Global Change Observation Mission
1st Research Announcement
AMSR2 on GCOM-W1
Algorithm, Validation, and Application

Issued: January 18, 2008
Proposal Due: April 14, 2008

Earth Observation Research Center
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 1
2.
Technical descriptions ............................................................................ 3
2.1. Purposes of RA ........................................................................................ 3
2.2. Research areas ........................................................................................ 3
3. Instructions for responding to this RA ...................................................... 7
3.1. Qualifications.......................................................................................... 7
3.2. Research agreement conclusion ............................................................. 7
3.3. Research period ...................................................................................... 7
3.4. Resources ................................................................................................ 7
3.5. Obligations .............................................................................................. 8
3.6. Selection .................................................................................................. 8
3.7. Late proposals ......................................................................................... 8
3.8. Withdrawal of proposal........................................................................... 8
3.9. Cancellation and postponement ............................................................. 8
3.10. Important dates ................................................................................... 8
3.11. Proposal submission and contact point ............................................... 9
4. Instructions for proposal contents ........................................................... 10
4.1. General ................................................................................................. 10
4.2. Format .................................................................................................. 10
4.3. Proposal contents.................................................................................. 10
5. Description of research agreement .......................................................... 125.1. Contractual procedure .......................................................................... 125.2. Research agreement summary ............................................................. 12
Appendix A PROPOSAL COVER SHEET AND SCHEDULE .......................................................... A-1
Appendix B RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................... B-1
Appendix C OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL CHANGE OBSERVATION MISSION (GCOM) .. C-1

1.

Introduction

As the first step in a series of the Global Change Observation Mission (GCOM) researchannouncements (RAs), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announces the opportunity
to conduct research activities directly related to retrieval algorithms for geophysical products, productvalidation, and data application of GCOM-W1, which is scheduled for launch in early 2012 as the first
generation of GCOM-W (Water) series. This RA covers a three-year research period beginning inearly Japanese Fiscal Year (JFY) 2008.
GCOM seeks to establish and demonstrate a global, long-term satellite observing system to measureessential geophysical parameters for understanding the global climate change and water cycle
mechanism, and eventually contribute to improving future climate projection through a collaborative
framework with climate model institutions. Demonstrating capabilities of operational applications
through providing continuous data to operational agencies is another important purpose. GCOM willtake over the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II) mission and transition into
long-term monitoring of the Earth. To achieve global, comprehensive, long-term, and homogeneous
observation, GCOM will consist of two satellite types and three consecutive generations with a
one-year overlap, resulting in over a 13-year observation period. The two satellites are GCOM-W and
GCOM-C (Climate). The GCOM-W1 satellite will carry the Advanced Microwave ScanningRadiometer-2 (AMSR2) to contribute to understanding the water and energy cycle. The GCOM-C1
satellite will be equipped with the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) to observe the Earth’s
atmosphere and surface for contributing to the understanding of the carbon cycle and radiation budget.
The AMSR2 instrument is a multi-frequency, dual-polarized, passive microwave radiometer for
observing water-related geophysical parameters. AMSR2 is being designed and manufactured basedon the experience of AMSR aboard ADEOS-II and AMSR for the EOS (AMSR-E) that is currently inorbit gathering continuous data.
Through this announcement, JAXA is soliciting proposals contributing to the following areas(detailed technical information will be given in the next section).
- Algorithm Development
Develop or improve retrieval algorithms to produce AMSR2 standard products. The GCOM
project has set the success criteria using accuracies of standard products. Therefore, algorithm
development and improvement are expected to meet the criteria to make the GCOM mission
successful.
- Validation
Prepare validation sites and/or methodologies for AMSR2 product validation. Effective validation
activities collaborating with other science projects are expected.
- Application Research
Perform research on monitoring environmental changes and improving future prediction andresearch leading to social benefits including practical applications such as monitoring of wind andflood disasters using AMSR-E and other data. Development of new research products of AMSR2
based on new ideas and needs is also solicited.

