# Presentation: 420688

## NASA’s SPoRT PROGRAM

_*Mission:*_* Apply NASA measurement systems and unique Earth science research to improve the accuracy of short-term (0-24 hr) weather prediction at *_*the regional and local scale*_

_**Test bed for transitioning products to operations (NWS and private sector)**_
**data dissemination**
**product development and testing**
**training **
**product assessment**
**impact analysis**
_**Focus Areas**_
** ****EOS satellite observations**
** ****Modeling and data assimilation**
** ****Nowcasting and lightning**

## SPoRT PROGRAM RESOURCES

**sixth year**
**stable funding**
**in-house technical experts in the field**
**broad base of collaborators**
**fourth SAC meeting**
**meeting needs of end user community**

***http://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport***

## SPoRT PROGRAM STAFF

**sixth year**
**stable funding**
**in-house technical experts in the field**
**broad base of collaborators**
**fourth SAC meeting**
**meeting needs of end user community**

**Dr. William M. Lapenta - Co-Principal Investigator**
**Dr. Gary J. Jedlovec - Co-Principal Investigator**
**Melody C. Herrmann - Project Manager**
_**Additional NASA Scientists**_
**Dr. Richard J. Blakeslee**
**Dr. Shih-Hung Chou**
**Paul Meyer**
_**UAH Research Associates**_
**Dennis E. Buechler - Senior Research Associate**
**Stephanie L. Haines - Research Associate**
**Katherine M. LaCasse - Research Associate**
**Dr. John R. Mecikalski – Professor/research staff**
**Bradley T. Zavodsky - Research Associate**
_**Other**_
**Will McCarty - Graduate Research Assistant**
**Andrew L. Molthan - Graduate Research Assistant**
**Dr. Bob Atkinson & Scott Dembek - consultants**
**Jason Burks NWS ITO**
**Jonathan L. Case - Senior Scientist / Meteorologist**
**Chris B. Darden - Science and Operations Officer**
**John M. Hall – lightning and information technology**
**Frank J. LaFontaine - Research Associate**
**Eugene W. McCaul - Research Scientist**
**Erik R. Reimers - Student Research Assistant**

## SPoRT PROGRAM COLLABORATORS

**sixth year**
**stable funding**
**in-house technical experts in the field**
**broad base of collaborators**
**fourth SAC meeting**
**meeting needs of end user community**

_** **__**SPoRT University, Government, and Other Partners**_
**NOAA/NESDIS/STAR  **
**Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA)  **
**National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)  **
**NWS Southern Region Headquarters  & local WFOs**
**University or Wisconsin **
**University of Alabama - Huntsville  **
**University of South Florida  **
**Florida State University  **
**• ****New Mexico Tech**
**• ****University of Oklahoma**
**Jet Propulsion Laboratory  **
**• ****Vaisala, Inc**
**WorldWinds, Inc.**

## SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC)

- Role

_**Membership**_
**drawn from a community of research scientists and forecasters**
**represent the spectrum of government, university, and commercial organizations involved in short-term weather forecasting and the transition of emerging satellite and modeling technologies into the operational environment**
_**SAC activities**_
**serve as a knowledge resource on short-term weather prediction, satellite data and derived products, mesoscale modeling, and data assimilation issues**
**provide guidance and direction on SPoRT research and transitional activities**
_**SPoRT SAC last met in November 2005**_

## 2005 SAC RECOMENDATIONS

_**SPoRT has followed and implemented the majority of the recommendations from the 2005 SAC review!**_
_**Key administrative items:**_
**hold meetings every 1.5-2 years, rotate members and maintain diversity**
**continue to emphasize  unique areas and strengths ****– expanded work with MODIS (products) and LMA (DC area), including AIRS products and data assimilation**
**work to maintain clear path of products to operations**** – expanded dissemination opportunities, work collaboratively with NESDIS/NWS and AWIPS team(s) on transition opportunities**
**sponsor workshops which focus on SPoRT transitional activities**** – SPoRT Science and Operations Office (SOO) workshop summer 2006**
**coordinate with instrument science teams**** – expanded involvement with AIRS team and collaborate with CloudSat team**
**disseminate information on SPoRT to a broader community**** – started SPoRT quarterly newsletter and produced a webcast describing SPoRT**

