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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Transition from Research to Operation

for GNSS Radio Occultation

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Abigail D. HarperNational Environmental Satellite, Data, and

Information Service (NESDIS)Deputy Assistant Administrator, Systems

April 13, 2011

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

NOAA Satellite & Information Service(NESDIS)

• Mission: To provide timely access to global environmental data and information services from satellites and other sources in support of the larger NOAA mission.

• Major Programs…– Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite

(GOES)

– Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES)

– Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)

– Environmental Satellite Observing Services

– Environmental Data Management

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GOES

POES

JPSS

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

NOAA Satellite and Information Service

An End-to-End Responsibility

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Requirements & Planning

System Acquisition

Launch

Command & Control

Real-Time Product Development &

Distribution

Data Archive & Access

Products & Services

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

NOAA Data and Information are Essential for…

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Hazards, Severe Weather, Watches, Warnings

Climate

Agriculture

Environmental Monitoring

Commerce

Defense

Transportation

Industry

Ocean

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

GNSS Radio Occultations

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Temperature, moisture profiles in the

neutral atmosphere

Space weather - electron density profiles

COSMIC/FORMOST-3 – the first Radio Occultation Constellation that demonstrates the value of GPSRO in weather, climate and space weather

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

GNSS ROApplication Area Examples

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Storms / Severe WeatherNWP

Climate Space Weather

• expx (NO COSMIC)• cnt (operations – with COSMIC)• exp (updated RO assimilation

code - with COSMIC)

GNSS RO can measure:

• ENSO Signal(El Niño - Southern Oscillation –

dominant tropospheric variability)

• Global QBO(Quasi-Biennial Oscillation -

dominant signal in stratosphere)

From Bill Randel [UCAR]

COSMIC Demonstration

Hurricane Lili

Track Error Improvement

3-D Maps Global Electron DistributionFrom Electron Density Profiles Updated@ Few Minutes Combined Tomographically [from A. Mannucci, 2009]

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Six (6) COSMIC GPS RO SatellitesSignificant Impact on Weather Service Forecast Skill

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• Proven significant forecast accuracy

improvement

• 40-day experiments:

– Black line - No COSMIC

– Red line - COSMIC Initial Operations

– Green line - Current COSMIC

-COSMIC provides significant improvement in Weather forecast skill

8 hours improvement at Forecast Day 4 and

>15 hours improvement during Forecast Day 7

- Particularly significant improvement over the oceans and in Southern Hemisphere

- Analysis – COSMIC satellite loss causes significant NOAA forecast skill loss

Distance between

Arrows - 8 hour Weather

Forecast Improvement

Cucurull 2009 [NOAA/NESDIS]Daily - COSMIC vs Radiosondes

• expx (NO COSMIC)

• cnt (operations – with COSMIC)

• exp (updated RO assimilation

code - with COSMIC)

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

OPAC

2010

NCAR 4-Day Ernesto (2006)

Forecasts

NCAR 4-Day Ernesto (2006)

Forecasts

Y.-H. Kuo (NCAR), 2007

Forecast with GPSForecast with GPS Forecast without GPSForecast without GPSThe Actual StormThe Actual Storm

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Impact of Various Observing SystemsGEOS-5.6.1 28 Jan – 05 March 2010 00z

FORMOSAT-3 Ranked #3 inImpact Per

Observation

Adjoint-based estimate of 24-hr global forecast error reduction in wind,

temperature and surface pressure combined as energy (J/kg)

From Ron Gelaro, NASA, GMAO

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2 GNSS RONotional Architecture [USA-Taiwan]

FiducialNetwork

US DPC

TT&C stations (overseas)

TT&C stations (Taiwan)

Satellite Operations

and Control CenterUsers Researchers

FORMOSAT-7/

COSMIC-2

High-inc

Low-inc

Taiwan DPC

GPSGALILEO GLONASS

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O NN A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

Pre-Decisional – Not for Public Release

FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC vs FORMOSAT-7/COSMIC-2

3 hrs Coverage

COSMIC Occultations–3 Hrs Coverage

12 Satellites - 2 inclinations

Data are distributed

more homogeneously Courtesy of UCAR

COSMIC-2 Occultations – 3 Hrs Coverage

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

The Future of GNSS RO

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05 06 07 08 09 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2510

CALENDAR YEAR26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 4031

GPS

GLONASS

Galileo

FOC 24-30 MEO S/C

FOC

FOC = Full Operational Capability

FOC 28-30 MEO S/C

FOC

FOC

FOC

FOC 27-30 MEO S/C

FOC 27 MEO, 5 GEO, 3 iGSO S/C

IOC

COMPASS

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N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

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Happy 5th Anniversary

FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC!

NOAA is proud to be your

partner!