US Calibration/Validation Activities for the ADM/Aeolus Mission

Mike Hardestyand

Lars-Peter Riishojgaard

Cal/Val information from Recent ADMAG

• Purpose of Cal/Val exercise– Quantify accuracy of primary and auxiliary

parameters– Characterize deviations– Recommendations for improvements to

processing

• Two phases will be commissioned: First (commissioning) and Second (routine)

• Call will be worldwide• Proposers must bring their own funding• Access to data only through cal-val team• Announcement of Opportunity: October 1

Does ALADIN need calibration or only validation? burst-mode operation: Can time and location of satellite

observation be predicted or even commanded, e.g. by start time of laser burst operation?

opportunity for validations for 50-km scale observations satellite-ground: once every 5-10 days in 50 km distance satellite-aircraft: 2-3 flights in 1 geographical region with 7 s

observation time on satellite compared to 4 minutes on aircraft => allows to study measurement (1-10 km) to observation scale (50 km) issues

Ground wind observations of horizontal wind vector needs to be projected onto satellite LOS direction

L1B Mie winds can be validated with wind measuring instruments; L1B Rayleigh winds (uncorrected for T) can not be validated with other wind measuring instruments, except with A2D which measures also uncorrected Rayleigh wind

L2A aerosol products (backscatter, extinction, cloud base) can be validated, but most ground based lidars point toward zenith

L2B wind products can be validated both for Mie and Rayleigh

Specific ADM-Aeolus issues for airborne and ground validations (Oliver Reitebuch)

1a/b. What are Level-2B/2C Products?

L2C Product

Assimilation

(L2C Processor)

Other observations Forecast ModelL2B Product

L2B Processor

L1B ProductProcessing

ParametersAuxiliary Data

Retrieval algorithm accounts for T & p effects in Rayleigh channel signal

Meteorologically representative wind

vector profiles

Meteorologically representative hlos

profiles Measurements grouped and weighted according to features detected in atmospheric scene (primarily clouds & aerosol)

Meteorological

products

Assembling a US cal/val effort

• Develop a proposal to respond to ESA AO– Put together a team

• Define major elements of a US cal/val effort– Direct Observations for comparison– Data evaluation through assimilation into

models

• Explore funding opportunities (ESA will not provide funding)

Potential Direct Observations

• Long term, statistical comparisons– NWS Wind Profiler Network– Boundary layer profilers– Radiosondes– In situ sensors on commercial aircraft– Cloud track winds – Water vapor winds– Surface based lidar measurements during satellite

overpasses

• Measurement comparison campaigns– TwiLite Airborne lidar– TODWLS – NOAA Airborne HRDL– Notional Hybrid lidar (direct and coherent)

How to proceed?

• Develop a basic outline for the cal/val effort– MH and LPR will be points of contact – Interested parties should provide input and

outline potential contributions within next two months

• Develop funding sources– Potential for funds in the FY 2010 NOAA budget

for ADM cal-val activities– Explore opportunities for NPOESS, NASA and

DOD funding

• Riishojgaard and Hardesty will develop proposal for submission