NPOESS Atmospheric Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) Temperature and Relative Humidity Profile Validation and Model Impact from the 2003 Atlantic THORPEX Regional Campaign (ATReC)

The WMO THORPEX Program focuses on the use of targeted observations to improve 1-14 day forecasts of high impact weather events. It provides unique opportunities for the evaluation of future NPOESS capabilities. NPOESS Atmospheric Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) retrievals of thermodynamic state variables taken by the NASA ER-2 during the 2003 Atlantic THORPEX Regional Campaign (AtREC) are presented. The retrieval accuracy and forecast impact of temperature and relative humidity profiles for both clear and cloudy scenes is evaluated using the METEOFRANCE Global Forecast Model (ARPEGE) with 4-D variational data assimilation. Citation II aircraft dropsondes and ER-2 cloud LIDAR and MODIS Airborne simulator validation data are also employed in the study. ER-2 and Citation flights were also coordinated with AQUA and SSMI/S overpasses for the purpose of validating products from those spacecraft.