Space-based Architecture for Climate

Mary KiczaNOAA’s Assistant Administratorfor Satellite and Information ServicesMay 19, 2011

What is Needed in Developing a Space-based Architecture for

Climate?

• Such an activity should be broad-based, involving not only the WMO, but also GCOS, WCRP and GEO, as well as the space agencies in CEOS and CGMS, and the in situ climate community

• Coordination of such an effort should best be undertaken in the context of a GEO Climate Task that WMO co-leads with others

• Besides meteorology, it will be necessary to focus on such areas as carbon, oceans and ecosystems

• There is not always a clear-cut distinction between research and operational agencies, rather it might be best to focus on the evolution of technologies and capabilities involving both research AND operations

• Need to maximize the effectiveness of the observing system for all environmental applications (e.g. weather and climate) by improving the calibration of all satellite instruments through characterization and intercalibration against high quality measurements from both space-based and in situ reference instruments

NOAA Contributions

• The U.S. contribution to space-based climate observing is spread across three agencies:

NASA – New Earth observing satellites and sustained monitoring capabilitiesNOAA – Operational environmental satellites, mostly dual purpose (weather and climate), but including some climate-unique capabilities (altimetry, ozone, solar irradiance, Earth radiation budget)USGS – Operational land remote sensing

• NOAA satellites collect multiple decades of data using same or similar systems

• NOAA Satellite Climate Data Records Operational Program

• Calibration/validation: leadership and active engagement in Global Space-based Inter-calibration System (GSICS), CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation

• NOAA engaged in:• CEOS Virtual Constellations• CEOS WG Climate• WMO’s Sustained, Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data

for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM)• WMO led- Architecture for Climate Monitoring from Space writing group

NOAA Collects Multiple Decades of Data Using Same or Similar Systems

NOAA’s Satellite Climate Data Records (CDR) Operational Program

• Provides objective climate information derived from weather satellite data that NOAA has collected for more than 30 years.

• Comprises the longest record of global satellite mapping measurements in the world, complemented by data from other sources including NASA, DOD, and foreign satellites.

• CDRs are defined as a time series of measurements of sufficient length, consistency, and continuity to determine climate variability and change

• The mission of NOAA's CDR Program is to develop and implement a robust, sustainable, and scientifically defensible approach to producing and preserving climate records from satellite data.

• Currently 8 CDRs in operations; 14 CDR Development Awards in Past 2 Years (+7 additional efforts continued from prior awards)

Back up Slides

Thrusts Span Past, Present,and Future Needs

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

POES/GOES JASON-2

NPP JASON-3/JPSS/GOES-R

Uncover climate trend informationburied in four decades of heritage operational data

Ensure climate quality data from operational systemsand build efficiencies for future climate processing

Provide operations and products for

“Remanifested” climate sensors”

GSICS Addresses Intercalibration of Weather Instruments for Climate

Applications

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• CGMS/WMO Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS) demonstrates the value of collaborative partnerships in addressing intercalibration of weather instruments for climate applications

CEOS Virtual Constellations Demonstrate the Value of

Collaborative Partnerships

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• CEOS Virtual Constellations demonstrate the value of collaborative partnerships in addressing key observational gaps and developing integrated products

• Focus dialogue from “all topics/all agencies” to smaller, more specialized efforts involving agencies/organizations working together

• Examples of integrated architectures include:--Preparation of a single, integrated ocean topography data

set through the Ocean Surface Topography Constellation (CNES, NOAA, University of Delft)

--Harmonization of the European ASCAT and the U.S. QuikSCAT Ku-band vector wind products as well as using QuikSCAT to calibrate ISRO’s Ku-band OSCAT

• Proposals for new Constellations: Sea Surface Temperature and Radio Occultation

Future NASA Orbital Flight Missions

(International contributions)

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