Berndt, Emily

Fuell, Kevin

LeRoy, Anita

Molthan, Andrew

Schultz, Lori

Smith, Matthew

Stano, Geoffrey

Zavodsky, Bradley

NASA Technical Reports Server

Recent Product Assessments and User Readiness Activities at NASA/SPoRT
Mission
NASA’s Short-term Prediction, Research, and Transition (SPoRT)
Program is funded by NOAA’s JPSS and GOES-R Programs as well
as the NASA’s Earth Science Office to prepare operational users
for new or near-future products from both polar-orbiting and
geostationary satellites. NASA/SPoRT provides users the
training and technical capabilities to apply NOAA & NASA
products to their needs (i.e. Research to Operations) and then
collaborates with the user to assess the product impact in a
real-world environment for feedback to product developers (i.e.
Operations to Research) and to benefit their own peers.
1Kevin Fuell, 2Geoffrey Stano, 1Anita LeRoy,1Lori Schultz, 1Emily Berndt, 1Matthew Smith, 3Andrew Molthan, 3Bradley Zavodsky
1University of Alabama in Huntsville, 2Ensco Inc., 3NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport/
kevin.fuell@uah.edu
Method
NASA/SPoRT works directly with operational forecasters at NWS
Weather Forecast Offices, River Forecast Centers, National
Centers, as well as the broad weather community (e.g.
Emergency Management Offices) to prepare users for new and
upcoming instruments on platforms such as GOES-R, Himawari,
JPSS, IceSat2, and GPM. Current instruments such as VIIRS,
MODIS, AVHRR, CrIS, and ATMS are used as proxies to
demonstrate future capabilities.
Metrics
Assessments are conducted test the application of current
products in operations and to ready both the future products
and the users for day-1 utility of new capabilities. Results from
these assessments have led to improved understanding of the
products and instrument capabilities as well as improvements
in the products and forecast/nowcast methodologies. Several
publications have occurred detailing the use of current
instruments as proxies to GOES-R products (i.e. Total Lightning,
Air Mass RGB Imagery) with several others in press (Dust and
Nighttime Microphysics RGB Imagery). Impacts of specific
capabilities and their assessment are summarized below.
Total Lightning: Severe Storms, Public Safety Multi-spectral Imagery (i.e. RGBs): Low Clouds, Fog Cold Air Aloft via NUCAPS Soundings
AHI Imagery for National Centers Snowfall / Rainfall Rates: JPSS, GOES, and GPM Client-Side Generation of Multi-Spectral Imagery
• SPoRT has led the effort to transition total 
lightning to the end user community
• Emphasis on GOES-R preparations with the 
PGLM at the Hazardous Weather Testbed
• “Flash extent density provides insight to storm 
development aiding with severe weather 
warnings.”
• Through a new web display, evaluations with 
the emergency management community (WFO 
Morristown and Chattanooga/Hamilton 
County, Tennessee) are underway.
• “This product has been extremely helpful in 
lightning safety situations. These data were 
used to help decision makers ultimately 
postpone a U.S. Women’s soccer match.”
2015 Summer Assessment by High Latitude Forecasters
• Large amount of daytime, therefore NtMicro RGB less frequently useable.
• Objective: Can 24-hr Micro RGB fill the need in summer?
• Both Public and TAF forecasts were impacted frequently, with occasional 
impact to Marine
• The RGBs were complementary to other products such as the IFR/LIFR 
Probability product
8%
28%
32%
28%
4%
Impact of 24hr Micro on Aviation
Very Small
Small
Some
Large
Very Large
Green Component Range of 0-3° K Green Component Range of 0-6° K
Fog and Stratus have 
better contrast (on left) 
with other cloud objects 
and surface
24-hour Microphysics RGB Imagery being made available from MODIS, VIIRS, 
and AVHRR
• Cold Air Aloft (CAA; -65C and colder) is 
potentially hazardous to aircraft due to the 
threat of fuel crystalizing or freezing.
• The Anchorage, AK Center Weather Service 
Unit (CWSU) provides Meteorological Impact 
Statements to Air Traffic Controllers to direct 
flights around CAA regions.
• In data-sparse Alaska, forecasters traditionally 
rely on analysis/model fields, limited 
radiosonde observations, and pilot reports to 
‘guess’ the full extent of the CAA.
• The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) 
provides hyperspectral soundings within 
NUCAPS dataset allow forecasters to observe 
the 3D extent of CAA in near real-time where 
conventional observations are very limited.
• The Advanced Himawari Imager is 
now available within the NAWIPS 
display system of NWS National 
Centers via data processing by 
NASA/SPoRT and is the same as the 
GOES-R ABI Imagery, sans 1 channel. 
• The Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) 
regularly applies the Air Mass RGB 
imagery (see right) from AHI to 
analyze and monitor cyclone 
development
• Other multi-spectral Imagery being 
made available by NASA/SPoRT for 
evaluation by operational users 
includes: 24-hr Microphysics, 
Daytime Microphysics, Convective 
Storms, Dust, Night Microphysics, 
Natural Color, True Color and Volcanic 
Ash
• NESDIS uses the JPSS/ATMS 
instrument to detect snowfall within 
the cloud and allow forecasters to 
estimate the rate as well as 
differentiate regions of liquid vs. 
frozen precipitation
• Rain rates via the GPM 
intercalibrated dataset allows for a 
suite of passive microwave 
instruments to be used to monitor 
precipitation in data void regions 
where radar is absent (e.g. upstream 
of West Coast)
• NASA/SPoRT leads the 
Experimental Products 
Development Team (EPDT) that 
developed capabilities within 
AWIPS II to use local channel 
data (i.e. client-side) to derive 
RGB Imagery vs. offsite product 
creation and internet delivery.
• Uses calculated differences as 
well as specific ranges and data 
stretching per R-G-B component 
(i.e. NOT simply a color 
composite)
• Allows users to sample physical 
values of RGB
R: 12.0-10.8 μm G: 10.8-3.9 μm
B: 10.8 μm
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20160000993 2019-08-31T04:46:52+00:00Z


Recent Product Assessments and User Readiness Activities at NASA/SPoRT

Recent Product Assessments and User Readiness Activities at NASA/SPoRT

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