1

JAXA plans to select 10 to 20 proposals under this RA. The principal investigator (PI) of eachselected proposal will become a member of the AMSR2 science team (name is provisional). The
science team leader will be participating in the GCOM general board that will be the unique forum to
discuss GCOM overall objectives and mission requirements. JAXA members from the Earth
Observation Research Center (EORC) will work closely with the AMSR2 science team, particularly
for testing and integrating retrieval algorithms.
For this RA, JAXA will give budget allocation priority to the areas of standard algorithm
development to meet the product accuracy requirements. Although it will depend on the budget
situation, JAXA plans to spend 50 to 75 million yen per year during the three-year RA period. JAXA
may also select non-funded PIs for research not highly relevant to GCOM objectives. All categories ofdomestic and foreign organizations with nonprofit and peaceful purposes may apply under this RA.
However, funding may differ for each research category and applicant. Funding by JAXA is basically
restricted to domestic PIs, although some exceptions may be made for research necessary to realize
the GCOM mission success. Proposals will be selected based on a peer-review process anddiscussions in science/project evaluation boards. JAXA plans to announce the selection results in May
2008. Descriptions of the GCOM mission, satellite and sensor systems, and definition of the products
will be found in Appendix C.

2

2. Technical descriptions
2.1. Purposes of RA
To meet the mission objectives of GCOM-W1, which are to understand global environment
variation and to improve its forecast accuracy, this RA invites research themes from both domestics
and overseas. Research fields include research necessary to generate global, long-term, highly
accurate and stable products utilizing and enhancing past achievements of ADEOS-II/AMSR,
Aqua/AMSR-E and others, as well as research demonstrating climate variation and water cycle
variation using those products.
2.2. Research areas
Research themes will be sought in the following three research areas based on the GCOM-W1
mission.
– Algorithm Development– Validation– Application Research
Since the research period of this RA covers the pre-launch phase, this RA will emphasize the field of“Algorithm Development.” Details for each field are presented below.
(1) Algorithm Development
This research area encompasses research and development of geophysical retrieval
algorithms and improvement of previously developed AMSR/AMSR-E algorithms. In
addition, JAXA and PIs will jointly evaluate the algorithms and install these in JAXA
computer systems. As described in chapter 5, this research theme is generally supported
through a “Commissioned Research Agreement.”
Table 1 lists geophysical parameters to be produced as standard products of the GCOM-W1
mission; their accuracies are defined as mission success criteria. Those accuracies were
defined in consultation with users based on the performance of ADEOS-II/AMSR and
Aqua/AMSR-E products. The “Data release” accuracy denotes minimum accuracy for the
first data release, the “Standard” accuracy is defined as valuable and standard accuracy, andthe “Goal” accuracy includes many challenges in improving algorithm performance and/or
calibration accuracy and is to be achieved on a research basis.
Algorithms accepted in this research area will produce standard products that meetrequirements in Table 1 in the operational phase of the GCOM-W1 mission. Algorithms to
produce geophysical products other than those listed in Table 1 will be considered research
products and will be included in theme 3 “Application Research.”
To meet the GCOM objectives, retrieval algorithms will require global applicability,
robustness, long-term stability, and low cross talk. Algorithms that can be extended andapplied for similar microwave radiometers and historical data records are preferable for
integrated retrieval. Computationally efficient, fast-processing algorithms are important forthe operational applications of the products.

3

Table 1.

