Joint Polar Satellite System Data Products and Applications

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) and the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W1) Satellites generate global environmental products that are available to domestic and international operational users and climate communities. These products provide mission continuity from legacy National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD) Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite capabilities. The sensor suite on S-NPP is made up of the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES). Radiances from these sensors are used as input to environmental models to aid in weather forecasting and tropical storm prediction and tracking. Additionally, atmospheric, oceanic, and land surface level-2 products are used at the US National Weather Service (NWS) offices and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) to develop forecasts and severe weather watches and warnings. These data are also used by the US Forest Service to identify hot spots and by the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) to detect volcanic eruptions and areas of ash in the atmosphere. This paper describes the JPSS data products and their applications.