This issue of In the News covers SSEC news and events from January 2005. Use images freely with credit to the Space Science and Engineering Center, University of WisconsinMadison.
Earth Observatory Looks into MODIS Polar Winds
by Jen O'Leary
Earth Observatory reporter Rebecca Lindsey offers CIMSS glowing praise for this product’s current uses as well as the ingenuity of its development. Jeff Key (NOAA team leader at SSEC) and a team of colleagues created a Polar Winds product using imagery from NASA’s Terra satellite and later their Aqua satellite. The satellites gather data about the polar regions at a frequency that allows scientists to estimate the speed and direction of winds in that area.
In addition to conceptualizing the product, Key, Chris Velden and Dave Santek (all with CIMSS) developed a unique approach to analyze the incoming data. Santek used existing software and modified it to find and track cloud and water vapor data from a polar-orbiting satellite. In the article, Lindsey quotes polar winds users from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) discussing how integral MODIS data became in their forecasts despite early skepticism.
“[I]ndirect measurements [using satellite data] have errors and biases that are difficult to account for in the analysis systems, as we had seen before with wind observations from geostationary satellites. We certainly did not scoff at the idea that these satellite winds could be helpful, but I think we also did not expect quite such a positive impact,” ECMWF’s Neils Bormann said in the article.
Many meteorologists question the utility of satellite data in forecasting because the observations gleaned from such data are indirect and sit nestled in multiple assumptions. Lindsey touches on this issue in her article, but does not specifically address why the Polar Winds product proves so useful.
“[Global] models also use ... satellite data, particularly from atmospheric sounders, so the models should do winds reasonably well,” Key said in explanation. “But they don’t, probably because of difficulties in using the sounder radiances, and because the sounders don’t provide enough detailed information on rapidly changing, smaller scale weather systems. I think the MODIS polar winds fill gaps in our conventional observing systems, and provide wind information in greater spatial detail than other satellite instruments.”
Good weather for meteorologists: by Terri Gregory
New ways to track winds: A group of CIMSS scientists demonstrated the concept of using new satellite data to track winds in the lowest region of the atmosphere. Previously, the group confirmed the possibility using simulated data and data from instruments flown aboard various aircraft. Hyperspectral capabilities became a reality in 2003 with NASA’s deployment of AIRS, a specialized satellite instrument. The CIMSS Winds group recently used data from this instrument to generate the initial attempt to observe winds using real hyperspectral data. Paul Menzel (NESDIS) devised the original concept. The CIMSS Sounding team, headed by Allen Huang and Jun Li, retrieved the satellite data that Dave Santek and Chris Velden of the Winds group used in the initial experiments.
Stormy weather: The February edition of Sky and Telescope features an article about the storms on Uranus. Reporter Robert Naeve spoke with Lawrence Sromovsky (SSEC) who leads a team of researchers in analyzing imagery from the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. Sromovsky and colleague Patrick Fry (SSEC) believe that the storm may have been occurring when Voyager 2 flew by in 1986. Sromovosky’s images were used with the article.
NASA uses winds data: MODIS Polar Winds work by Jeff Key and Chris Velden made the cover story in the December 2004 issue of the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation’s quarterly newsletter. Pat Pauley, a professor with the Navy’s post-graduate school, used their Polar Winds product in her research for the Navy. The article was based on a similar presentation at this year’s annual American Meteorological Society meeting.
Off the California coast: After comparing MODIS imagery from December 2, 2004 and January 12, 2005, CIMSS scientists noticed a flow of sediments off the shores of L.A. running from the L.A. basin into the Pacific Ocean. They speculate that CA’s record rainfall and related flooding and landslides that occurred in early January caused this.
Guided by GOES: Missile defense testing in Hawaii will soon use GOES sounder Cloud Top Pressure (CTP) data. Beginning in March 2005, this data will help detect high altitude cirrus clouds. Currently, missile tests use airborne optical sensors sensitive enough to detect these clouds, but the airborne molecules impair the sensor’s focusing abilities.
A milestone: Chris Velden (CIMSS) and Tim Olander (CIMSS) of the CIMSS Tropical Cyclones group recently released a new version of the Advanced Objective Dvorak Technique (AODT) with significantly better performance when estimating hurricane intensity using satellite information. The National Weather Service will implement the new AODT at the Tropical Prediction Center in Miami, FL in time for use in this year’s hurricane season.
Launching a new system: On Janunary 25, SSEC launched the first meteorological balloon under a new Vaisala radiosonde system. Implementing the new system involved installing a new antenna on the center’s roof, adding to the various and sundry accoutrements residing atop the building. Wayne Feltz states that the data gathered by this system could be compared with the data from other instruments, helping to validate the accuracy of all involved.
AMS groupies take over California: by Terri Gregory
The annual meeting combines symposia in many areas. SSEC researchers and NOAA employees stationed in Madison gave presentations of both papers and posters in these symposia: Education; Hydrology; Interactive Information Processing Systems (IIPS) for Meteorology, Oceanography, and Hydrology; Lidar Atmospheric Applications; Polar Meteorology and Oceanography; Atmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) Conference; History. Check out the program itinerary on the Web.
SSEC and NOAA/NESDIS researchers also gave many presentations in the GOES-R/NPOESS Symposium. In the Ninth Symposium on Integrated Observing and Assimilation Systems for the Atmosphere, Oceans, and Land Surface, SSEC Director Hank Revercomb, with a host of co-authors, presented “Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) radiance validation with the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aircraft instrument” and Dave Santek later spoke on “Error characteristics of satellite-derived atmospheric motion vectors.”
In addition to the center’s physical presence in San Diego, SSEC was noted in The Daily BAMS, a newsletter published and distributed during the meeting. CIMSS’ new supercomputer, an SGI Altix 3700, was featured in “Parcels” on Monday, January 10. The computer purchase was funded by the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program that sponsors university research. Some organizations’ promotional items included SSEC imagery and research: Unidata’s eye-catching bookmark features both the SSEC global montage and the sea surface temperature images. NOAA’s “noaaresearch” brochure features the sea surface temperature image. NOAA’s “The NESDIS Cooperative Research Program” profiles both the Advanced Satellite Products Branch, NOAA’s research group stationed at SSEC, and the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, listing research capabilities of each.
Learning new tricks: In early January, Bob Aune (NOAA with CIMSS) learned how to acquire and implement the Gridded Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system at the first GSI users’ orientation held at the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) in Camp Springs, MD. Scientists plan to implement the GSI, a new three-dimensional variational analysis system, in both regional and global modeling systems. CIMSS wants to use the GSI alongside the next generation of the operational mesoscale model and to use the code in testing satellite data assimilation algorithms.
Looking ahead: Margaret Mooney with SSEC’s Office of Space Science Education joined forces with Van Valaskey and Gary Graper to prepare a Science Alliance/UW-Madison exhibit at the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) in LaCrosse on this coming April 14, 15 and 16. All three are members of UW- Madison’s Science Alliance, a group formed to advocate and pursue science outreach. Mooney hopes to provide an opportunity for scientists to connect with local science teachers and to promote the center’s outreach programs.
Teaching award noted: by Terri Gregory
Some annual recognition: The UW-Madison’s 2003-2004 annual report included acknowledgments of SSEC projects beginning with Wisconsin Weather Stories. The report also mentioned PEOPLE, Science Expeditions, and IceCube.
Also of Note