GCOM-W1 Products

Product

Area

Resolution

Integrated water vapor

Global, overoceanIntegrated cloud liquid water

Accuracy 1

Range

Data release

Standard

Goal

15km

± 3.5kg/m2± 3.5kg/m2± 2.0kg/m2

0-70kg/m2

Global, over
ocean

15km

± 0.10kg/m2± 0.05kg/m2± 0.02kg/m2

0-1.0kg/m2

Precipitation

Global, except
cold latitudes

15km

Ocean ± 50%
Land ± 120%

Ocean ±50%Land ± 120%

Ocean ±20%Land ± 80%

0-20mm/h

Sea-surface temperature

Global, over
ocean

50km

± 0.5°C± 0.5°C±0.2°C-2 to 35°C

Sea-surface wind speed

Global, over
ocean

15km

± 1.5m/s± 1.0m/s± 1.0m/s

0-30m/s

Sea-ice concentration

Polar region,over ocean

15km

± 10%

± 10%

± 5%

0-100%Snow depth

Land

30km

± 20cm± 20cm± 10cm0-100cm

Soil moisture

Land

50km

± 10%

± 10%

± 5%

0-40%

A) Integrated water vapor
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates vertically accumulated water vapor over global
oceans, except sea ice and precipitating areas. Key points for algorithm development include
the following.
--

Use of analysis and forecast fields such as air temperature and sea surface winds
derived from high-resolution numerical weather prediction models as priorinformation.
Improvements of retrieval accuracy in thick and/or precipitating clouds.

B) Integrated cloud liquid water
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates vertically accumulated cloud liquid water overglobal oceans, except sea ice and precipitating areas. Key points for algorithm development
include the following.
--

Effective use of ancillary information on air temperature and sea surface wind speedwith improved accuracy and increased frequency; retrieval considering vertical profilesof air temperature and water vapor.
Comparison and algorithm improvement using active remote-sensing information
including cloud lidar and radar.

C) Precipitation
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates surface precipitation over the entire globe.
However, retrieval accuracy in high latitudes remains an issue. The precipitation algorithm
for AMSR2 should be generalized and applicable to similar sensors considering use in the
Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission. Key points for algorithm development
will include the following.
-

Improvement of radiative transfer models considering non-spherical ice crystals.

1 Accuracy is defined as the root-mean-square error at an instantaneous value unless otherwise stated.
4-Improvement of land-precipitation retrieval over various surface types such as snow
areas.
Retrieval of solid precipitation in high-latitude areas.
Use of ancillary data including objective analysis data.

D) Sea surface temperature
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates sea surface temperature over the ocean except
sea ice and heavy precipitation areas. Key points for algorithm development will include thefollowing.
-

Precise surface emissivity modeling considering environment conditions such as thetemperature difference between the sea surface and atmosphere.
Precise correction of wind direction effects.

E) Sea surface wind speed
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates sea-surface wind speed over the entire ocean,
except sea ice and precipitating areas. Key points for algorithm development will include thefollowing.
-

Precise surface-emissivity modeling considering environment conditions such astemperature difference between the sea surface and atmosphere.
Precise correction of wind direction effects.

F) Sea ice concentration
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates the sea ice concentration over the polar regionand over oceans. Key points for algorithm development will include;-

Reduction of pseudo sea-ice areas near coastlines due to the radiometer’s antennasidelobes.
Reduction of atmospheric effects (e.g., water vapor) particularly in lower latitude areas
including the Sea of Okhotsk.
Improvement of retrieval accuracy in marginal regions and over thin-ice areas.

G) Snow depth
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates snow depth over land, except ice sheets andthick forest regions. Key points for algorithm development will include the following.
-Consideration of underlying soil conditions.
Separation of snow cover and no-snow areas in dry, cold regions.
Seamless retrieval through all seasons from dry to melting conditions.
Consideration of vegetation effects, particularly for snow over canopy.

H) Soil moisture
The current algorithm for AMSR-E estimates soil moisture over land including dry and cold
areas, except ice sheets and thick forest regions. Key points for algorithm development will
include the following.
-

Development of a flexible algorithm considering vegetation types, soil texture, andsurface roughness.
5-Seamless and consistent retrieval of soil moisture starting from the snow-melting
process.
Estimation of soil ice content in cold regions (monitoring of the tundra region).

