JPSS Life-Cycle Data Reprocessing for Advancing Weather and Climate Applications

Since the Suomi NPP (SNPP) satellite was successfully launched in October, 2011, the JPSS ground Interface Data Processing System (IDPS) has being upgraded to incorporate the latest changes in instrument calibration tables, sensor/environmental data record (SDR/EDR) algorithms, and quality flags, etc. For SNPP real-time data distributed to operational centers and user communities, these changes can be manifested as sudden jumps in radiances and retrieved products. If the SNPP mission-up-to-date data are used to detect the atmospheric and environmental anomalies, the anomalies could be misleading due to instrument calibration updates and algorithm changes. Moreover, if the IDPS-generated real-time data are used by NWP centers for their global and regional reanalysis, the NWP data assimilation system needs to be updated in quality control and bias correction in order to handle the IDPS data jumps. On May 17 and 18, 2016, NOAA called for a workshop on “JPSS Life-Cycle Data Reprocessing to Advance Weather and Climate Applications”. This workshop is hosted at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), University of Maryland, and participants include NOAA satellite sensor management, JPSS calval leads, and broad user communities from the major world NWP centers. The workshop focuses on 1) understanding SNPP instrument in-orbit performance and SDR anomalies, 2) SNPP data user experiences and recommendation for further improvements, 3) demonstrating the improved and advanced cal/val algorithm for reprocessing applications, 4) understanding the potential impacts of the reprocessed SNPP data, and 5) developing the baseline approaches, schedule and plans for SDR and EDR reprocessing. In this workshop, several pilot demonstrations of JPSS reprocessed data, such as ATMS TDR, CrIS SDR and VIIRS ocean color EDR, are presented at the workshop. In this presentation, we will give an outbrief of the highlights of the NOAA reprocessing workshop, including the needs and current capabilities for SNPP reprocessing, some early demonstration of reprocessed products, how to integrate the reprocessing in the calibration/validation activities, and what are the benefits of reprocessed datasets and their impacts for weather and climate applications. A testbed infrastructure that is under developed by NOAA STAR for JPSS life-cycle reprocessing will also be discussed.