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At least 829 records · Page 46

Seasonal Surface Spectral Emissivity Derived from VIIRS Data

Surface emissivity is essential for many remote-sensing applications including the retrieval of surface skin temperature from satellite-based infrared measurements, the determination of cloud detection thresholds, and the estimation of the surface longwave radiation emission, an important component of the energy budget of the surface-atmosphere interface. The CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) Project is measuring broadband shortwave and longwave radiances and deriving cloud properties from the MODIS on Terra and Aqua and from the VIIRS on NOAA-19 and NOAA-20 orbiters to produce combined global radiation and cloud property data sets. Zhou et al. (IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 49, 2011) used Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) data to create a high spectral resolution surface emissivity atlas for remote sensing and modeling applications. The IASI measures spectral radiances between 3.62 and 15.5 µm. The VIIRS I4 channel width is from 3.55 to 3.93 µm, while MODIS Band 20 is from 3.66 to 3.84 µm. Comparisons of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance calculations with MODIS and VIIRS observations for these bands suggest that the IASI emissivity atlas near 3.7 µm may not be suitable for CERES cloud retrievals. In this paper, the IASI emissivities for the VIIRS and MODIS bands centered near 11µm are used to derive surface skin temperature from nighttime MODIS/VIIRS data. The Goddard Earth Observing System for Instrument Teams (GEOS-IT) numerical weather analyses provide temperature and water vapor profiles fused to correct the observed radiances for atmospheric absorption and emission. Global seasonal emissivity maps are then derived for the VIIRS and MODIS 3.7µm bands that are consistent with the derived skin temperatures and the observed TOA radiances. These seasonal climatology maps will be validated and used in CERES Edition 5 and other CERES-related cloud retrieval algorithms to provide improved clear-sky radiances and derived cloud properties.

Surface Emissivity↗

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Surface Longwave and Shortwave Fluxes Trained on CERES Observations

The Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project provides satellite-based observations of the radiative fluxes and clouds systems. CERES climate quality data products typically take several months of calibration and validation before release to the public. The Fast Longwave and Shortwave Radiative Flux (FLASHFlux) data product was developed to provide key data for the applied sciences and educational users within a week of observation. FLASHFlux achieves this by using simplified calibration, an operational meteorological product from Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), and its own surface parameterizations model. The CERES FLASHFlux provides two data products: 1) an hourly Level 2 Single Scanner Footprint (SSF) data separately for Terra and NOAA-20 observations, and 2) a daily Level 3 Time Interpolated and Spatially Averaged (TISA) 1o x 1o gridded data that combines Terra and NOAA-20 observations. Currently, FLASHFlux uses the Langley Parameterized Shortwave Algorithm (LPSA) and Langley Parameterized Longwave Algorithm (LPLA) to derive its surface fluxes (Kratz et al., 2010; Gupta et al, 2001). A new Machine Learning (ML) based approach using Artificial Neural Networks to derive Surface Longwave (LW) & Shortwave (SW) fluxes based on training data from the CERES Clouds Radiative Swath (CRS) product is being investigated to replace LPSA and LPLA in the SSF surface flux products. One of the biggest hurdles in training ML model is model fitting. To overcome the problem of overfitting we use feature engineering that helps in finding the important feature and remove features that are irrelevant to the model. In our training we employed the Leave-One-Feature-Out Importance (LOFO) to evaluate the significance of each feature in our training. We intercompare ANN fluxes against surface fluxes produced from the Fu-Liou model in CRS and the LPSA/LPLA in FLASHFlux SSF. Furthermore, we validated ANN derived fluxes to the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN).

P C Sawaengphokhai↗

TIE02. IGARSS’2024 Townhall on “Digital Twins for Earth Science

NASA, ESA, NOAA, CNES and several other international organizations have started programs to design and develop Digital Twins of the Earth and/or Earth systems. Earth Systems Digital Twins (ESDTs) are dynamic and interactive information systems for understanding, forecasting, and conjecturing the complex interconnections among Earth systems, including anthropomorphic forcings and impacts to humanity. Organized around interconnected, multi-domain, high-scale modeling capabilities, the three major components of an Earth System Digital Twin are a continuously updated Digital Replica of the Earth System of interest (or “What Now”), dynamic Forecasting models (or “What Next”), and Impact Assessment capabilities (or “What If”). ESDTs provide unified, comprehensive representations and predictions that can be utilized for monitoring the health of the Planet, as well as for developing actionable information to support decision making. More generally, Digital Twins will help researchers better understand the fundamental Earth systems that impact everything from wildfires to climate change. This Townhall will provide a status of Destination Earth as well as ESA’s, NASA’s, CNES’s and NOAA’s current independent and common efforts in Digital Twins; then the four organizations will provide information about community building before engaging a dialogue about Digital Twins of the Earth with the IGARSS community.