(2) Validation
Research themes related to the following validation activities will be adopted in this RA:
research to prepare test sites and validation methods before GCOM-W1 launch, andresearch that will be effectively implemented by collaborating with other research programs.
Research themes on implementing detailed validation after GCOM-W1 launch will be
included in the second RA and later. As described in chapter 5, this research theme will
generally be implemented through a “Collaborative Research Agreement.”(3) Application Research
Research themes related to the following application studies will be adopted in this RA:
research that will use long-term satellite data, particularly AMSR-E data, to clarify global
environmental changes and to improve its prediction accuracy, which are goals of GCOM,
and research that will contribute to satisfying societal needs, such as development ofoperational usage of GCOM-W1 data for monitoring weather and water-related hazards.
Research products based on new concepts or needs and combination with other satellites or
sensors will also be adopted. Examples of research and combined products include thefollowing.
-

Cloud liquid water over ice and land.
Precipitation over cold latitudes.
Sea ice thickness.
All-weather sea surface wind speed.
Hydrological assimilation products over land.

As described in chapter 5, this research theme is generally implemented through a“Collaborative Research Agreement.”
All applicants should keep in mind that JAXA is not a general funding body for thescientific community. This RA seeks to accomplish the GCOM-W1 mission’s goals and tofind new possibilities for utilizing GCOM-W1 data. Proposals should clearly describeplans for GCOM-W1 data usage.

6

3.

Instructions for responding to this RA

3.1. Qualifications
If a proposal is for peaceful purposes and has non-commercial objectives, researchers belonging to
all categories of domestic and foreign organizations including educational institutions, government
offices, public companies, private enterprises and the other groups can apply for this RA.
3.2. Research agreement conclusion
After the proposals are selected, a research agreement should be made between JAXA and theorganization to which the PI belongs, using associated terms and conditions to be prepared by
JAXA. There are several types of associated terms and conditions of research agreements basedon the category of research, funding, and domestic or overseas. Detailed information oncontract matters are described in Section 5.
3.3. Research period
The total research period of this RA will be three years from JFY 2008. However, the performance
will be evaluated based on an interim report at the end of each Japanese fiscal year in order to verify
and decide whether the research is to be continued the next year. The 1st RA research period will befollowed by the 2nd and 3rd RA activities depending on the condition of the GCOM project. Also,
after government approval, JAXA may issue the RA for GCOM-C1 and interdisciplinary researchusing the entire GCOM dataset.
3.4. Resources(1) Funding
JAXA will reserve funds to support selected proposals. The basic policy for funding is as follows.
A) Based on the purpose of this RA, funding will be mainly available for the “Algorithm
Development” category, within JAXA’s budget limitation. Proposals related to the“Validation” and “Application Research” may be funded depending on the importance andrelevancy to the GCOM mission.
B) JAXA funding is basically restricted to domestic PIs, although some exceptions may bemade for research that is necessary for the GCOM mission success.
C) If funding is not available for an applicant, the applicant may be selected as a non-funded PI
upon consultation between JAXA and the applicant.
(2) Data sets
Data sets necessary for conducting research and owned by JAXA will basically be provided freeof charge within the limitation of distribution capability. Available data sets, including AMSR and
AMSR-E data, are listed in Appendix B. Provision of data sets that JAXA is not authorized todisclose will be discussed separately. The following policy shall be observed by participants forusing satellite, in-situ, and other data sets provided through this RA.
A) Data sets shall be used only for research purposes that are proposed and selected under thisRA.
B) Data sets shall not be disclosed to a third party or parties.
7

