NOAA’s Climate Sensor and Climate Data Record Program

and NOAA’s Role in CLARREO

John J. BatesChief, Remote Sensing Applications DivisionNOAA’s National Climatic Data Center

CLARREO Workshop

October 21, 2008

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Overview – NOAA’s Climate Sensor and Climate Data Record Program

• The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) requested NOAA and NASA to provide:– An analysis of possible mitigation options of the climate impacts of the

NPOESS Nunn-McCurdy Certification through 2026– An assessment of the potential costs of these options– All options are contingent on getting new funding

• Primary goal: Ensure continuity of long-term climate records• NOAA and NASA analyzed the following options:

– Remanifesting the climate sensors on NPOESS spacecraft– Placing sensors on currently planned non-NPOESS spacecraft– Developing new gap-filling climate satellite missions– Partnering opportunities

• Key results:– President’s FY 2009 Request includes $74M to mitigate the loss of climate

sensors on NPOESS and to provide long term Climate Data Records• Specifically targeted for Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES)

and Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS), as well as support for initial work on Climate Data Records

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Status of Climate Sensors Removed from NPOESS• White House strategy to restore climate sensors that had been removed from the

NPOESS program in June 2006 through Nunn-McCurdy restructuring

• NOAA, NASA, and the climate science community provided input

• White House is currently reviewing space weather sensors that had been removed from NPOESS

Sensor StatusTotal Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) Restored on NPOESS C-1 *

Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Restored on NPP and C-1 *

RADAR Altimeter (ALT)

Mitigated through successful June 20, 2008 launch of Ocean Surface Topography Mission / Jason-2 satellite (OSTM/Jason-2) to continue Jason observations. International collaboration among NOAA, NASA, the French Space Agency (CNES), and EUMETSAT to provide operational support for Jason-2. Exploring the potential for a Jason-3 partnership mission with EUMETSAT.

Ozone Mapping & Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb subsystem

Restored on NPP by joint NOAA-NASA decision in April 2007

Aerosol Polarimeter Sensor (APS) Planned mitigation through APS instrument on NASA GLORY mission

* Contingent on receiving full funding of the $74 million requested in the President’s FY 2009 Budget request

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NPOESS Nunn-McCurdy Certification

Remains Intact No Change/Not RelevantReduced Capability New or Recovered CapabilityDeleted Implies Sensor Present

*CMIS has been replaced with MIS**OMPS Limb Subsystem was cancelled, but the Nadir capability was maintained through Certification

Status of Recoveries of Climate-Relevant Sensors (September 2008)

       APS

       OMPS**

       ALT

  CERES     CERES/ERBS

       TSIS

       De-manifested Sensors

   AVHRR    VIIRS

   IASI/AMSU    CrIS/ATMS

      Reduced Coverage Sensors

       CMIS*/MIS

      Reduced Capability Sensors

C3 (2018)C1 (2013)MetOp

Pre-Certification NPOESSC4 (2020)C2 (2016)  

PMMID-AMEARLY-AMNPPNPOESS Instruments

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FY 2009 Climate Sensor / Climate Data Record Budget Request: $74 million

• Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES): $38 million– The CERES instrument originally scheduled for a 2013 flight on NPOESS C1 has been

accelerated to fly in 2010 on NASA’s NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) mission. Undergoing refurbishment to accommodate the NPP interface - on schedule

– Replacement CERES being acquired for NPOESS C1 mission • NOAA and NASA working together on program startup• Lead by NASA Langley • Management Implementation Plan completed. MOU in progress• CERES is on track for October 1, 2008 start for December 2011 delivery to NPOESS C1

• Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS): $28 million– EXCOM agreed TSIS instrument is to fly on the NPOESS C1 mission assuming no impact

to C1 launch date• NPOESS C1 option offered lowest cost solution, with an acceptable level of technical and schedule risk

– NOAA and NASA are working agreements and planning for FY09 program start• NOAA and NASA working together on instrument procurement • Lead by NASA Goddard• Work is underway to get contracts in place to support 36-month build• Need date is December 2011

• Climate Data Records (CDR): $8 million– To support development of data record stewardship and to provide long-term science

support for the data derived from the climate instruments

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CDR Science Support• Includes development, production, reprocessing, stewardship, and

distribution

• Assumes data from all NPOESS certified sensors and mitigation sensors / sources, plus heritage programs

• Covers about 30 Climate Change Science Program essential climate variables

• Includes a range of options bounded by a ‘Pilot Project’ costing only for Fundamental CDRs (FCDRs) to a full production costing for all Thematic CDRs (TCDRs)

• Emphasizes community participation in Grants, Contracts, and new Cooperative Institute

• Developed blueprint for NOAA-NASA roles, responsibilities and timeline in science research-to-operations migrations

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NOAA and CLARREO Mission

• NOAA is contributing to the CLARREO mission as recommended by NRC Decadal Survey1 through the President’s FY 2009 $74M budget request (i.e., flying CERES on NPP, and TSIS and CERES on NPOESS C1)

• The out year funding profile (if approved) provides for continuity for both TSIS and CERES beyond NPOESS C1– NOAA is exploring options for sensor continuity through an Analysis

of Alternatives

• NOAA is interested in exploring with NASA the need for operational continuity of CLARREO hyperspectral sounding measurements.

1 Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond. National Academies Press, 2007

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NOAA and CLARREO Science

• NOAA’s Scientific Data Stewardship – A Strategic View

• Scientific Pathways forward– Monitoring the Earth’s climate – characterizing climate variability

and change– Understanding the Earth’s climate – the water and carbon cycles– Influencing the Earth’s climate – linkages among radiation,

dynamics, chemistry, and climate

• Long-term Information Preservation– Enabling the community

• Code, standards and metadata made easy

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Summary• NOAA is supporting the transition of climate sensors from

NASA to NOAA

• NOAA is beginning an operational Scientific Data Stewardship - Climate Data Record Project with a strong focus on community participation (Grants, Cooperative Institute, Contracts)

• NOAA is pursuing a longer term strategic vision for both climate sensors and science that will support CLARREO Goals as outlined in the NRC Decadal Survey