Earth Science Remote Sensing; Information Systems;↗

JPSS-4 VIIRS Version 2 at-Launch Relative Spectral Response Characterization

The JPSS-4 VIIRS sensor, the last in a JPSS program that will eventually span some 25+ years of on-orbit data collection, has completed its pre-launch test program. The test program included measurements for characterizing the VIIRS relative spectral response (RSR) in support of the Sensor and Environmental Data Records that will be generated from JPSS-4 VIIRS on-orbit observations after launch. Subject matter experts of the Government Team’s VIIRS DAWG have analyzed the VIIRS spectral measurements and produced the VIIRS spectral characterization, in the form of band averaged and supporting detector level RSR for each VIIRS band. The characterization is based upon the analysis of independent SpMA dual monochromator (all bands) and GSFC GLAMR laser system (reflectance bands only) spectral measurements. The SpMA and GLAMR measurements for reflectance bands (DNBLGS and DNBMGS, I1-I3, M1-M11) were combined to produce a “fused” RSR. For emissive bands (I4, I5, M12-M16), the SpMA measurements provide the entire characterization. The effort has led to the VIIRS Version 2 RSR product, the official at-launch RSR characterization for the JPSS-4 VIIRS mission, which is currently slated to be the next launch (expected Fall 2027) of the JPSS program. As expected, the JPSS-4 RSR are a close match to those of JPSS-3 and JPSS-2 (NOAA-21) VIIRS, while showing some spectral position and shape differences with SNPP and JPSS-1 (NOAA-20) VIIRS. An assessment on compliance with spectral performance metrics finds that VIIRS bandaverage RSR are compliant on nearly all metrics, with only a single minor exception. The Version 2 RSR will be available under EAR99 restrictions to the science community on the restricted access NASA Sharepoint.

SDR↗

Inter-Calibrating CERES Instrument Fluxes Utilizing the CERES Instrument Geostationary Scan Mode Observations

The NASA Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project provides the scientific community observed top-of-atmosphere (TOA) fluxes to monitor the Earth’s energy imbalance and validate climate models. The CERES instruments onboard the Terra, Aqua, SNPP and NOAA-20 satellites need to be inter-calibrated to provide a continuous and consistent TOA flux record contained in the CERES Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) product. The SNPP and NOAA-20 satellites are positioned a half an orbit apart within the same sun-synchronous orbit (1:30 PM equatorial crossing time) thus preventing any direct time-matched observations. The CERES project designed the geostationary scan mode (GEOscan) to inter-calibrate the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) broadband measurement onboard the Meteosat 8-11 satellites. By rotating the orientation of the CERES instrument scan to match the angular configuration of the geostationary scan mode, the comparison of both angle and time matched observations suitable for inter-calibration is possible. To determine if the GEOscan mode is useful for inter-calibrating two CERES instruments placed in the same 16-day repeating orbit, the CERES project placed the Terra and Aqua CERES instruments in GEOscan mode once every 6 days over a rotation of five geostationary domains beginning in February 2023. The GEO imager narrowband to broadband derived radiances are used as transfer radiometers to compare the Terra and Aqua CERES observed radiances. Since both the Terra and Aqua CERES instruments are in GEOscan mode over the same GEO domain and day, the GEO imager calibration is expected to be consistent between the Terra and Aqua overpass times. Any GEO imager narrowband to broadband regional biases should be similar for the Terra and Aqua overpasses. The GEOscan mode Terra and Aqua CERES inter-calibration coefficients for both shortwave and longwave broadband radiances will be compared against the CERES instrument team’s coefficients to determine the viability of this approach. Improvements in the GEO imager narrowband to broadband approaches will also be investigated and verified within this framework.

Kyle Itterly↗

Characterization of Quicksounder ATMS at Instrument Level TVAC

QuickSounder (QS) is the pathfinder space mission for the next generation of NOAA LEO environmental satellites in the NEON program, follow-on to the JPSS program. It is a collaborative initiative between NASA and NOAA to verify rapid and cost-effective delivery of small Earth observation satellites. QuickSounder is focusing on mission elements other than science performance. In this context, an existing sensor, the refurbished ATMS EDU (Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder, Engineering Development Unit) was chosen as the QuickSounder payload. This poster discusses the performances of QuickSounder ATMS during thermal vacuum (TVAC) calibration to ensure that QS ATMS is characterized and calibrated in the same manner as JPSS ATMS units, even though science performance attributes are not the priority of this mission.

