# Presentation: 284664

## NOSASensing Element Related Definitions

- Linda J. Vandergriff
- September 30, 2002

## Basic Sensor Construct

- Sample Set of Sensor Types
- Human Observer
- Sounder
- Altimeter
- Radiometer
- Spectrometer
- Imager Panchromatic
- Multispectral
- Hyperspectral
- Precipitation
- RADAR / LIDAR
- Pressure & Temperature

- Sensor Operational Modes
- Passive / Active
- Stereo / Mono
- Technology Readiness Levels
- TRL 1 “Basic Principles”
- TRL 2 “Technology Concept”
- TRL 3 “Experimental / Proof of Concept
- TRL 4 “ Lab Breadboard”
- TRL 5 “Field Breadboard”
- TRL 6 “Prototype Demonstration”
- TRL 7 “Space Prototype Demonstration”
- TRL 8 “Flight Qualified”
- TRL 9 “Flight Proven”

## Typical Environmental Phenomena

**Atmosphere Characteristics**
**Adverse Conditions**
**Visibility (Aerosols)**
**Precipitation**
**Wind Speed / Direction ( @ surface / above)**
**Clouds & Fog characteristics**
**Stability / Turbulence Atmosphere**
**Special Events Monitoring**
**Flooding**
**Severe Weather**
**Tropical**
**Oil Spill**

**Ocean Use & Status**
**Imagery **
**Ocean currents / turbidity**
**Fresh Water Ice **
**Surface Temperature**
**Fishery Monitor**
**Space Weather Status**
**Radiation Belts**
**Auroral  Characteristics**
**Geomagnetic Field**
**Solar Characteristics**

- Environmental Phenomena is the information regime needed by the stakeholder/user to support decision making. (e.g., Pilot needs to understand atmospheric visibility, winds, clouds, and turbulence for the flight path)

**Land Use & Status**
**Imagery**
**Surface Temperature**
**Surface Wetness**
**Snow & Ice Cover**
**Land Cover**
**Wildlife Monitor**

## National Weather Service Environmental Phenomena

- Storm Intensity or Proximity
- MI Shallow           BC Patches           PR Partial          TS Thunderstorm
- BL Blowing           SH Showers           DR Drifting         FZ Freezing
- WEATHER PHENOMENA
- Precipitation
-    DZ Drizzle           RA Rain              SN Snow             SG Snow grains
-    IC Ice crystals      PL Ice pellets       GR Hail             GS Small hail/snow pellets
-    UP Unknown precipitation in automated observations
- Obscuration
-    BR Mist(>= 5/8SM)    FG Fog(< 5/8SM)      FU Smoke            VA Volcanic Ash
-    SA Sand              HZ Haze              PY Spray            DU Widespread dust
- Other
-    SQ Squall            SS Sandstorm         DS Duststorm        PO Well developed
-    FC Funnel cloud      +FC tornado/waterspout                      dust/sand whirls

## Typical Environmental Parameters

- Environmental Parameters are the basic measurements that characterize any given phenomena.

**Atmosphere**
**Precipitation rate/type amount**
**Vertical Moisture / Temperature profiles**
**Temperature / Pressure surface & profiles**
**Wind Speed/Direction @ surface/above**
**Clouds height, type, cover, liquid water, optical depth, pressure, temperature**
**Ozone concentration**
**Stability / Turbulence Atmosphere**
**Aerosol Properties**
**Volcanic**
**Dust Storm**
**Land / Fire & Smoke**
**Special Events Monitoring**
**Flooding extent, depth**
**Severe Weather speed, severity**
**Tropical extent, severity**
**Oil Spill extent, speed, severity**

**Land Use & Status**
**Imagery**
**Surface Temperature**
**Soil Moisture **
**Surface Wetness**
**Snow & Ice Cover**
**Land Cover**
**Vegetation Index / Surface Type**
**Brightness Temperature**
**Wildlife Monitor**

**Ocean Use & Status**
**Imagery **
**Ocean currents / turbidity**
**Fresh Water Ice **
**Surface Temperature**
**Ocean Color**
**Ocean wave characteristics**
**Littoral Sediment Transport**
**Fishery Monitor**
**Space Weather Status**
**Radiation Belts**
**Auroral  boundary, imagery**
**Geomagnetic Field**
**Energetic Ions**
**In-situ plasma fluctuations / temperature**
**Neutral density profile**
**Solar Irradiance**
**Total Energy Deposition**

## Data Level Community State of Usage

- General satellite sensing community agreement on Data Levels with various implementations are summarized to be applied to this effort
- Levels range from 0 to 5 with increasing amount of processing and aggregations from original instrument output
- Level 0 Raw counts / sensor output
- Level 1 Calibration and correlation of level 0 data
- Level 2 Conversion of data to geophysical values
- Level 3 Binning of like values for temporal or spatial trending / analysis / maps
- Level 4 Create lower level products for users (usually research / scientific focused)
- Level 5 Create higher level integrated products for focused user community (usually end users such military pilots or civilian ship captains focused)
- Example Wind Direction & Speed
- Level 0 anometer  RPMs and direction
- Level 1 update RPMs for humidity, mechanical problems, and correlate with direction
- Level 2 Convert RPMs to wind velocity vector (m/sec in direction )
- Level 3 Provide wind map for US or a for a given location over last 24 hours
- Level 4 Variance of wind for a given region over time with other correlated factors
- Level 5 Tailored map with wind included for boat captains

## Data Level Examples

| Level | Example SeaWifs | Example Human collecting Fish Numbers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0 | Raw radiance counts from all bands as well as spacecraft & Instrument telemetry | Data counts from field |
| 1 | Based on Level 0  with appended calibration and navigation data, and instrument and selected spacecraft telemetry that are reformatted and also appended | Adding all observations and correcting for source |
| 2 | Based on Level 1 and represent the geophysical values for each pixel, derived by applying the sensor calibration, atmospheric corrections, and bio-optical algorithms. Corresponds exactly in geographical coverage (scan-line and pixel extent) to that of its parent Level-1 product. | Maps with population densities |
| 3 | Based on a collection of level 2 data and binned for indications of trends and is based on algorithm products. | Trends of population |
| 4 |  |  |
| 5 |  |  |

## Other Considerations

- Communications
- Command/Control
- Data Downlink
- SARSAT Services
- Product Re-Broadcast
- Internet / Data Archival
- Fax
- Phone
- Mail
- Alert System

## Architecture Transition Planning

**Vision Statement**

**CONOPS**

**Requirements**

**Roadmap**

**Cost/Benefit Trades**

**Transition Plan**

**Time**

**Notes:**
This chart depicts a notional timeline for the creation of a transition plan.  Although shown as a linear effort, in fact there are iterations and feed-backs between each activity.