3.5. Obligations
PIs have different obligations depending on the funding status.
(1) Funded PIs shall submit to JAXA an interim report on the results at the end of each JFY anda final report at the end of the three-year research period. Furthermore, funded PIs are
required to participate in the workshop organized by JAXA once a year and present a status
report. PIs must cover necessary travel expense for participating in the workshop withinfunds provided by this RA.
(2) Non-funded PIs shall also submit an interim report and a final report. However, such reports
can be substituted with papers published during the term. Participation in the workshop is
highly recommended but not mandatory. Support of travel expense will depend on JAXA’sbudget.
3.6. Selection
Selection of proposals will be based on a peer-review process and discussions in science/project
evaluation boards. JAXA selection officials make the final decisions. The principal elements
considered in evaluating a proposal are its relevance to the objectives, intrinsic merit and cost.
Evaluation of its intrinsic merit includes consideration of the following equally important factors.
(1) Overall scientific and technical merit of the proposal or unique and innovative methods,
approaches, or concepts demonstrated by the proposal.
(2) Proposer’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combinations of thesethat are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives.
(3) The qualifications, capabilities, and experience of the proposed PI and CI.
(4) Overall standing among similar proposals and/or evaluation against the state-of-the-art.
3.7. Late proposals
Proposals or modifications received after the date specified in this RA may be considered if theselecting official deems them to offer JAXA a significant scientific and/or technical advantage or cost
reduction.
3.8. Withdrawal of proposal
Proposals may be withdrawn by the applicant at any time. To withdraw a proposal, the applicant
should immediately notify JAXA.
3.9. Cancellation and postponement
JAXA reserves the right to cancel this RA upon notice delivered by JAXA. In addition, JAXA
assumes no liability for canceling this RA or for postponing this RA schedule.
3.10. Important dates
January

18, 2008 1st Research Announcement issued

April

14, 2008 Proposal Due Date

May

2008

Notification of Selection Results8

3.11. Proposal submission and contact point
Proposals with complete sets of attachments, such as reprints of papers, should be converted to
PDF format and sent via E-mail to the GCOM RA Office. The maximum file size acceptable byE-mail is 10MB.
E-mail address of GCOM RA Office: GCOM_RA@jaxa.jp
In case of difficulty sending via E-mail, five copies of both proposals and the complete set of
attachments should be sent via postal mail to:
Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki (GCOM RA Office)Earth Observation Research Center (EORC)
Tsukuba Space Center
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
2-1-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8505, Japan
The point of contact is:
Mr. Hiroshi Sasaki (GCOM RA Office)Earth Observation Research CenterTel:+81-29-868-2729
Fax:+81-29-868-2961
E-mail address: GCOM_RA@jaxa.jp

94.

Instructions for proposal contents

4.1. General(1) Proposals received in response to this RA will be used only for evaluation purposes.
(2) The following types of proposals are not acceptable.
A) Proposals that include restrictions or patents from other institutions.
B) Proposals that are restricted when distributed or published.
(3) Proposals will not be returned to applicants.
4.2. Format(1) It is highly recommended that applicants send their proposals and complete sets of all
attachments, such as reprints of papers, in PDF format via E-mail.
(2) Forms for cover sheet, work plan, and resource requirements can be found in Appendices A
and B. No mandatory formats are applied to other parts of the proposal except thefollowing.
A) The page or paper size should be A4 or Letter size.
B) The page number must appear at the middle of the bottom of each page, and the nameof the applicant must appear in the upper right corner.
C) Proposals should be word processing documents in either English or Japanese, with afont size not smaller than 12 points.
(3) Proposals should be brief and to the point, concentrating on substantive materials. The main
body of the proposals should not exceed 20 pages in length. Necessary detailed information,such as reprints, should be included as attachments. A complete set of attachments must
accompany each copy of a proposal when submitting via postal mail.
4.3. Proposal contents(1) Cover sheet
A) Research title
State your research title precisely and clearly. The title should be brief, reflecting anespecially valid project intelligible to a science-literate reader and suitable for use in the
public process.
B) Research category
Choose the relevant category to which the proposal belongs.
D) Information of applicants- Identifying information of PI.
State the name, job title, organization, address, E-mail address, and telephone andfacsimile numbers of the PI.
- Identifying information of Co-investigator.
State the name, organization, telephone number, and E-mail address of each
Co-investigator (CI). One research team should consist of only one PI, or one PI andseveral CIs.
E) Budget
Provide a three-year budget broken down by year and the three-year total amount inJapanese Yen (from JFY 2008 through 2010).
F) Endorsement
Signature of a responsible official or authorized representative of the proposing
organization, or any other person authorized to legally bind the organization.
(2) Abstract10