Saji Abraham↗

Enhanced Short-Term Wind Power Forecasting and Value to Grid Operations: Preprint

The current state of the art of wind power forecasting in the 0- to 6-hour time frame has levels of uncertainty that are adding increased costs and risk on the U.S. electrical grid. It is widely recognized within the electrical grid community that improvements to these forecasts could greatly reduce the costs and risks associated with integrating higher penetrations of wind energy. The U.S.Department of Energy has sponsored a research campaign in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and private industry to foster improvements in wind power forecasting. The research campaign involves a three-pronged approach: 1) a 1-year field measurement campaign within two regions; 2) enhancement of NOAA's experimental 3-km High-Resolution Rapid Refresh(HRRR) model by assimilating the data from the field campaign; and 3) evaluation of the economic and reliability benefits of improved forecasts to grid operators. This paper and presentation provides an overview of the regions selected, instrumentation deployed, data quality and control, assimilation of data into HRRR, and preliminary results of HRRR performance analysis.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Validation of the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) (2005-2012): Preprint

Publicly accessible, high-quality, long-term, satellite-based solar resource data is foundational and critical to solar technologies to quantify system output predictions and deploy solar energy technologies in grid-tied systems. Solar radiation models have been in development for more than three decades. For many years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed and/or updated such models through the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB). There are two widely used approaches to derive solar resource data from models: (a) an empirical approach that relates ground-based observations to satellite measurements and (b) a physics-based approach that considers the radiation received at the satellite and creates retrievals to estimate clouds and surface radiation. Although empirical methods have been traditionally used for computing surface radiation, the advent of faster computing has made operational physical models viable. The Global Solar Insolation Project (GSIP) is an operational physical model from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that computes global horizontal irradiance (GHI) using the visible and infrared channel measurements from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) system. GSIP uses a two-stage scheme that first retrieves cloud properties and then uses those properties in the Satellite Algorithm for Surface Radiation Budget (SASRAB) model to calculate surface radiation. NREL, the University of Wisconsin, and NOAA have recently collaborated to adapt GSIP to create a high temporal and spatial resolution data set. The product initially generates the cloud properties using the AVHRR Pathfinder Atmospheres-Extended (PATMOS-x) algorithms [3], whereas the GHI is calculated using SASRAB. Then NREL implements accurate and high-resolution input parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) and precipitable water vapor (PWV) to compute direct normal irradiance (DNI) using the DISC model. The AOD and PWV, temperature, and pressure data are also combined with the MMAC model to simulate solar radiation under clear-sky conditions. The current NSRDB update is based on a 4-km x 4-km resolution at a 30-minute time interval, which has a higher temporal and spatial resolution. This paper demonstrates the evaluation of the data set using ground-measured data and detailed evaluation statistics. The result of the comparison shows a good correlation to the NSRDB data set. Further, an outline of the new version of the NSRDB and future plans for enhancement and improvement are provided.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

ARM Cloud-Aerosol-Precipitation Experiment (ACAPEX) Field Campaign Report

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s ARM Cloud-Aerosol-Precipitation Experiment (ACAPEX) field campaign contributes to CalWater 2015, a multi-agency field campaign that aims to improve understanding of atmospheric rivers and aerosol sources and transport that influence cloud and precipitation processes. The ultimate goal is to reduce uncertainties in weather predictions and climate projections of droughts and floods in California. With the DOE G-1 aircraft and ARM Mobile Facility 2 (AMF2) well equipped for making aerosol and cloud measurements, ACAPEX focuses specifically on understanding how aerosols from local pollution and long-range transport affect the amount and phase of precipitation associated with atmospheric rivers. ACAPEX took place between January 12, 2015 and March 8, 2015 as part of CalWater 2015, which included four aircraft (DOE G-1, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] G-IV and P-3, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] ER-2), the NOAA research ship Ron Brown, carrying onboard the AMF2, National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored aerosol and precipitation measurements at Bodega Bay, and the California Department of Water Resources extreme precipitation network.

aerosol transport↗

Physics-Based GOES Product for Use in NREL's National Solar Radiation Database: Preprint

The Global Solar Insolation Project (GSIP) is an operational physical model from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that computes global horizontal radiation (GHI) using the visible and infrared channel measurements from geostationary operational environmental satellites (GOES). GSIP uses a two-stage scheme that retrieves cloud properties and uses those properties in the Satellite Algorithm for Surface Radiation Budget (SASRAB) model to calculate surface radiation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, and NOAA have recently collaborated to adapt GSIP to create a high-temporal and spatial resolution data set. The data sets are currently being incorporated into the widely used National Solar Radiation Data Base.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Aircraft Measurements from a U.S. Western Wildfire Demonstrating Day and Night Differences in the Chemical Composition and Optical Properties of Biomass Burning Aerosols and Their Atmospheric Evolution

