# Presentation: 679058

## AIRS Products for the National Weather Service

- Brad Zavodsky
- SPoRT Science Advisory Committee:  June 12, 2007

## Overview

-  AIRS Instrument Review
-  SPoRT/SOO workshop and AIRS Science Team collaborations
-  Current Work
-  Point Location Skew-Ts
-  Gridded AIRS product for WFO
-  Boundary Layer Height
-  Summary/Future Plans

*Relevance to SPoRT:  Taking real-time AIRS L2 profile data and creating useful tools to assist NWS forecasters improve 0 – 24h forecasts*

## AIRS Instrument Review

-  Aboard Aqua polar orbiter with early afternoon equator crossing
-  2378 spectral channels from 3.7 to 15.4 μm) (650 – 2675 cm-1)
-  3 x 3 footprints (golfball; L1B: 15km; L2: 50 km spatial resolution)
-  L2 products have:
-  V4 (current version) 0.9-1.3K global ocean and land (in 1 km layers); <15% RH (in 2 km layers)
-  quality indicators (QIs) based on how deep the sounding goes in the atmosphere
-  V5 (available S07) will have improved accuracy (WV profile and over non-frozen land) and level-by-level error estimates for better QIs

## Outcome of SPoRT/SOO Workshop and AIRS Science Team Visit

-  AIRS L2 products beneficial because they provide upper air information in spatial and temporal data voids
-  Feedback from SPoRT/SOO workshop determined that AIRS L2 products could help solve specific forecast problems:
-  atmospheric destabilization leading to convective storms
-  diagnoses of 4D moisture variability in the mesoscale (particularly ahead of developing weather)
-  improved 0 – 24 hr prediction of sensible weather elements
-  fog, smoke, and low cloud detection (boundary layer)
-  Visit by AIRS Science Team members from JPL to discuss operational use of AIRS with WFO yielded three potential products:
-  L2 soundings at specific points (used as RAOBS)
-  L3 gridded product (generated from L2 profiles; used as model)
-  Boundary layer height product

## Current Work:  AIRS Skew-Ts at Point Locations

-  Provide WFO sounding information for nearest high-quality AIRS sounding
-  Overlay AIRS and RAOB data at RAOB locations (e.g. BNA)
-  Produce just AIRS profiles at latitude/ longitude for locations lacking RAOB (e.g. HUN)
-  Introduce into AWIPS as RAOB data

- Sample AIRS/RAOB overlain Skew-T for Nashville, TN (BNA)

- Sample AIRS Skew-T for Huntsville, AL (HUN) (no available RAOB)

- 00Z RAOB 12Z RAOB AIRS

- AIRS

## Current Work:  Gridded AIRS Product for WFO

-  “Proof of concept” prototype using V4 standard AIRS profiles and Cressman analysis
-  Produces smooth, realistic looking field of temperatures and dew points with no discontinuities from land to water

- AWIPS display of AIRS 1000 hPa T

- AWIPS display of AIRS 1000 hPa Td

## Current Work:  Gridded AIRS Product for WFO (cnt’d)

-  Easily generates vertical cross sections
-  Able to create point soundings with calculated indices (e.g. CAPE, LCL, etc.) at any location there are data

- AWIPS display of AIRS T cross section

- AWIPS display of AIRS Td cross section

## Current Work:  Boundary Layer Height Product

-  Important to validate AIRS lower layers in order to use product (assist JPL in this task)
-  Comparison between UAH MPR data collocated in space and time
-   Preliminary results indicate AIRS and MPR show similar structure of lower atmosphere—should lead to similar boundary layer height
-  Product for WFO would convey boundary layer height on a pixel-by-pixel basis
-  forecasters could view plan view of boundary layer or cross section (similar viewing to gridded product)

- AIRS  MIPS

- Same lower atmosphere structure

## Summary

-  AIRS profiles are a valuable asset to the operational community by providing upper air information in spatial and temporal data voids
-  The SPoRT/SOO workshop and meetings with members of the AIRS Science Team helped identify three possible products that could assist forecasters with specific forecasting problems
-  L2 soundings at specific points
-  L3 gridded product
-  Boundary Layer height product
-  Continued collaboration with the AIRS Science Team and NWS will help determine best possible products for operational use

## Future Work

-  Eagerly awaiting implementation of V5 AIRS algorithm sometime this summer—working closely with JPL and University of Wisconsin to get AIRS V5 on direct broadcast as quickly as possible
-  Add AIRS point soundings as an additional RAOB type in AWIPS
-  Adapt the prototype gridded product to use V5 support product and get further assistance from JPL in producing a regional, gridded product in near-real-time (perhaps a new L3 product in V6 release)
-  Produce files in real-time and transfer to WFOs for forecaster use
-  Assist JPL with validation of AIRS boundary layer using UAH MIPS, which could lead to a boundary layer height product for WFOs