Include a concise, one-page abstract describing the objective, significance, method of
approach, and anticipated results.
(3) Description of proposal
This is the main body of the proposal and should not exceed 20 pages in length. This main
body shall be a detailed statement of the work to be undertaken, including its objectives andsignificance, relation to the present state of knowledge, and relation to previous work doneon the project and to related work in progress elsewhere. The statement should outline theplan of work, including the broad design of experiments to be undertaken and a descriptionof experiment methods and procedures. The project description should address theevaluation factors in these instructions and any specific factors in the RA. Any substantial
collaboration with individuals not referred to in the budget or use of consultants should be
described. Subcontracting significant portions of a research project is discouraged.
(4) Work plan (Research schedule)
The research schedule should be outlined in the form indicated in Appendix A.
(5) Management approach
For large or complex efforts involving interactions among numerous individuals or otherorganizations, plans for distribution of responsibilities and arrangements for ensuring acoordinated effort should be described.
(6) PersonnelA) Biographical information, experience, papers in related fields
A short biographical sketch, a list of publications, experiences related to this RA, andprofessional qualifications of the PI should be included. Also provide similar
biographical information on each CI.
B) Role of CI
The PI is responsible for supervising the work and CIs in the research. State each CI’srole in the proposed research.
(7) Resource requirements
Resource requirements should be described in the form indicated in Appendix B.
Information of required resources will be considered during the selection process. After
deciding the total amount of funding for each PI, JAXA will send more detailed forms forresource requirements to selected PIs for the final adjustment of funding. Before beginning
the second and third years, JAXA will send the same forms for resource requirements again.
Instructions for the budget summary and data request are also included in Appendix B.

11

5.

Description of research agreement

5.1. Contractual procedure(1) After selecting the proposal and the PI, JAXA will send the PI guidelines, associated terms
and conditions of research agreement, and an application form for making an agreement.
Please note that JAXA will make an agreement with the organization to which the PI
belongs, not to the PI or CI. The organization should submit the application form with thefinal research plan and final budget summary (only for funded organizations) that are agreed
with JAXA according to the guidelines within the submission due date. The submission of
the application form will be regarded as definite intention of making an agreement with
JAXA, and the agreement will be effective upon issuance of confirmation sheet by JAXA.
(2) If JAXA determines that an extension of a research project is justified by the interim reportat the end of the JFY, the research agreement will be extended for one year, within a limit ofMarch 31, 2011. The organization will submit an application for extension to JAXA.
However, funded organizations should submit the continuing agreement application form to
JAXA at the beginning of the JFY.
(3) The organizations shall comply with terms and conditions defined in the research
agreement.

5.2. Research agreement summary(1) Type of research agreement
There are six types of associated terms and conditions of research agreements based on theapplicable category of research, funding/non funding and domestic/overseas, and they are
divided into the following two types.
A) Commissioned Research Agreement (Funding)
In principle, the “Commissioned Research Agreement” will be applied to research in the“Algorithm Development” category. The organization shall conduct the research according to
the Statement of Work provided by JAXA. In this case, any result obtained through theexecution of the research and also specified as a deliverable will belong to JAXA. However,
the organization may retain the right to use the results for its own research purposes.
JAXA will provide necessary funds to the organization to conduct the research as describedin the Statement of Work, and supply the Earth Observation Satellite Data to the organization.
The organization shall submit an interim report and a final report to JAXA, participate in theworkshops to report research progress. If this agreement is canceled or terminated, theorganization shall refund to JAXA any unexpended funds which have already been paid by
JAXA.
Commissioned Research Agreement is not applicable for Non-funding organizations.
B) Collaborative Research Agreement (Funding/Non-funding)
In principle, the “Collaborative Research Agreement” will be applied to research in“Validation” and “Application Research” categories. In this case, results obtained through theexecution of the research will belong to each contributing party. JAXA will retain the right touse all results including results belonging to the organization for its own research purposes,
without prior consent of the organization. There are two types of agreement(domestic/overseas) for JAXA funded and non-funded projects.
12Difference between funding agreement and non-funding agreement-Collaborative Research Agreement (Funding):
JAXA provides part of the research fund and the Earth Observation Satellite Data for theorganization necessary for the implementation of the research. The organization shall submit
an interim report and a final report to JAXA, participate in the workshops to report research
progress. If this agreement is canceled or terminated, the organization shall refund to JAXA
any unexpended funds which have already been paid by JAXA.
-Collaborative Research Agreement (Non-Funding):
JAXA provides the Earth Observation Satellite Data for the organization necessary for
implementation of the research. The organization shall submit an interim report and a
final report to JAXA. However, such reports can be substituted with papers publishedduring the research term. Participation in the workshops is highly recommended, but
not mandatory.