The composition and transformations of biomass burning aerosols (BBA) have been measured onboard the NOAA Twin Otter research aircraft during the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality field study. Here, we analyze real-time aerosol mass spectrometry measurements across three flights during the afternoon, late afternoon, and night of August 28, 2019, for one midsized wildfire. Analysis of several metrics showed that the aerosol composition and optical properties varied depending on the burning conditions at the fire zone and the time of day the BBA was emitted, with substantial variations in the available sunlight. The total aerosol mass loadings were dominated by organic components with a much smaller contribution from inorganic species. A gradual buildup of organic material was observed during the afternoon as the plume aged, indicating the condensation of photochemically formed low-volatility oxidized organic compounds. Highly hygroscopic ammonium nitrate was the main inorganic component, suggesting potential water content in BBA particles and the likelihood of their aqueous-phase reactivity. Depletions of particle-phase NO 3 – and Cl – relative to carbon monoxide were observed in the late afternoon and nighttime plumes, respectively, aligning with known gas-particle partitioning thermodynamics and the heterogeneous chemistry of dissolved nitrate and chloride. The wavelength-dependent light absorption by aerosol species was higher for the plume sampled at night and showed no significant changes with plume age, despite observed trends in composition and mass downwind. These differences in particle composition and optical properties demonstrate that the processes involved in BBA aging are not uniform for the same wildfire over the course of the day and depend highly on when the BBA was emitted, as well as the burning phase at the emissions source.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Direct Observations of Surface Fluxes and Air‐Sea Exchange Coefficients in Low Winds Using a Small Uncrewed Aircraft System

In the marine boundary layer, the exchange of momentum, heat, and moisture occurs between the atmosphere and ocean. Since it is too dangerous for a crewed aircraft to fly close to the ocean surface to directly obtain these measurements, a sUAS (small Uncrewed Aircraft System) is one of the only viable options. On 24 March 2023 a Black Swift Technologies S0 sUAS was deployed from the NOAA P-3 on a calm clear day off the west coast of Florida. For 23 min at the end of the mission, the sUAS flew 8 straight line legs with an average length of 2.15 km, at roughly 10 m above the ocean surface, with wind speeds between 3.0 and 4.5 m s −1 . For the first time over the open ocean using a sUAS, the 4-Hz wind and thermodynamic data was used to calculate surface momentum flux, sensible heat flux, and latent flux using both direct covariance methods and the bulk aerodynamic formulas. Since all the flux quantities can be found using both direct and indirect methods, we are able to calculate the exchange coefficients of momentum flux (C D ), latent heat flux (C E ), and sensible heat flux (C H ) with results that are generally in good agreement with previous studies over the same wind speed range. This study demonstrates the ability of sUAS to measure air-sea interactions. Future intention is to use sUAS to obtain similar measurements in high wind events such as hurricanes which could better help understand hurricane intensification and improve model physics.

Deloach, Christopher J. [Embry-Riddle Aeronautical↗

BLOC Site - ASSIST / Raw Data

This dataset contains raw data (summary, chA, chB) from the ASSIST operated by NOAA Physical Science Laboratory on Block Island for WFIP3.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

NANT Site - ASSIST / Raw Data

This dataset contains raw data (summary, chA, chB) from the ASSIST operated by NOAA Physical Science Laboratory on Nantucket Island for WFIP3.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

NANT Site - ASSIST / Processed Data

This dataset contains processed summary data from the ASSIST operated by NOAA Physical Science Laboratory on Nantucket Island for WFIP3.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Spatial Registration Assessments for the SNPP and N20 VIIRS Reflective Solar Bands Using Unscheduled Lunar Observations

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is a multi-spectral Earth-observing instrument on board the Suomi-NPP (SNPP) and NOAA-20 (N20) spacecraft, with spectral bands ranging in wavelength from 0.41 to 12.2 μm. For the reflective solar bands (RSB), the bands are calibrated on orbit using both solar diffuser (SD) and lunar observations. The lunar observations use near-monthly scheduled spacecraft maneuvers in order to view the Moon within a desired phase angle range. While the primary purpose of the maneuvers is for radiometric calibration, these observations can also be used to characterize the spatial performance of the instrument, including the band-to-band and detector-to-detector registration (BBR/DDR). The Moon can also be observed without spacecraft maneuvers. However, these observations are over a larger phase angle range. While the geometry of these unscheduled observations is more varied, they can still be used to assess the sensor performance. In this work, we will use unscheduled Moon data to analyze the BBR and DDR of the SNPP and N20 VIIRS RSB. For the BBR, we implemented an image cross-correlation approach, which removes the residual oscillations in the trending data when compared to previous methodologies. For the DDR, we developed an edge fitting approach that accounts for the lunar motion across the VIIRS focal plane array on a scan-by-scan basis using lunar and satellite ephemeris data. In our analysis, we find that the BBR and DDR for both VIIRS RSB are stable on orbit.

Band-to-band registration (BBR)↗