Development of a Himawari-8 Product Processing System

NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) has implemented a project to create products for Himawari-8 (H-8) data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Since the Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) instrument on H-8 will be the best proxy data available for the upcoming Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) instrument on GOES-R, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR (Center for SaTellite Applications and Research) will leverage the GOES-R Algorithm Working Group (AWG) science and software for the H-8 project. STAR will update both the AWG processing framework to ingest H-8 data and the GOES-R AWG algorithms so that they create consistent scientific products between the AHI and ABI instruments. The products that STAR will be developing from AHI include: imagery, cloud mask, cloud phase, cloud type, cloud height, and derived motion winds. The AWG processing framework will be transitioned to run in NESDIS operations to create the products for the National Weather Service (NWS). These products will be output in NetCDF4 format while the AHI radiances and derived motion wind products will also be in BUFR format. These products will be made available to the NWS from STAR in a test mode before the products become operational within NESDIS. The STAR AHI processing system, product algorithms, data formats and product availability shall be discussed.