## AIRS data:
evaluate value of AIRS data as well as impact  - version 5 retrievals
focus on AIRS assimilation cases studies over U.S. land regions – new case studies and near real-time approach
consider direct use of profiles by forecasters – real-time profiles from UW direct broadcast to WFOs planned for version 5 retrievals
work with JCSDA on assimilation of AIRS radiances in GSI – extended stay by Will McCarty at JCSDA, assimilation work being done with GSI on JCSDA computers
MODIS data and products:
use additional data to enhance utility of SST composite for tropical cyclone applications – began studies adding AMSR-E, contributed product to MAP06 for NAMMA (summer 2006)
continue dissemination of MODIS products to other WFOS – establishing new dissemination paradigm for wider dissemination and training

**evaluate **_**value**_** of AIRS data as well as **_**impact**_**  ****- version 5 retrievals**
**focus on AIRS assimilation cases studies over U.S. land regions ****– new case studies and near real-time approach**
**consider direct use of profiles by forecasters ****– real-time profiles from UW direct broadcast to WFOs planned for version 5 retrievals**
**work with JCSDA on assimilation of AIRS radiances in GSI ****– extended stay by Will McCarty at JCSDA, assimilation work being done with GSI on JCSDA computers**
_**MODIS data and products:**_
**use additional data to enhance utility of SST composite for tropical cyclone applications ****– began studies adding AMSR-E, contributed product to MAP06 for NAMMA (summer 2006)**
**continue dissemination of MODIS products to other WFOS ****– establishing new dissemination paradigm for wider dissemination and training**

**2005 SAC RECOMENDATIONS**

## 2005 SAC RECOMENDATIONS

_**WRF:**_
**work more closely with NOAA land-surface staff to include remotely sensed observations of the surface ****– acquired expertise to focus on use of coupled WRF/LIS in collaboration with GSFC **
**expand case studies for thunderstorm forecasts ****– we have conducted more case study evaluations  **
_**Convective initiation studies:**_
**transition CI product to operations ****– CI product now in AWIPS and ready for evaluation and assessment with forecasters**

## Develop advocacy at NOAA/NWS

**2005 SAC RECOMENDATIONS**

_**Misc:**_
**continue development of SPoRT strategic plan**** – mission statement and advice from SAC and NASA HQs provides guidance on our strategic direction --- looking to formulate plan in late 2007**
**work with GSFC DA office and JCSDA on assimilation activities to maximize benefit to operational community**** – collaborate with GSFC on coupled WRF/LIS and GSI/WRF AIRS data assimilation**
**develop advocacy at NWS HQs ****– this has been a challenge! **
**we keep Kevin Schrab updated on SPoRT activities**
**Steve Goodman now with NESDIS/STAR to work R2O activities (briefed G. Mandt)**
**working with developers of next generation AWIPS to transition unique NPP products **
**document and transition process to get unique data into AWIPS**** – have done this with NESDIS / STAR, UW who now provides products to selective Western and Central Region WFOs, work with NRL and NESDIS / OSDPD on transition (N-AWIPS), and established new paradigm for data dissemination**

## SPoRT believes the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) is a very valuable asset to the program

**it values their input**
**is responsive to their recommendations**
**SPoRT has achieved more than this!**

## ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)

**hosted a NASA/NWS SPoRT / Science Operations Officer (SOO) workshop**
**began new collaborations with (WorldWinds, Inc.; NRL- Monterey; Sterling. Melbourne, & Billings WFOs; and NESDIS (NDE, STAR; OSDPD)**
**established new paradigm for data dissemination to WFOs **
**published / submitted 8  journal articles**
**submitted 7 new proposals (1 funded, 5 pending) that leverage off of SPoRT activities**
**is balancing manpower and needed skills to maintain an effective work force**
**revamped SPoRT web page**
**jointly developed a "white paper" with NESDIS on how SPoRT will collaborate with the NPOESS Data Exploitation (NDE) office**

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)**

**Yellow –in direct response to SAC 2005 recommendation**
**White  -- additional accomplishment**

**Notes:**
AIRS
Completed AIRS profile assimilation impact for east coast case study (followed SAC recommended for smaller, US domain for future case studies) 
Added new validation techniques including comparing to ETA analyses and precipitation. Mixed results because of use of only ocean data

