James J. Gurka

INTRODUCING THE NEXT-GENERATION ADVANCED BASELINE IMAGER ON GOES-R

Abstract The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), designated to be one of the instruments on a future Geo-stationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series, will introduce a new era for U.S. geostationary environmental remote sensing. ABI is slated to be launched on GOES-R in 2012 and will be used for a wide range of weather, oceanographic, climate, and environmental applications. ABI will have more spectral bands (16), faster imaging (enabling more geographical areas to be scanned), and higher spatial resolution (2 km in the infrared and 1–0.5 km in the visible) than the current GOES Imager. The purposes of the selected spectral bands are summarized in this paper. There will also be improved performance with regard to radiometrics and image navigation/registration. ABI will improve all current GOES Imager products and introduce a host of new products. New capabilities will include detecting upper-level SO2 plumes, monitoring plant health on a diurnal time scale, inferring cloud-top phase and partic...

AIRS Subpixel Cloud Characterization Using MODIS Cloud Products

Abstract The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) measurements from the Earth Observing Systems (EOSs) Aqua satellite enable improved global monitoring of the distribution of clouds. MODIS is able to provide, at high spatial resolution (∼1–5 km), a cloud mask, surface and cloud types, cloud phase, cloud-top pressure (CTP), effective cloud amount (ECA), cloud particle size (CPS), and cloud optical thickness (COT). AIRS is able to provide CTP, ECA, CPS, and COT at coarser spatial resolution (∼13.5 km at nadir) but with much better accuracy using its high-spectral-resolution measurements. The combined MODIS–AIRS system offers the opportunity for improved cloud products over those possible from either system alone. The key steps for synergistic use of imager and sounder radiance measurements are 1) collocation in space and time and 2) imager cloud amount, type, and phase determination within the sounder pixel. The MODIS and AIRS measurements from ...

Optimal cloud-clearing for AIRS radiances using MODIS

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations Earth Observing Systems (EOS) Aqua spacecraft, with its high spectral resolution and radiometric accuracy, provides atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture sounding information with high vertical resolution and accuracy for numerical weather prediction (NWP). Due to its relatively coarse spatial resolution (13.5 km at nadir), the chance for an AIRS footprint to be completely cloud free is small. However, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), also on the Aqua satellite, provides colocated clear radiances at several spectrally broad infrared (IR) bands with 1-km spatial resolution; many AIRS cloudy footprints contain clear MODIS pixels. An optimal cloud-correction or cloud-clearing (CC) algorithm, an extension of the traditional single-band N/sup */ technique, is developed. The technique retrieves the hyperspectral infrared sounder clear column radiances from the combined multiband imager IR clear radiance observations with high spatial resolution and the hyperspectral IR sounder cloudy radiances on a single-footprint basis. The concurrent AIRS and MODIS data are used to verify the algorithm. The AIRS cloud-removed or cloud-cleared radiance spectrum is convolved to all the possible MODIS IR spectral bands with spectral response functions (SRFs). The convoluted cloud-cleared brightness temperatures (BTs) are compared with MODIS clear BT observations within AIRS cloud-cleared footprints passing our quality tests. The bias and the standard deviation between the convoluted BTs and MODIS clear BT observations is less than 0.25 and 0.5 K, respectively, over both water and land for most MODIS IR spectral bands. The AIRS cloud-cleared BT spectrum is also compared with its nearby clear BT spectrum, the difference, accounting the effects due to scene nonuniformity, is reasonable according to the analysis. The multiband optimal cloud-clearing is also compared with the traditional single-band N/sup */ cloud-clearing; the performance enhancement of the optimal cloud-clearing over the single-band traditional N/sup */ cloud-clearing is demonstrated and discussed. It is found that more than 30% of the AIRS cloudy (partly and overcast) footprints in this study have been successfully cloud-cleared using the optimal cloud-clearing method, revealing the potential application of this method to the operational processing of hyperspectral IR sounder cloudy radiance measurements when the collocated imager IR data are available. The use of a high spatial resolution imager, along with information from a high spectral resolution sounder for cloud-clearing, is analogous to instruments planned for the next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) instruments-the Advanced Baseline Imager and the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite. Since no microwave instruments are being planned for GOES-R, the cloud-clearing methodology demonstrated in this paper will become the most practical approach for obtaining the reliable clear-column radiances.

The GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager and the Continuation of Current Sounder Products

Abstract The first of the next-generation series of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-R) is scheduled for launch in the 2015 time frame. One of the primary instruments on GOES-R, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), will offer more spectral bands, higher spatial resolution, and faster imaging than does the current GOES Imager. Measurements from the ABI will be used for a wide range of qualitative and quantitative weather, land, ocean, cryosphere, environmental, and climate applications. However, the first and, likely, the second of the new series of GOES will not carry an infrared sounder dedicated to acquiring high-vertical-resolution atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles that are key to mesoscale and regional severe-weather forecasting. The ABI will provide some continuity of the current sounder products to bridge the gap until the advent of the GOES advanced infrared sounder. Both theoretical analysis and retrieval simulations show that data from the ABI can be combined wi...

THE GOES-R PROVING GROUND Accelerating User Readiness for the Next-Generation Geostationary Environmental Satellite System

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R series (GOES-R) Proving Ground engages the National Weather Service (NWS) forecast, watch, and warning community and other agency users in preoperational demonstrations of the new and advanced capabilities to be available from GOES-R compared to the current GOES constellation. GOES-R will provide significant advances in observing capabilities but will also offer a significant challenge to ensure that users are ready to exploit the new 16-channel imager that will provide 3 times more spectral information, 4 times the spatial coverage, and 5 times the temporal resolution compared to the current imager. In addition, a geostationary lightning mapper will provide continuous and near-uniform real-time surveillance of total lightning activity throughout the Americas and adjacent oceans encompassing much of the Western Hemisphere. To ensure user readiness, forecasters and other users must have access to prototype advanced products within their operational en...

High-Spectral- and High-Temporal-Resolution Infrared Measurements from Geostationary Orbit

Abstract The first of the next-generation series of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) is scheduled for launch in 2015. The new series of GOES will not have an infrared (IR) sounder dedicated to acquiring high-vertical-resolution atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. High-spectral-resolution sensors have a much greater vertical-resolving power of temperature, moisture, and trace gases than low-spectral-resolution sensors. Because of coarse vertical resolution and limited accuracy in the legacy sounding products from the current GOES sounders, placing a high-spectral-resolution IR sounder with high temporal resolution in the geostationary orbit can provide nearly time-continuous three-dimensional moisture and wind profiles. This would allow substantial improvements in monitoring the mesoscale environment for severe weather forecasting and other applications. Application areas include nowcasting (and short-term forecasts) and numerical weather prediction, which require p...

Synergistic Use of MODIS and AIRS in a Variational Retrieval of Cloud Parameters

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) measurements from the Earth Observing System’s (EOS’s) Aqua satellite enable global monitoring of the distribution of clouds. MODIS is able to provide a cloud mask, surface and cloud types, cloud phase, cloud-top pressure (CTP), effective cloud amount (ECA), cloud particle size, and cloud optical thickness at high spatial resolution (1‐5 km). The combined MODIS‐AIRS system offers the opportunity for improved cloud products, better than from either system alone; this improvement is demonstrated in this paper with both simulated and real radiances. A one-dimensional variational (1DVAR) methodology is used to retrieve the CTP and ECA from AIRS longwave (650‐790 cm21 or 15.38‐12.65 mm) cloudy radiance measurements (hereinafter referred to as MODIS‐AIRS 1DVAR). The MODIS‐AIRS 1DVAR cloud properties show significant improvement over the MODIS-alone cloud properties and slight improvement over AIRS-alone cloud properties in a simulation study, while MODIS‐AIRS 1DVAR is much more computationally efficient than the AIRS-alone 1DVAR; comparisons with radiosonde observations show that CTPs improve by 10‐40 hPa for MODIS‐AIRS CTPs over those from MODIS alone. The 1DVAR approach is applied to process the AIRS longwave cloudy radiance measurements; results are compared with MODIS and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite sounder cloud products. Data from ground-based instrumentation at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Cloud and Radiation Test Bed in Oklahoma are used for validation; results show that MODIS‐AIRS improves the MODIS CTP, especially in low-level clouds. The operational use of a high-spatial-resolution imager, along with information from a high-spectral-resolution sounder will be possible with instruments planned for the next-generation geostationary operational instruments.

