new sensors sid-ahmed boukabara the jcsda summer colloquium, august 6 th, 2015, fort collins, co...

New Sensors

Sid-Ahmed Boukabara

The JCSDA Summer Colloquium, August 6th, 2015, Fort Collins, CO

NOAA/NESDIS/STAR & JCSDA

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Contents

Basic Space-Based Measurements Mechanisms1

Trends & Challenges in Future Observing Systems3

Plans for Future Sensors (Operational and Research)2

Conclusions & Look into the future4

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What do satellites measure?All-Weather Radiative Transfer

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Scattering Effect

Absorption

Surface

sensorSatellite Data Assimilation is therefore able to analyze:- Atmosphere (Temperature,

moisture, aerosols, …)- Surface (ice, snow, land, ocean)- Hydrometeors (cloud, rain,

suspended ice)

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Disclaimer

There are many, many Earth-Observing Sensors, current and new ones coming. Some from US agencies and some from International Partners.

We will focus mainly on sensors of interest to NWP data assimilation.

We will mention international partners new sensors but will focus mainly on US plans and trends in Earth-Observation Global Observing Systems

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Major Types of Sensors(Focus on data assimilation and NWP)

Data Assimilation

PassiveMicrowave

(Imagers)

Passive Microwave

(sounders)

RadioOccultation

Infrared(Geostat.)

ActiveMicrowave

Infrared(Polar)

Mechanisms/Phenomena driving the Sensors Measurements: Atmospheric Absorption & scattering at different spectral regions, Surface emission and scattering, cloud emissivity and scattering, aerosols scattering, optical path angle bending, slowing

Measurements & Applications of Sensors

Depending on targeted phenomena, sensors would be (in order of importance for DA) Microwave sounders: sounding of T, Q Hyperspectral Infrared sensors: sounding, trace

gases, etc

Radio Occultation sensors: temperature sounding

Infrared Sensors from Geo: AMVs, .. Active sensors: wind, wave height,

Hydrom, Precip

Microwave Imagers: Precip, cloud, …6

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How important are Satellite Data ?(example in Weather Forecasting)

– Satellite data as a group, had a very significant impact which surpasses the conventional data impact (by a wide margin), especially in the southern hemisphere.

Results from the extensive data denials experiments performed in the JCSDA, aimed at assessing the impact of the global Plots courtesy of J. Jung.

Important Characteristics in Satellite Measurements (for DA)

Type of MeasurementsSpatial Resolution (footprint size)Temporal Resolution (time frequency)Spectral resolution (information content)Orbital Configuration of sensorAccuracy and Precision of the measurementsMeasurement Stability over timeLatency (real time availability)

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9Sun

N-15(PM)

N-16(AM)

N18(PM)

METOP-A(AM)

N17(AM)

Constellation as of September 2012. Sources: NESDIS/OSO & CGMS/WMO pages

16:41

Mean Local Times at the Ascending Node (hh:mm)

20:25

19:17

14:48

21:30

12:00 Noon

N-19(PM)

13:32

NPP(PM)

13:30

00:00

18:0006:00

18:50

F16(Early AM) 17:37

F17(Early AM)

20:08

F18(AM)

METOP-B(AM)

21:40

F19(Early AM) 17:xx

Aqua (PM)

13:30

Future satellite

19:xx

F20(AM)

Importance of Orbital Config

Importance of Orbital Coverage

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+ +

++

+

+

+++

Importance of Footprint Size (Example of AMSU/MHS)

Footprint size is important for many applications (especially hydrometeors, precip, land applications, etc)

Different Approaches for Footprint matching: Simple averaging Backus Gilbert

If footprint size is limited (often by antenna size), over-sampling allows higher resolution reconstruction

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Contents

Basic Space-Based Measurements Mechanisms1

Trends & Challenges in Future Observing Systems3

Plans for Future Sensors (Operational and Research)2

Conclusions & Look into the future4

Main Upcoming Operational Satellites in US/NOAA (Polar)