Developed and demonstrated methodology to conduct near realtime profile assimilation with WRF
Beginning 1-2 month data collection phase and compilation of cumulative statistics of sensible parameters for a more thorough, statistically significant validation.
Relies on V5 profiles from direct broadcast data
Used for case study selection
Enhanced working relationship with AIRS science team to demonstrate utility of AIRS products in operational environment 
Profiles and L2 products to AWIPS
Obtaining AIRS L1B data from University of Wisconsin in near real time.  Images of select wavelengths generated and displayed on new web page.
MODIS
 Published article describing MODIS (SST) compositing technique "A MODIS Sea Surface Temperature Composite for Regional Applications"  
 real-time dissemination of MODIS SST composites plus additional products (including OSTIA and RTG SST composites) in GRIB (gridded binary) format (previously just McIDAS AREA, netcdf, and ASCII formats).  Eliminates the need to regrid the data for every domain of interest.  Used in modeling activities, SERVIR, WorldWind Inc., MAP06, NAMMA, WFO/WRF studies, etc.
 Adapted compositing technique to MODIS ocean color products   (chlorophyll, total suspended matter, fluorescence line height) obtained from University of South Florida
 Made NESDIS (Gary Ellrod) GOES Aviation Products (low cloud base, icing, and fog depth) available to WFOs in advance of AWIPS build 
 Disseminated CIRA polar orbiting TWP product to selected WFOs (request from SOO workshop)  

## ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)

** ****completed AIRS profile assimilation impact for new east coast case study –improvement in mid to upper-level temperature and moisture patterns in 36-48h forecasts**
** ****developed and demonstrated methodology to conduct near real-time profile assimilation with WRF**
** ****enhanced working relationship with AIRS science team to demonstrate utility of AIRS products in operational environment  **
** ****obtaining AIRS L1B/L2 data from University of Wisconsin direct broadcast**
** ****developed a technique to identify uncontaminated AIRS spectral channels in cloudy scenes**
** ****applied GOES / MODIS cloud product approaches to AIRS data (CO2 height / cloud fraction)**

**Yellow –in direct response to SAC 2005 recommendation**
**White  -- additional accomplishment**

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)**

## ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)

_**MODIS**_
** ****published article (IEEE TGRS) on MODIS (SST) compositing technique  **
** ****began real-time dissemination of MODIS SST composites in GRIB (gridded binary) format to community - SERVIR, WorldWind Inc., MAP06, NAMMA, WFO/WRF studies, etc.**
** ****adapted SST compositing technique to MODIS ocean color products****    **
_**Other remote sensing**_
** ****made NESDIS GOES Aviation Products available to WFOs in advance of AWIPS build – request from NESDIS**
** ****disseminated CIRA polar orbiting TWP products to WFOs (request from SOO workshop)  **
** ****used CloudSat data to help validate GOES/MODIS/AIRS cloud detection and height assignment schemes**
** ****evaluated use of AMSR-E surface products for weather applications **

**Yellow –in direct response to SAC 2005 recommendation**
**White  -- additional accomplishment**

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)**

## ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)

**implemented a coupled WRF/LIS at NASA/MSFC/SPoRT – early results show improved 2m temperatures and low level circulation patterns**
**used CloudSat simulator (QuickBeam) to provide first comparisons between CloudSat observations of real clouds and the cloud systems simulated by WRF **
**collaborated with Mobile WFO on WRF (with MODIS SST data) case study demonstrating improved wind / temperature forecast in coastal regions**
** ****developed collaborative project with Miami WFO to conduct robust demonstration of use of high resolution MODIS SST fields on WRF forecasts**
**developed capability to run GSI/WRF at JCSDA for AIRS data assimilation studies**
** ****NSSL WRF forecasts to WFOs**

**Yellow –in direct response to SAC 2005 recommendation**
**White  -- additional accomplishment**

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)**

## ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)

** ****transitioned convective initiation product output to AWIPS for evaluation and operational usage – training and survey**
**refined algorithms for dissemination and display of LMA data in AWIPS**
**assessment of LMA impact based on surveys / reports from forecasters**
_**Data dissemination**_
**began dissemination of products via Local Data Manager for reduction in latency and broader dissemination**
_**Training modules and surveys**_
**developed a SPoRT webcast on SPoRT activities**
**developed  several new product training modules for use by WFO (GOES aviation products, ADAS fields in AWIPS, Convective Initiation (CI) products in AWIPS)**
**participated in NPOESS Training Development Workshop funded by IPO**

**Yellow –in direct response to SAC 2005 recommendation**
**White  -- additional accomplishment**

**ACCOMPLISHMENTS (since Nov. 2005)**

## SUMMARY

_**SPoRT has:**_
**made significant contributions to the transition of NASA data to operations over the last 18 months**
**remains focused on its mission**
**been responsive to SAC and NASA Headquarters direction**
**received consistent funding and support from NASA HQs**
**established new partners who bring their own resources**
_**SPoRT actively:**_
**seeks external funding and new collaborators**
**disseminates the results of its work**
_**SPoRT is planning for the future**_** by directing applications and efforts towards NPP/NPOESS data and its transition into the next generation AWIPS systems to be used by NWS forecasters**