Getting Ready for the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on the GOES-R series

The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-R is America's next generation geostationary advanced imager. GOES-R is slated to launch in late 2016. The ABI is a state-of-the-art 16-band radiometer, with spectral bands covering the visible, near-infrared and infrared portions of the electro-magnetic spectrum. Many attributes are improved on the ABI from the current GOES imagers, such as those relating to: spectral, spatial, temporal, radiometric and image navigation/registration. From these data, many derived products can be generated, for either direct use or in numerical weather prediction models. There are many users that need to get ready for the information from the ABI. This talk will supply an overview of the many steps that are being taken, including using simulated data and data from a similar instrument now operating over the western Pacific, the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI). The training for the ABI on GOES-R is multifaceted. This includes foundational training, as well as distance learning and short courses before and after launch. The information from the ABI on the GOES-R series will be used for many applications including severe weather, tropical cyclones and hurricanes, aviation, natural hazards, the atmosphere, oceans, and the cryosphere.