Active Projects for FY04 Clouds from AVHRR – technical support for OSDPD transition to operations, validation of products and development of better algorithms. VIIRS Cloud Work – Improving the VIIRS cloud algorithms based on NOAA expertise. AVHRR Data Stewardship - Improving the AVHRR data (calibration and navigation) and generating climate records. Microwave Radiance Assimilation (co-I) – development of a fast radiative transfer model for moderately scattering atmospheres. GOES Surface and Insolation Fulldisk – extension of the GSIP CONUS system to the full disk and higher resolution.

Clouds from AVHRR – FY04 Highlights CLAVR-x is similar in scope to MSPPS except limited to the AVHRR Last Year of the CLAVR-x project (that involves ORA directly) The OSDPD CLAVR-x code continues to run on the IBM SP (the new platform). Operational transition set for December. Also runs within ORA in real-time. This year ORA completing the transition to HDF output which has greatly facilitated the use of data by outsiders. HDF is the also the format for NPOESS and EOS. CLAVR-x cloud mask now being used in NESDIS operational products (radiation budget) and plans exist for its use in new SST, GVI. CLAVR-x SST data used for GOES/POES high resolution SST project (RAL) New development this year included a pixel level cloud top temperature algorithm that is consistent for all orbits and all times of day. This will potentially benefit IASI sounding as MODIS cloud products benefit AIRS soundings.

Example CLAVR-x products available in real-time Cloud Mask + Surface Temp. Cloud Top Temperature The suite of CLAVR-x includes a full range of cloud products in addition to the standard cloud mask.

Pixel Level SST (SST – This is what is used by RAL for POES/GOES SST) (All of this information is available in the SST file and this analysis can be done automatically) Unmasked pixel level SST Cloud Masked SSTbackground SST field Histogram of SST – background SST

Example of the type of gridded information produced by CLAVR-x. All are made available through OSDPD/ORA. Real-time orbital Single Satellite Daily Asc/Des fields Multi-satellite Synoptic Fields

Current Uses of CLAVR-x Other NESDIS Applications NCEP is grabbing CLAVR-x gridded cloud fields. Potential of clear radiances for assimilation being considered. Two JCSDA projects are using CLAVR-x output CLAVR-x algorithms are used in GASP, GSIP and for some aviation safety program (ASAP) here at CIMSS. Parts used by NGST for VIIRS Basis of PATMOS-x which serves the climate community

VIIRS Cloud EDR Risk Reduction FY04 Highlights Continue as VIIRS OAT co-chair (with P. Menzel) Developed an extension of the CLAVR-x cloud type to the VIIRS channels – demonstrably better than the VIIRS baseline approach. (This will also work for ABI) Successfully worked with NGST and helped them adopt the CLAVR-x cloud typing approach for VIIRS. Worked with NGST to adopt the CLAVR-x spatial uniformity tests into the VIIRS cloud mask to improve VIIRS SST. Helping NGST adopt NDVI-dependent reflectance thresholds to improve land cloud mask performance. Researching the continuity in the POES/NPOESS climate record using MODIS as a surrogate for VIIRS.

Example Pixel Level Result of the Cloud Typing with Multi-layer Detection using the AVHRR Algorithm: Typhoon Inoue in Indian Ocean observed from MODIS Idealized cross section of a hurricane showing expected areas of multi-layer cloud (taken from NOAA)

Same as before but using the “VIIRS” Algorithm Idealized cross section of a hurricane showing expected areas of multi-layer cloud (taken from NOAA)

AVHRR Data Stewardship / AVHRR Pathfinder Atmospheres ORA funded a pilot AVHRR Data Stewardship Initiative in FY03 & FY04. The goal of these projects is to demonstrate that ORA can use its expertise in all areas of AVHRR processing to improve the AVHRR data record and perform climate analyses. (ORA Participants: Goldberg, Tarpley, Heidinger, Harris, Key, Kogan, Wu, Sullivan, Cao, Maturi) ORA “archive” now contains all AVHRR GAC data from Data moving from the SAA as fast as possible. So far we have developed the navigation correction, the GVI reprocessing software and the PATMOS-x software. Currently working on reflectance calibration improvements. PATMOS-x is a climate data-set produced from AVHRR with a 50 km resolution and contains cloud, surface and aerosol products (all developed within ORA).

Initial Results from PATMOS-x: Improvements in the physics with the cloud mask have removed the large satellite to satellite jumps observed in the original PATMOS time series. Note, the differences in PATMOS-x (black) are much less than PATMOS (blue) on either side of the satellite transitions (vertical lines)

Initial Results from PATMOS-x: Our time series of cloud amount seems stable compared to that from ISCCP. The downward trend seen in ISCCP is contentious – we do not see that trend and are one of a few projects that produce an independent global cloud climatology.

GOES Surface and Insolation Project Highlights The new system that will replace the CONUS GSIP is running within ORA. (It is essentially CLAVR-x applied to GOES imager with the Laszlo insolation algorithm). We were funded by Ground System and currently NCEP is able to get the data from us for testing. Once this testing is complete and NCEP is satisfied with the new product, we will try to transition to OSDPD. Currently, we felt it unwise to transition during the OSDPD reorganization. Microwave Radiance Assimilation Highlights My contribution was the development of an extension of the traditional method of successive order of scattering that is superior for moderately scattering atmospheres (successive order of interaction). The “winning” model will be decided in a JCSDA contest this fall. Collaborators include Ralf Bennartz, Tom Greenwald and Chris Odell.

Issues Should we actively pursue the transition of NOAA methods for NPOESS? What is the ideal relationship between NGST and STAR. Should we accept offers to co-authors on NGST led publications? Tom Schott explained to me that PSDI is going away and being replaced by an NDE funding line. The NDE list of NOAA unique products is currently very modest. There is no Polar GIMPAP counterpart. Are we getting out of the business of product development from polar orbiters?