RDOSNPPJPSS

ARM Radiosondes for SNPP/JPSS Validation

10 October 2017 - 17 October 2024

Lead Scientist: Lori Borg

Observatory: SGP

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Validation of SNPP & JPSS-1 atmospheric temperature and water vapor retrieved profiles. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite was launched in October 2011 and serves as the bridge satellite between NOAA’s legacy satellites and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). The first JPSS satellite (JPSS-1) is scheduled to be launched on November 10, 2017 and consists of a similar set of instrumentation as carried on SNPP including both the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). This IOP will continue efforts critical in the validation of the temperature and moisture sounding products from CrIS/ATMS on SNPP and will conduct these same efforts for JPSS-1 after launch. This coordinated effort involves ARM, UW-Madison, and the JPSS project. In this arrangement, radiosondes will be launched from the ARM sites at Eastern North Atlantic (ENA), Southern Great Plains (SGP), and North Slope of Alaska (NSA) coincident with satellite overpasses of the sites. Analysis will be performed by UW-Madison and JPSS personnel to compare the radiosonde and retrieval products to assess the retrieval accuracy. This effort follows very closely similar efforts that were performed for AIRS on the NASA Aqua satellite and more recently for CrIS/ATMS on SNPP. Collaboration with the RIVAL IOP is also anticipated during this field campaign to assess the impact of switching from the RS92 to the RS41 radiosonde.