Alaska region.
  Establish product demonstration, training and
  feedback relationship with Anchorage and
  Fairbanks NWSFOs.
• 2. Create simulated (synthetic) GOES-R datasets,
  including forecast images of ABI bands using a
  regional model, such as WRF. This would build
  upon the forecast image capability demonstrated
  with the CRAS.
• 3. Environmental event simulator for user
  education Use historical simulated ABI
  synthetic data sets to build case studies
  demonstrating the utility of the ABI data. This
  leverages the WES (Weather Event Simulators) and
  GOES-R AWG proxy efforts.

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Synthetic 2 km GOES-R ABI WV Imagery

• Waves are evident in all three 2 km ABI WV
  channels, with wave spatial patterns being far
  clearer than current GOES-12
• 3 ABI WV channels could provide information on
  mountain wave amplitude, as they detect peak
  signal from differing heights

Observed GOES-12 Band 3 (6.5 micron)
Simulated ABI Band 8 (6.2 micron)
Simulated ABI Band 9 (7.0 micron)
Simulated ABI Band 10 (7.3 micron)
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ABI bands via NWP simulation (CIMSS AWG Proxy
Team)
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ABI bands via NWP simulation (CIMSS AWG Proxy
Team)
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Lifted Index
Overlay on 11 µm BT (black/white)
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(Preliminary)
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(Preliminary)
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GOES-R Product List (Total 68) Product Set
Number 1-4
ABI Advanced Baseline Imager
Continuity of GOES Legacy Sounder Products from
ABI
SEISS Space Env. In-Situ Suite
EXIS EUV and X-Ray Irradiance Sensors
GLM Geostationary Lightning Mapper
Magnetometer
SUVI Solar extreme UltraViolet Imager
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GOES-R ABI Product List (ABI only 59) Product
Set Number 1-4
1 Aerosol Detection (including Smoke Dust)
3 Surface Albedo
3 Aerosol Particle Size
4 Probability of Rainfall
3 Surface Emissivity
1 Suspended Matter / Optical Depth
4 Vegetation Fraction Green
4 Rainfall Potential
2 Volcanic Ash Detection and Height
4 Vegetation Index
2 Rainfall Rate / QPE
4 Aircraft Icing Threat
1 Legacy Vertical Moisture Profile
4 Currents
3 Cloud Imagery Coastal
1 Legacy Vertical Temperature Profile
4 Currents Offshore
1 Cloud Moisture Imagery (KPPs)
2 Derived Stability Indices (5)
4 Sea Lake Ice Age
3 Cloud Layers / Heights Thickness
4 Sea Lake Ice Concentration
1 Total Precipitable Water
3 Cloud Ice Water Path
3 Total Water Content
4 Sea Lake Ice Extent
3 Cloud Liquid Water
1 Clear Sky Masks
4 Sea Lake Ice Motion
1 Cloud Optical Depth
1 Radiances
4 Ice Cover / Landlocked Hemispheric
1 Cloud Particle Size Distribution
3 Absorbed Shortwave Radiation Surface
2 Snow Cover
1 Cloud Top Phase
3 Downward Longwave Radiation Surface
4 Snow Depth (Over Plains)
1 Cloud Top Height
2 Downward Solar Insolation Surface
2 Sea Surface Temps
2 Reflected Solar Insolation TOA
1 Cloud Top Pressure
1 Cloud Top Temperature
3 Upward Longwave Radiation Surface
3 Cloud Type
3 Upward Longwave Radiation TOA
3 Convective Initiation
3 Ozone Total
4 Enhanced V / Overshooting Top Detection
3 SO2 Detection
2 Hurricane Intensity
2 Derived Motion Winds
3 Low Cloud Fog
2 Fire / Hot Spot Characterization
4 Flood / Standing Water
3 Turbulence
2 Land Surface (Skin) Temperature
4 Visibility
ABI Advanced Baseline Imager
Continuity of GOES Legacy Sounder Products from
ABI
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Higher Spatial Resolution GOES Channels
Simulated ABI (from MODIS)
concentric anvil-layer waves
Enhanced V IR windows May 25, 2000
Enhanced V
Actual GOES
http//cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/misc/000525.html
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FY08 GIMPAP Project

• Title Advanced Satellite Application for AWIPS
• Project Type GOES Utilization Proposal
• Status Renewal
• Duration 2 years
• Leads
• Jaime Daniels (STAR/SMCD)
• Mamoudou Ba and Stephan Smith (NOAA/NWS/MDL
  Decision Assistance Branch)
• Other Participants
• Americo Allegrino (Raytheon Information
  Solutions)
• Michael Churma ((NOAA/NWS/MDL Decision Assistance
  Branch)

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Illustration of the polygon tool as well as the
alert dialogue box that pops up (in yellow) as an
alert to the forecaster. The user-drawn polygon
(displayed in green) defines the geographic area
over which the atmospheric stability index
(lifted index in this case) is monitored.
Multiple polygons can be drawn!
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Illustration of another feature of the polygon
tool User can click on any point within the
drawn polygon to get a six hour time series
display of variable (Lifted Index in this case).
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L.I. Enhancements
http//cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/visit/sounder_enha
ncements.html
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Conclusions

• The Satellite Proving Ground has started. It
  focuses on NWS uses.
• The proving ground is an exciting, important
  project.
• Shouldnt overwhelm NWS forecasters with too many
  surveys etc., yet need feedback.
• CIMSS/ASPB will continue and expand their work in
  this area to better prepare for GOES-R.

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Questions

• Coordination with lightning (e.g., GLM for WES
  case).
• New WES format..
• Transition to AWIPS-II.
• Coordination with GOES-RRR (merged products) and
  AWG (products)

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Disclaimer

• The views, opinions, and findings contained in
  this presentation are those of the authors and
  should not be construed as an official National
  Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or U.S.
  Government position, policy, or decision.