Overview of the NOAA GCOM AMSR2 Algorithm Software Processor (GAASP) Package

As part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) mission goal to serve society's need for weather and water information, NOAA/NESDIS is acquiring data from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) to enable the distribution of data products to operational users. The first in the series of GCOM satellites, 1st-Water (GCOM-W1), was launched May 18, 2012 with the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR-2) sensor on board to measure hydrometeorological parameters. GCOM-W1 data will contribute to observations related to global water and energy circulation. A custom built software package, the STAR GCOM AMSR2 Algorithm Software Processor (GAASP), will combine all aspects of AMSR-2 data processing and environmental data record (EDR) production and will be implemented operationally at the Office of Satellite and Product Operation (OSPO). EDR algorithms being developed include ocean scene products (sea surface temperature, total precipitable water, cloud liquid water, sea surface wind speed, and ocean rain rate), snow and sea ice, soil moisture and surface type, and global rain rate. The GAASP software will be comprised of a preprocessor for the sensor data records (SDRs, brightness temperatures), the science algorithms, and a postprocessor for the EDRs. Output products will be made available in netCDF4, BUFR, and GRIB2 formats according to operational user needs. The timeline of the project is to make AMSR2 brightness temperatures and day 1 products available operationally by November 2013. Details of the software and its products will be discussed.