1. Pre-Proposal for a CEOS Sea Surface Temperature Virtual Constellation (SST-VC) Craig Donlon (ESA) Kenneth S. Casey (NOAA) September 21, 2010 CEOS SIT Technical Workshop Montreal, Canada

2. Overview Historical Background Summary of GHRSST SST-VC Proposal to CEOS Summary and Conclusions

3. A practical demonstration of the feasibility & utility of high-resolution, global analyses & short-range forecasts of 3D temperatures, salinities and currents Timetable 1997 – 1999 Conceptual development 2000 – 2003 Prototype development 2004 – 2008 Operational demonstration & consolidation End 2008 Final Symposium The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE)

4. The GODAE High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature Pilot Project GHRSST-PP (2000 – 2009) A Pilot Project Initiated by GODAE in 2000 to address the needs of modern ocean forecasting systems –Research and operational systems SST data required with global high resolution coverage in near real time for assimilation by models The pilot Project was extremely successful and today satellite and in situ SST data sets are coordinated by the Group for High Resolution SST (GHRSST)

5. SST requirements for GHRSST GODAE defined the minimum data specification required for use in operational ocean models: –global coverage –a spatial resolution of 10 km –an accuracy of 0.5 º C or better –updated every six hours & be available in near real time GCOS defines the requirements for SST ECV –Bias <0.1 K for all global oceans, RAN-TAG Recommends <0.3K absolute accuracy, 0.1K relative –Stability 0.05 K decade -1 (e.g. Merchant et al. 2008 for the AATSR CDR) RAN-TAG Recommends 0.01 K decade -1 GHRSST data products should properly address the difficult issues of: –SST at the sea ice edge –diurnal variability –include uncertainty estimates to facilitate their use by data assimilation systems.

6. Polar infrared has high accuracy & spatial resolution Geostationary infrared has high temporal resolution Microwave Polar orbiting has all-weather capability GHRSST Builds on EO complementarities… Data Merging In situ data provide reality in all weather conditions

7. SST system quality control and uncertainty estimation L4 merged Products netCDF format Input SST data of Varied format & with no errors Data merging and analysis SST L2P Products netCDF format Add ancillary QC SSES& dynamic flags The GHRSST Strategy SST Observations Applications L3/L3P L1P Radiance data

8. GHRSST Aim and Objectives The aim of GHRSST is to develop and nurture cooperation and progress at the world scale in the subject area of satellite Sea Surface Temperature GHRSST establishes consensus and develops cooperation to: –Facilitate easy and diverse access and application of SST data through coordinated data assembly and analysis systems –Facilitate the advancement of SST science, tools and techniques –Foster expertise in SST measurements at all levels and provide best practice advice to users –Optimize the quality of SST data through inter-comparisons, testing, calibration and validation –Maintain and nurture the link between the SST Scientific and Operational users of SST measurements –Conduct efficient re-analysis of SST data and develop the Modern era SST ECV

9. GHRSST Organisation International GHRSST Science Team User Requirements for high resolution Sea Surface Temperature data products and services from operational, scientific, and climate communities. International Stakeholder Advisory Council GHRSST-PO Project Office Coordinator (A Kiaser-Weiss (Univ. Reading)) Coordinate with NASA funded SST Science Team, ERNESST group, Australia, ESA CCI, CCOS SST/SI-WG, CEOS Agencies etc. GHRSST Data Assembly and Systems Technical Advisory Group (GDAS-TAG) SSES and Validation Technical Advisory Group (STVAL-TAG) Diurnal Variation Working Group (DV-WG) Reanalysis Technical Advisory Group (RAN-TAG) High Latitude Technica l Advisory Group (HL-TAG) Estimatio n Methods Working Group (EARWiG) Inter- comparisons Technical Advisory Group (IC-TAG) Applications and User Services TAG (AUS- TAG) Lake Surf Water Temp Working Group (LSWT-WG) CEOS SST Virtual Constellation (SST-VC)

10. GHRSST-PP Science Team 2001 and 2010 GHRSST Science Team Meeting, 2010 Santa Rosa Ca. USA

11. $28 Million invested by the international GHRSST community

12. MSG (5/10km) N-17/18 AVHRR GAC (9km) N-17/18 AVHRR LAC (1km) GOES-E/W (5km)AMSRE (25/12km) AATSR (1km) L2P Common format with uncertainty estimates and QA4EO quality_indicator

13. L2P includes ancillary information as dynamic flags for users SST (C)Bias (C) SD error (C)Time difference (min)SSI (Wm -2 )AOD  Tanalysis (C) Wind speed (ms -1 )

14. Donlon et al, 2007, BAMS, 88, 1197–1213.

15. Perros-Guirec, June 2008 GHRSST LTSRF Status Last Year during GHRSST-9

16. Perros-Guirec, June 2008 Last Year during GHRSST-9 2010 2009 2011 GHRSST LTSRF Status

17. Perros-Guirec, June 2008 GHRSST LTSRF Status

18. Perros-Guirec, June 2008 2010 2009 2011 GHRSST LTSRF Status

19. *2010 projected based on Jan-May statistics. 20062007200820092010 Files/ day 85113017343413 1369 9 GB/ day 0.21.83.918.847.7 Users/ day 37889 GHRSST LTSRF: Access Stats