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Major DA Sensors :- CrIS (Hyperspectral Infrared) - ATMS (Microwave Imager/Sounder) - OMPS (Ozone Sensor)and - VIIRS (High Spatial Resolution Visible Infrared Imager)

These are already on Suomi-NPP satellite

Launch scheduled in 2017

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Overall planning of NOAA’s satellite system (LEO)

The plan for NOAA’s polar

satellites

ET-SAT-9 briefing

New Sensors Characteristicsfor NOAA Polar Platforms

Status: Currently 3 PM satellites (N18, N19 and SNPP) SNPP extended operations planned until 2022 before de-orbiting JPSS1, 2 scheduled for 2017 and 2022 Beyond JPSS2, possible upgrades and/or alternatives

Sensors Options considered for Future Polar Platforms (JPSS): Constellation of micro satellites (in Microwave) as gap mitigation (J1-J2), J3 and J4 will likely be similar to J2. Small changes are being discussed – for example, adding water vapor channel

to VIIRS, filling in spectral gaps in CrIS, higher spectral resolution,…. Significant changes, if needed, after “J4” Smaller latency

OSSE studies being undertaken (in NOAA) to support decision: Higher spatial resolution of CrIS sensor Assess Microsatellites mitigation value for the potential Afternoon data gap

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Main Upcoming Operational Satellites in US/NOAA (GOES-R)

Major DA Sensors :- ABI- ABI-equivalent sensor is flying on Japanese Himawari satellite (AHI)

Significant Effort underway to optimize the assimilation of data from GLM into Operational NWP models

Expected to become a standard System in DA

Launch scheduled in 2016

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Official planning of NOAA’s satellite system (GEO)

The plan for NOAA’s

geostationary satellites

New Sensors Characteristicsfor NOAA Geostationary Platforms

Status: Currently, GOES-13 in operations (East), GOES-14 On-orbit storage GOES-15 Operational. West GOES-R, S, T, U launches on schedule GOES-V/W Possible Upgrades discussed (for 2040).

Sensors Options considered for Future Geostationary Platforms (GOES-U/V): Geo IR sounder, Ocean color, Evolved ABI with additional bands, GLM with higher spatial resolution, Space weather,

OSSE studies being undertaken (in NOAA) to support decision: To assess impact of Geo-based hyperspectral infrared Sensor To assess impact of a Geo-based Microwave sensor

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Upcoming COSMIC-2 Radio Occultation Sensors

Radio occultation measures bending and slowing of GPS microwave signal transmisisons which relate to atmospheric density with altitude (profiling)

New sensors planned in the future will have a denser sampling of the Earth.

19Photo credit: Taiwan NSO

Launch scheduled in 2016

Overall Planning & Status of COSMIC

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The COSMIC2 is a collaboration between

Taiwan and the US (NOAA, AF, NASA/JPL).

- COSMIC-2 (equatorial launch in 2016); - Polar launch planned for (2018-2019), pending securing funding.

Upcoming Major Radar Altimeter Sensors

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A long series of altimeters dating back to 1992 is continuing (starting as research and has become operational : NOAA and EUMETSAT taking over)

Radar Altimeters are important for measuring ocean wave heights, slope, etc and ocean topography

Important for ocean data assimilation

Basic measurement is backscattering coefficient

From backscattering, are derived ocean surface characteristics

Onboard microwave radiometer, helps correct for atmospheric delay. Photo credit NASA

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JASON-2,3 and CS 1-2

The JASON program is led by multiple organizations:

NOAA, CNES, NASA’/JPL and EUMETSAT

The Jason-2 satellite mission launched

successfully on June 20, 2008

The Jason-3 satellite launch imminent (was

planned for August 8 2015 but was postponed)

The Jason-CS planned for 2020 on Sentinel 6

Research Sensors (NASA)

