Provisional Validation of the NOAA-20 NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS)

This presentation overviews the provisional validation of the operational full-spectral resolution Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) onboard the recently launched NOAA-20 (J-1) satellite. NUCAPS is an operational retrieval algorithm based upon the well-established AIRS science team algorithm to provide users with global atmospheric profile environmental data records (EDRs), including temperature, moisture, ozone (O3) and carbon trace gas profiles. Operational users of the NUCAPS atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture profile (AVTP and AVMP) EDRs include the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), along with numerous science-user applications. NUCAPS EDR product assessments are made with reference to the JPSS Level 1 requirements. For the provisional maturity assessment, the baseline datasets include global ECMWF model, conventional radiosonde observations (RAOBs), along with a limited ensemble of ozonesondes and NOAA-20 dedicated RAOBs. Preliminary statistical analyses relative to these baselines show that the NOAA-20 NUCAPS algorithm AVTP, AVMP and IR O3 profile EDRs have favorable accuracy and global yield, and thus meet the qualifications for JPSS provisional maturity.