Ice Fog in Arctic During FRAM–Ice Fog Project: Aviation and Nowcasting Applications

Ice fog and frost occur commonly (at least 26% of the time) in the northern latitudes and Arctic regions during winter at temperatures usually less than about –15°C. Ice fog is strongly related to frost formation—a major aviation hazard in the northern latitudes. In fact, it may be considered a more dangerous event than snow because of the stronger aircraft surface adhesion compared to snow particles. In the winter of 2010/11, the Fog Remote Sensing and Modeling–Ice Fog (FRAM-IF) project was organized near Yellowknife International Airport, Northwest Territories, Canada, with the main goals of advancing understanding of ice fog microphysical and visibility characteristics, and improving its prediction using forecast models and remotesensing retrievals. Approximately 40 different sensors were used to measure visibility, precipitation, ice particle spectra, vertical thermodynamic profiles, and ceiling height. Fog coverage and visibility parameters were estimated using both Geostationary Operational Environm...

2006 update on baseline instruments for the GOES-R series

In order to meet the requirements, documented by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) user communities, the instruments designated for the GOES-R notional baseline include an Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), a Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES), a Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), and advanced space and solar observing instruments including the Solar Imaging Suite (SIS) and the Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS). These instruments will monitor a wide range of phenomena, including applications relating to: weather, climate, ocean, coastal zones, land, hazards, solar and space.

Baseline instruments planned for the GOES-R series

In order to meet the requirements, documented by the GOES user communities, the instruments designated for the GOES-R notional baseline include an Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), a Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES), a Lightning Mapper, and advanced space and solar observing instruments. These instruments will first be launched in 2012. The Advanced Baseline Imager is a state of the art, 16-channel imager covering 6 visible to near-IR bands (0.47, 0.64, 0.86, 1.38, 1.61, and 2.26 mm), and 10 infrared (IR) bands (3.90 mm to 13.3 mm). Spatial resolutions are band dependent, 0.5 km at nadir for broadband visible, 1.0 km for near IR and 2.0 km for IR. The ABI will scan the Full Disk (FD) in approximately 5 minutes. The HES is a multi channel imager and sounder instrument suite with three threshold tasks. HES will provide high-spectral resolution Hemispheric Disk Soundings (DS) and Severe Weather Mesoscale (SW/M) soundings and Coastal Waters (CW) imaging. HES DS provides 10 km IR resolution from 3.7 mm to 15.4 mm with a one-hour refresh rate of the full disk, 62° local zenith angle. SW/M will cover a 1000 x 1000 km square in 4 minutes, at 4 km resolution for IR. HES CW task will provide at least 14 channels covering 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm, with a 300 m resolution and a 3-hour refresh rate. Coastal Waters are defined as the 400 km zone adjacent to CONUS. Additional capabilities include an improved Space Environment Monitor, a Solar X-Ray Imager, and direct user services, such as Search and Rescue (SAR), and a Data Collection System (DCS). This paper will focus on the planned instrument capabilities of the GOES-R Series, the space system architecture, and how the new capabilities will complement the future Global Observing System to meet the documented user needs.