Supporting User Readiness and Transition to New Environmental Satellite Capabilities: A Historical Perspective of COMET’s GOES-R and JPSS Education and Training Activities

COMET’s efforts to develop satellite and remote sensing distance learning began in the mid-1990s with the introduction of digital satellite imagery in the National Weather Service (NWS) and the launches of the then new generation geostationary (GOES I-M/8-12) and polar-orbiting (NOAA-KLM/NOAA-15, 16, 17) satellite series. As new products and visualization capabilities emerged, COMET’s training deliverables expanded to address a range of fundamental remote sensing topics, helping forecasters and others acquire a working understanding of the underlying science. These foundational training requirements were considered vital, as they ensured forecasters’ preparedness to take advantage of the new products. The overall goal of the training was to increase both the adoption and successful use of products being developed as new instruments came online.

By the early-2000s, preparations for the next-generation US operational GEO and LEO constellations were well underway. With the support of NOAA’s GOES-R and JPSS programs, COMET began staging resources to prepare and transition forecasters and users to use the expanded observational capabilities of the new instruments. Initial resources included a mix of introductory videos, short lessons on foundational topics, recorded expert presentations, workshops and virtual courses.

Following the launches of the first satellite in each of the GOES-R and JPSS series during the 2010s, COMET began producing case-based lessons providing users with expanded opportunities to interact and practice with the newly operational satellite products that users would need to integrate into atmospheric analysis and forecasting. The case exercise lessons cover a variety of topics including convection, lightning detection, rainfall and flash flooding, wildland fires, winter weather, marine meteorology and ocean surface, tropical applications for convection and wind hazards, and volcanic ash. New products, including RGB imagery and other derived products, are incorporated throughout these freely available online lessons.

This presentation will explore some of the online learning approaches, tools and activities created by COMET to help users improve their knowledge and use of satellite observations and products. All of the COMET learning resources we will highlight are freely accessible through our MetEd (meted.ucar.edu) website. Many MetEd-hosted satellite lessons are linked to relevant World Meteorological Organization satellite enabling skills and competencies, and MetEd distance learning courses or learning paths provide learners with access to the training based on these key enabling skills. Since 2007, over 46,000 learners from all over the world have completed 185,000+ satellite training sessions on MetEd. To streamline international access, several training resources are offered in multiple languages, primarily including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

With planning underway for launch of the next-generation geostationary GeoXO constellation in the 2030’s, users will have access to an expanded and improved suite of instruments and products for imaging, sounding, lightning detection, ocean color, and atmospheric composition. COMET’s three decades of experience helping users transition to and make more effective use of new environmental satellite capabilities can provide continued opportunities to support operational weather and environmental observation and prediction from both geostationary and low-Earth orbiting platforms well into the future.