Title

Validation of Atmospheric Profile Retrievals From the SNPP NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System. Part 1: Temperature and Moisture

Authors

Nalli, Nicholas R.; Gambacorta, Antonia; Liu, Quanhua; Barnet, Christopher D.; Tan, Changyi; Iturbide-Sanchez, Flavio; Reale, Tony; Sun, Bomin; Wilson, Michael; Borg, Lori; Morris, Vernon R.

Published

by IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (IEEE) at 2018-01

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the validation of the operational atmospheric vertical temperature profile (AVTP) and atmospheric vertical moisture profile (AVMP) environmental data record (EDR) products retrieved from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), two passive sounding systems onboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite. The CrIS/ATMS suite serves as the U.S. low earth orbit (LEO) satellite sounding system and will span the future Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) LEO satellites. The operational sounding algorithm is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS), a legacy sounder science team algorithm capable of retrieving atmospheric profile EDR products with optimal vertical resolution under nonprecipitating (clear to partly cloudy) conditions. The SNPP NUCAPS AVTP and AVMP EDR products are validated using extensive global in situ baseline data sets, namely, radiosonde observations launched from ground-based networks and ocean-based intensive field campaigns, along with numerical weather prediction model output. Based upon statistical analyses using these data sets, the SNPP AVTP and AVMP EDRs are determined to meet the JPSS Level 1 global performance requirements.

Citation

Nalli, Nicholas & Gambacorta, Antonia & Liu, Quanhua & D. Barnet, Christopher & Tan, Changyi & Iturbide-Sanchez, Flavio & Reale, Tony & Sun, Bomin & Wilson, Michael & Borg, Lori & Morris, Vernon. (2017). Validation of Atmospheric Profile Retrievals From the SNPP NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System. Part 1: Temperature and Moisture. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 56. 180-190. doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2017.2744558.

Download

Full article (PDF)