Updated IASI Products Processing System at the NOAA/NESDIS

Under the International Joint Polar-Orbiting Operational Satellite System (IJPS) program agreement with the European Organization for the Exploitation Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) generates the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) data products. IASI is a hyperspectral infrared sounder residing on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Metop series of polar orbiting satellites and has 8461 spectral channels, aligned in three bands between 3.62 and 15.5 micron-meter, with a spectral resolution of 0.5 cm-1. IASI is a multi-purpose sounding instrument designed for the next generation infrared sounder having element of operational sounding system which provides global measurements with high vertical resolution and accuracy of temperature, water vapor, trace-gases such as ozone, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, as well as surface temperature, surface emissivity, and cloud characteristics. The IASI Product Processing System (PPS) at the Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC), the Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) generates the IASI data products including the radiances, temperature and humidity profiles, trace gases, and the cloud cleared radiances (CCR) on a global scale which are made available to the operational user community. The EUMETSAT generates the Level 1C data, which are ingested in a pipeline mode via General File Transmission (GFT) protocol, and applied to spectral and spatial sub-setting to generate Level 1C Thinned (L1CT) radiance. Recently the IASI instrument has been estimating the Volcanic Ash and generating the Volcanic Ash/Dust and SO2 alerts. This paper will discuss these products and alerts (http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/IASI/alerts/ASH_BTD/index.html). In an effort to ensure consistent levels of service and quality assurance for these suites of products, the ESPC/OSPO has been preparing for processing the next generation of the IASI instrument onboard Metop-1 data. The Metop-1 is planned to be launched in September 2012 (http://www.eumetsat.int/Home/Main/Satellites/index.htm). The IASI PPS will implement and execute the new, innovative tools to better monitor performance and quality of the operational IASI products. The incorporation of these tools in the ESPC/OSPO will facilitate the diagnosis and resolution of problems when detected in the operational environment.