Cal/Val Program Status for Environmental Data Record (EDR) Products from the Suomi NPP Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS)

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) is a U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operational environmental satellite mission in collaboration with joint international partnerships and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) designed to retrieve and disseminate environmental data record (EDR) products to NOAA data users. To ensure the EDRs comply with the mission requirements (i.e., “meet spec”), a calibration/validation (cal/val) program was planned in advance of the launch of the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite in October 2011. Suomi NPP is a risk reduction and data continuity mission in advance of first operational JPSS satellite. This presentation overviews the validation of the NPP Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS), a sounding system comprised of the infrared (IR) Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the microwave (MW) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). CrIMSS is designed to retrieve atmospheric vertical profile EDRs under non-precipitating conditions, namely atmospheric vertical temperature, moisture and pressure profiles (AVTP, AVMP and AVPP, respectively). The lower tropospheric AVTP and AVMP products are JPSS Key Performance Parameters (KPPs). The EDR validation program relies on science and user community leadership and participation, and demonstrated, cost-effective approaches. Validation of the NPP CrIMSS EDR algorithm has successfully progressed from the Pre-Launch and Early-Orbit Checkout phases into the current Intensive Cal/Val (ICV) phase, with the Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) phase to follow. Current NPP ICV CrIMSS EDR cal/val efforts for provisional maturity assessment will be highlighted.