The flight sensors for the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) are now undergoing their final pre-launch characterization and calibration. The NPOESS Integrated Program Office (IPO) Data Products Division (NDPD) has generated the performance assessments for the Aerosol Environmental Data Records (EDRs) of the Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The VIIRS Aerosol EDRs include the Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT), Aerosol Particle Size Parameter (APSP) and Suspended Matter (SM). The EDR Assessments were developed by the NDPD and NPP Government Customers to collect and track algorithm development status and expected performance against contractual specifications and applicability to user missions.

This poster summarizes the aerosol assessments and provides an overview of the NPP aerosol data products. For each algorithm, the current best estimate, performance drivers, watch items, and mitigation strategies are presented. The NPP EDR Assessments are used to capture and communicate algorithm issues and expected performance to the Program stakeholders and will be updated as sensor testing and algorithm development progress. Early predictions are that the VIIRS aerosol products will perform at an equivalent quality as is currently obtained with the MODIS aerosol products since the spectral, spatial, and radiometric characteristics of the VIIRS and MODIS are equivalent.