20. GHRSST Global Data Services, Tools and Portal http://gdac.jpl.nasa.gov http://www.ghrsst.org Main Project Portal with access to all GHRSST resources

21. Development of a CEOS SST Virtual Constellation (SST-VC)

22. A CEOS SST-VC? The concept of CEOS virtual, space-based CEOS Constellations is a means to better address space-based Earth observation needs on a global basis – without eroding the independence of individual agencies. CEOS Virtual Constellations (VC) exist for –Ocean Vector Winds (OVW-VC), –Ocean Colour Radiometry (OCR-VC), –Ocean Surface Topography (OST-VC), –Atmospheric Composition (AC-VC), –Land Surface Imaging and (LSI-VC), –Constellation for Precipitation CP-VC). No VC exists for Sea Surface Temperature despite the considerable investments committed to this variable by virtually all Space Agencies. But we do have GHRSST arguably acting in a VC role

23. CEOS SST-VC Following consultation with the SST community represented internationally by GHRSST, it is proposed to strengthen the relationship between CEOS and GHRSST through the CEOS VC process An Initial pre-proposal to CEOS for and SST-VC has been developed by GHRSST –Endorsed at the 11 th GHRSST Science Team Meeting, June 2010, Lima Peru The proposed SST-VC shall use the recognized and well established GHRSST as the prime coordination mechanism.

24. SST-VC Objectives (1/3) The proposed SST-VC shall: –support the coordination consolidation and further development of satellite SST capability, products, user feedback and education/outreach activities –using the recognized and well established GHRSST as the prime coordination mechanism. 11 key activities are proposed for the SST Virtual Constellation

25. SST-VC Objectives (2/3) 1.Improve user feedback between CEOS and the international SST community –Report user feedback regularly to CEOS-SIT. 2.Advocate and promote the development and optimization of a VC for SST measurements –Develop a paper describing an optimised constellation for SST 3.Develop and implement metrics, to ensure the SST Constellation will satisfy the relevant community needs making full use of existing statements of requirements –Maintain an International SST-VC/GHRSST User Requirements document. 4.Coordinate the GHRSST Data Specification (GDS) document for the benefit of CEOS Agencies -Maintain the GDS documentation for the benefit of CEOS agencies. 5. Foster and encourage timely access to CEOS agency satellite SST data products -Continue to liaise with data providers within the GHRSST R/GTS especially agencies that are not well connected.

26. 6. Foster the development, improvement, production and wide application of CEOS agency satellite SST Essential Climate Variable (ECV) -Continue to coordinate the international efforts for re-analysis of SST products 7. Improve calibration, inter-calibration and validation of each satellite system within the SST-VC -Develop QA4EO processes and implement these within the GHRSST R/GTS. 8. Coordinate SST user feedback for the benefit of CEOS Agencies -Actively seek user feedback at GHRSST user consultations/symposia on an annual basis. 9. Develop and implement specific development and training activities to foster a next generation of satellite SST practitioners -Develop training materials and support international workshops 10. Liaise with the other virtual constellations -Attend other VC meetings to better coordinate activities and synergies. 11. Prepare an Implementation Plan, to be approved by CEOS. SST-VC Objectives (3/3)

27. GEO/GCOS Actions Addressed The tasks from the final GEO work plan that are most relevant to the activities of the proposed SST-VC are listed below. –AR-09-02: Interoperable Systems for GEOSS –AR-09-03: Advocating for Sustained Observing Systems –DA-06-01: GEOSS Data Sharing Principles –DA-09-01: Data Management –DA-09-02: Data Integration and Analysis –DA-09-03: Global Data Sets –US-09-01: User Engagement –CL-06-01: A Climate Record for Assessing Variability and Change GCOS SST ECV

28. Proposed Membership Kenneth S. Casey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA Craig Donlon, European Space Agency (ESA), Netherlands Hans Bonekamp, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), Germany Andrew Bingham, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA Misako Kachi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan David Llewellyn-Jones, University of Leicester, United Kingdom Ian Barton, CSIRO Australia Jacob Hoeyer, Danish Meteorological Office, Denmark Helen Beggs, Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Australia Others are expected to join

29. Schedule Assuming that the initial proposal is approved at SIT, the SST-VC leadership group will begin to prepare a Study Report Final version of the Study Report for submission to SIT following the next GHRSST annual meeting to be held at Edinburgh, Scotland, June 27 – July 1st 2011

30. Summary and Conclusions 1.GHRSST provides an excellent basis for an SST-VC 2.A SST-VC pre-proposal has been developed for CEOS 3.The CEOS SIT WG is invited to comment on the pre- proposal presented in this document.

31. Thank You ! Criag.Donlon@esa.int