(2) Publication of results
Results derived from research activities will generally be published. A PI who wishes torelease his or her research results to a third party shall-

Provide JAXA with a copy of the publication before release,
State in the publication that he or she obtained the results through participating in thisRA research,
Grant JAXA an irrevocable and royalty-free right to use the provided publications,
unless an academic society responsible for its publication requires the PI to transfer the
copyright to it.

13

APPENDIX APROPOSAL COVER SHEET AND SCHEDULE

A-1

Proposal Cover Sheet
JAXA GCOM Research Announcement
Proposal No.

(Leave Blank for JAXA Use)

Title

Research category (circle one)

Algorithm

Validation

Application

Principal Investigator
Job
Title

Name
Department
Institution
Address
Country
E-mailTelephone
Facsimile

Co - Investigator
Name

Institution

Telephone

E-mailBudget (thousand yen)
JFY2008

JFY2009

JFY2010TOTAL(Leave Blank for JAXA Use)

Authorizing Official:(Name and Title)

A-2(Institution)

Research Schedule
JFY
Month 4
Milestone

Activities

2008
5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 1

2009
2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 1

2010
2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 1

2

3

A-3

APPENDIX BRESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

B-1

BUDGET SUMMARY
1. Personnel Expenses
Outside EORC
2008

(unit: thousand yen)
2009
2010 TOTAL

2008(unit: thousand yen)
2009
2010 TOTAL

2008(unit: thousand yen)
2009
2010 TOTAL

2008

2009

2. Computers / Peripheral Equipment
2.1 EORC Lease Workstation
Workstation
2.2 Peripherals / Software
Peripherals / Software

3. Subcontracts
ITEM

4. Expendable Materials and Supplies
ITEM (unit)

B-2

2010

TOTAL

5. Travel Expenses(unit: days / times or days / travelers)
Departure Point – Destination
2008
2009
2010

6. Observation Equipment
ITEM

7. Satellite Data
Name of
Satellite /Sensors

8. Other Data
Name of
Datasets

Distributor

Distributor

Purpose

Purpose2008(unit: thousand yen)
2009
2010
Total

2008

(unit: thousand yen)
Cost
2009
2010 TOTAL

2008(unit: thousand yen)
Cost
2009
2010 TOTAL

2008(unit: thousand yen)
2009
2010 TOTAL

9. Others
ITEM

TOTAL

B-3

BUDGET SUMMARY (EXAMPLE)
1. Personnel Expenses
Outside EORC
2007

Part-time job for DSD data analysis

2008(unit: thousand yen)2009 TOTAL

320(40x8)

320(40x8)

160
800(20x8) (100x8)

2007
50

(unit: thousand yen)
2008
2009 TOTAL
50

2007

(unit: thousand yen)
2008
2009 TOTAL

1,500

600

2,400

2007

2008

2009

TOTAL

2. Computers / Peripheral Equipment
2.1 EORC Lease Workstation
Workstation

2.2 Peripherals / Software
Peripherals / Software
CD-RW Drive

3. Subcontracts

Softwareanalysis

ITEMS

development

for

DSD

data

4. Expendable Materials and Supplies
ITEMS (unit)

8mm tape (112m)
CD-R
MO (640MB)
A4 Paper (package of 500 sheets)