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Photo credit NASA

There are many sensors being planned for research activities in NASA and other research institutions. JCSDA aims at testing those sensors

with a potential to improve data assimilation for forecast performances

International Partners

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1998-2007: 96 Satellites

Asia Pacific; 41

North America; 19

Latin America; 1

Western Europe; 14

Russia & Central Asia;

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Middele East & Africa; 5

Southern Asia; 7

2008-2017: 128 Satellites

Asia Pacific; 40

North America; 20

Latin America; 3

Western Europe; 29

Russia & Central Asia;

9

Middele East & Africa; 15

Southern Asia; 12

Source: Euroconsult and ITU

Clear Increase in number of satellites in the last decade, mainly from Europe, Southern Asia, Middle East/Africa

For satellite Data Assimilation sensors, major emerging players include China, Korea, Canada, Russia, Germany, etc

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Contents

Basic Space-Based Measurements Mechanisms1

Trends & Challenges in Future Observing Systems3

Plans for Future Sensors (Operational and Research)2

Conclusions & Look into the future4

Current Global Observing System Structure and Associated Applications

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Main Challenges Facing Earth Observation Sensors

Cost and willingness of taxpayers to sustain itSpectrum Loss: “No spectrum, no global observations!”

Enormous Pressure to ‘sell’ Earth-Observation spectrum to Industry (telecommunications, etc)

Radio Frequency Interference: Even protected bands are being impacted

Real risk of losing capability of measuring certain parameters in the future (sub-surface remote sensing essentially lost)

More and more space debris constitute a challenge and a risk to Earth-Observation sensors

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Main Challenges Facing Earth Observation Sensors

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is spreading more and more upward in the microwave spectrum

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1.4GHz

Source: International Telecommunications Union

Interference to AMSR-E passive sensor (blue is the 6-7 GHz and green the 10.6 GHz)

Trends: Driving Factors (for New Sensors)

Cost

Need (what we can’t measure currently and users want)

Technological advances (Measure them or measure them better and users will come)

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Major Trends in GOS (Satellites and Orbits Configurations)

Trend toward cheaper, focused Observing systems (Microsatellites)

More and more sensors onboard the International Space Station (Rapidscat, etc)

Near-Space Global Observing System Trend toward Commercialization of Satellite Data &

Privatization of Satellites New Global GOS international partners will allow better spatial

coverage (denser orbital configuration) Convergence of meteorological and commercial needs for

Earth global coverage (Google Loon project, Polar Communication & Weather PCW mission, etc) could lead to coordination

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Active and Passive Microwave Sensors will merge

Hyperspectral Microwave sensors (hydrometror profiling, microphysics sensing, etc)

Measurement of Surface pressure from Space (OCO-2) with high enough accuracy. Significant potential for hurricane intensity

Atmospheric wind profilers from Space (Aeolus/ADM)

Trend toward Higher spectral, temporal and spectral Sampling

Shift to sub-millimeter frequencies (no man’s land)

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Major Trends in GOS (New Sensors characteristics)

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Contents

Basic Space-Based Measurements Mechanisms1

Trends & Challenges in Future Observing Systems3

Plans for Future Sensors (Operational and Research)2

Conclusions & Look into the future4

Conclusion & Look Into the Future (1)

An explosion of new sensors and data volume have occurred and will continue to occur in the near future

New technologies are allowing more measurements (new) to be made, more frequently, better

Overall, more nations are building and launching satellite-based Earth Observing sensors

Clearly be we might be in the middle of a golden era of satellite-based earth observation sensors

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Conclusion & Look Into the Future (2)

Perhaps satellites will be complemented by near-space constellation of sensors-equipped balloons

Perhaps man-held devices (iPhone) and vehicle-mounted devices will also contribute to be sensors in global earth-observing system.

Challenges exist (Cost sustainability, Spectrum loss, RFI, debris, etc)

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Questions?

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Questions