# NLDAS/JCSDA Teleconference Minutes, SEP-20-2005

**Next telecon: 3:30-5:00 PM EST, Tuesday, OCT-18-2005.**

## JCSDA

**[CRTM (George Gayno)]{.underline}**

CRTM is under testing within the GSI system. The plan is to release the
beta version in late October. Even if it does not make the schedule of
official release, the JCSDA PIs are welcome to acquire and test the
current code within their local systems by the end of October.
Individual request is needed.

**[MODIS Land parameters (Mark Friedl)]{.underline}**

The MODIS 1km global vegetation type is delivered to JCSDA for both UMD
and SiB classifications. A question is raised that whether there is any
comparison between this product and the MODIS LAI product. The answer is
that the two products are independent with no interaction during the
production. Another issue is some mismatches between the MODIS(IGBP),
UMD, and SiB classifications. For example, MODIS does not have separated
\"Shrub\" and \"Tundra\" classes to match SiB. Users feedback is needed
to determine if any parts of high latitude \"Shrub\" should be relabeled
to \"Tundra\" if more understandable. Also the MODIS \"Savanna\" class
does not match UMD and therefore a 40% density cutoff is used to label
\"Savanna\" to either \"Broadleaf\" or \"Shrub\". Again, user feedback
is appreciated.

The MODIS-based 1km land surface snow free albedo is expected to be
delivered in late October. This data is monthly, including direct and
diffuse albedo for the visible, near-IR, and broadband shortwave
spectra.

**[AMSR-E soil moisture assimilation (Paul Houser)]{.underline}**

AMSR-E level-3 daily soil moisture data from 2002 to present is
processed. Ensemble Kalman Filter application code is implemented in LIS
code and under testing. Jiarui Dong is replacing Xiwu Zhan as the
technical personal for this project.

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## NLDAS

**[VIC (Justin Shepherd)]{.underline}**

Evaporation is recalibrated and tested well. VPN access to WWB is
established successfully. The most update code for 2 calibration
versions will be delivered to tempest soon.

**[Mosaic (Brian Cosgrove)]{.underline}**

Recalibrations are under testing. VPN access to WWB is established
successfully. The most update code will be delivered to tempest soon.

**[tempest (Ken Mitchell)]{.underline}**

Several tune-ups have been made. The server is getting more stable. It
has 6 TB of storage now and an expansion of additional TB is expected.
Jesse Meng and Helin Wei will evaluate the storage space to determine
potential for reruns of multiple recalibration versions of Noah, VIC,
and Mosaic for the NLDAS-1 execution period of OCT-1996 to SEP-1999.
Also prepare for full retrospective runs from OCT-1996 to present.
Forcing data from OCT-1999 to present will be available at tempest. Due
to a GOES 12 calibration issue happened in 2003, Brian Cosgrove will
reprocess the forcing from to remove GOES for the period from APR-01 to
AUG-31, 2003, and deliver to tempest.

**[Extended retrospective forcing (Brian Cosgrove)]{.underline}**

A new GAPP proposal is submitted to generate a 25-year retrospective
NLDAS forcing based on the NCEP Regional Reanalysis. With that forcing
data a land soil moisture climatology and real time anomaly can be
generated for drought monitoring and prediction. Precipitation will be
from Wayne Higgins gauge analysis. Solar radiation will be processed by
Rachel Pinker using the ISCCP DX data back to 1982.