Routine Validation of the GOES-R Multi-Satellite Processing System Framework

The GOES-R Algorithm Working Group (AWG) was tasked to develop and test candidate (Level 2) product algorithms in a scalable, pseudo-operational demonstration system, as well as develop validation and verification tools. In conjunction with NOAA/NESDIS/STAR, the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) at the University of Wisconsin has helped develop and validate algorithms in the STAR Algorithm Processing Framework (SAPF). Routine validation of the various products as they are integrated, as well as performance characterization of the reference implementations, are important parts of this process. To ensure that the algorithms are correctly integrated into the SAPF, tools were developed to compare datasets between several applicable product generation systems, allowing for quick comparisons which are used to verify that the algorithm was successfully integrated correctly. These same tools have been used to validate the implementation of the GOES-R AWG algorithms within the GOES-R Ground System. Once the algorithm is integrated into the SAPF, a set of routine monitoring tools are used to visualize the products on a routine basis as well as provide statistics over the course of time. These tools can alert when a given image produces unexpected results. The SAPF algorithm output is also routinely validated using truth datasets, such as the CALIOP lidar. Because the truth data is not in the same spatial and temporal step as the native satellite data, tools to collocate these data with satellite data and then validate the algorithms have been developed.

An overview and examples of these routine validation efforts for the GOES-R products produced by the SAPF from simulated GOES-R imagery and Himawari-8 data as well as the GOES-R Ground System will be shown. In addition the tools used to do these validations will be discussed.