NPOESS Preparatory Project Validation Program for the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program will launch the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), a risk reduction and data continuity mission, prior to the first operational JPSS launch. The NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) will execute the NPP Validation program in collaboration with subject matter experts from the user communities to ensure the data products comply with the requirements of the sponsoring agencies. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) consists of two telescopes feeding three detectors measuring solar radiance scattered by the Earth's atmosphere and solar irradiance by using diffusers. The measurements are used to generate estimates of total column ozone and vertical ozone profiles. The validation efforts will make use of external resources in the form of ground-based and satellite measurements for comparisons, and internal consistency methods developed for backscattered ultraviolet measurements over the last thirty years. This presentation will provide an overview of the comparative data, analysis techniques, and collaborative teamwork for the validation of the NPP ozone environmental data products.