# Presentation: 525995

##   Sea-surface temperatures from VIIRS  

**  ****Sea-surface temperatures from VIIRS**** **** **

**Peter J Minnett**
**Robert H Evans**
**Nov 4-6, 2003**** **

## EDR/CDR List

-      **Primary: Sea-surface temperature**
**Success requires very good pre-launch characterization, excellent on-board calibration, robust atmospheric correction algorithms, and comprehensive validation exercise.**
-      **Secondary:**
**Expertise in ocean color retrievals.**
**Interest in ice-surface temperature, albedo, cloud radiative forcing.**
**Can also provide at-sea measurements of cloud amounts, aerosols, atmospheric temperature profiles.**

## Roles of PI and Co-I's

-    **Peter Minnett : project oversight; experience with atmospheric correction algorithms for SST, rte simulations, validation, skin-bulk relationships, MODIS instrumental effects....**
-    **Robert Evans (Co-PI): experience with atmospheric correction algorithms for SST and ocean color, MODIS instrumental effects, validation, large data sets, computing resources...**
**Edward Kearns: experience with atmospheric correction algorithms for SST and ocean color, MODIS instrumental effects, validation. **
**Ajoy Kumar: AVHRR, GOES, MODIS SST error characteristics.**
**Kay Kilpatirck: AVHRR Pathfinder SST, MODIS validation data sets**
**Warner Baringer: MODIS data sets.**
**Sue Walsh: MODIS Oceans processing algorithms**
**Vicki Halliwell: AVHRR Pathfinder SST.**

## Approach

-    **Use of closest MODIS Bands as proxies to explore VIIRS algorithm behavior in global imagery**
-    **Make comparison with MODIS, AVHRR, AMSR-E, AATSR SST retrievals**
-    **Use of MODIS Matchup Data Base (radiometric and bulk) to determine VIIRS SST error characteristics**
-    **Use of radiative transfer modeling to explore functional dependences of VIIRS SST error characteristics**
-    **Use of extensive at-sea M-AERI and ancillary data sets to study skin-bulk relationships.**
-    **Anticipatory post-launch SST validation studies, as for MODIS**

## Resources Offered/Requested

**Offered:**
-    **Expertise with MODIS Ocean retrievals and validation**
-    **Match-up data base of MODIS and radiometric and subsurface ocean measurements**
-    **Extensive data bases of field data of surface and near-surface measurements**
-    **Radiative transfer models for VIIRS simulations**
-    **Extensive computer resources**
-    **State-of-the-art equipment (including M-AERI) on *****Explorer of the Seas***** and other research vessels.**
**Requested:**
**Additional support for at-sea post-launch validation activities**

## Information Resources Required

-    **Information that will allow us to understand the operation of the VIIRS, e.g:**
**Instrument specifications and deviations**
**Instrument design**
**Layout of focal planes**
**Black body characteristics**
**Pre-launch characterization data, e.g. spectral response functions (including out-of-band), NE****Δ****Ts, evidence (if any) of spatial and spectral cross-talk, evidence (if any) of stray light issues**
**Thermal vacuum test data **
**On-board calibration – description and procedures.**
**Scan mirror rvs issues....**
-    **Algorithm revisions**
-    **Operational constraints, e.g. day-night algorithm switching protocol; Deep Space or Moon View Maneuvers; **
-    **Post-launch data over global oceans, including quality flags, at L1a, L1b, L2...  geolocation data, cloud masks....**

## SST Validation

-    **Very accurate, self calibrating spectro-radiometers**
**     ****(eg, MAERI, ISAR, CIRIMS, SISTer...)**
-    **Supplemented by large numbers of buoy data**

-  **Global****, seasonal coverage, filling parameter space **

-  ** ****NIST Traceable**** **

## Contribution to Deliverables

-      **Analyses of error characteristics of the anticipated VIIRS SST fields.**
-      **Recommendations for algorithm revisions for CDR generation.**
-      **Contributions to secondary EDR/CDR analyses**
-       **Initial post-launch validation of VIIRS SSTs**