NOAA Aerosols and Ocean Science Expeditions (AEROSE) Supporting S-NPP EDR Validation

This work overviews ocean-based intensive field campaign datasets designed for validation of environmental data records (EDRs) from the Suomi NPP Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounder Suite (CrIMSS) obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aerosols and Ocean Science Expedition (AEROSE) campaigns conducted in 2013 onboard the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown. AEROSE ship-based dedicated soundings are acquired from ozonesondes and radiosondes launched over the tropical Atlantic Ocean timed to coincide with twice-per-day CrIMSS (as well as twice-per-day MetOp IASI) satellite overpasses to provide independent correlative data not assimilated into NWP models for validating atmospheric vertical temperature, moisture and pressure profile (AVTP, AVMP and AVPP, respectively) EDRs, as well as trace gas intermediate products (viz., ozone) under non-precipitating conditions. The AEROSE correlative data are unique in their range of marine meteorological phenomena germane to these sounder EDR products, including low-level dust and smoke outflows from Africa, the Saharan air layer (SAL) and distribution of tropical water vapor, and tropospheric ozone dynamics. The 2013 AEROSE campaigns form a significant component of the overall JPSS S-NPP CrIMSS EDR validation program (see Nalli et al. and Reale et al., this session), the results of which will be highlighted here.