300

60
100
10
2

B-4

50
100
15
2

50
120
10
1

160
320
35
5

5. Travel Expenses(unit: days / times or days / travelers)
Departure Point – Destination
2007
2008
2009

Tokyo - Washington, D.C.
Tokyo - Paris
Tokyo - Paris
Tokyo - Osaka

7/2

3/1

6. Observation Equipment
ITEMS

Micro Rain Radar

7. Satellite Data
Name of
Satellite /Sensor

8. Other Data
Name of
DatasetDistributor

Distributor

7/1
5/1

2007

(unit: thousand yen)
2008
2009
Total

2007

(unit: thousand yen)
Cost
2008
2009 TOTAL

2007(unit: thousand yen)
Cost
2008
2009 TOTAL

2007

2008

2009

TOTAL

2,342

1,987

941

5,270

1,500

Purpose

Purpose

8/1
6/1

1,500

9. Others
ITEM

TOTAL
B-5

JAXA DATA REQUIREMENTS
1. JAXA-Archived Satellite Datasets(ADEOS, JERS-1, ERS, MOS, SPOT, LANDSAT, TRMM, Aqua, ADEOS-II, ALOS)

Name of Satellite / Sensor

Quantity(scenes)B-6

PurposeB.1 Instructions for budget summary
Provide a budget summary by cost element (Personnel Expenses, Computers/Peripheral
equipment, Subcontracts, Expendable Materials and Supplies, Travel Expenses, Observation
Equipment, Satellite Data, Other Data, and Others), sorted by Japanese fiscal year as in theexample attached to this form. An annual summary budget should also appear on the last line.
(1) Personnel expenses
Enter expenses for part-time workers here as the total cost calculated by multiplying the unit
cost per day by the number of days. For part-time workers, use your own cost estimates.
(2) Computers/peripheral equipment/softwareEnter the lease and rental cost of computers and/or peripheral equipment. Note that JAXA
has the right to change specifications of all equipment. Also enter the cost of software here.
(3) Subcontracts
Provide the cost of subcontracts to outside companies or organizations here.
(4) Expendable materials and supplies
Enter the quantity of each item, following the example.
(5) Travel expenses
Describe the proposed domestic and/or international travel including information ondestination and number of days/number of times (or travelers).
(6) Observation equipment
Enter costs of observation equipment including installation cost.
(7) Satellite data
Investigators requesting satellite data other than JAXA-owned or archived data (listed in thenext section) should provide cost information here.
(8) Other data
Enter costs for data other than satellite data.
(9) Others
Enter costs for publication and others here.
B.2 Instructions for data requirements
JAXA-owned satellite data includes AMSR and AMSR-E data and other satellite data listed
below. JAXA will provide requested data judged necessary for the proposed research, subject toavailability of data processing.
-

Marine Observation Satellite (MOS) (only around Japan)
LANDSAT (only around Japan)
SPOT (only around Japan, available until JFY2001)
European Remote-sensing Satellite (ERS)-1, 2 (only around Japan; for Japanese
researchers only; available until JFY2002)
Japanese Earth Resources Satellite (JERS)-1 (global)
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)
Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS)
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) aboard EOS-Aquasatellite
Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II)
Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) (TBD scenes from JAXA archives)

Data availability can be checked on JAXA’s Earth Observation Satellite Data Distribution
Service (linked from EORC website, http://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/en/about/distribution/index.html).
B-7

APPENDIX COVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL CHANGE OBSERVATIONMISSION (GCOM)

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1.

Introduction

Comprehensive observation, understanding, assessment, and prediction of global climate change arecommon and important issues for all mankind. This is also identified as one of the importantsocio-economic benefits by the 10-year implementation plan for Earth Observation that was adopted by
the Third Earth Observation Summit to achieve the Global Earth Observation System of Systems(GEOSS). International efforts to comprehensively monitor the Earth by integrating various satellites,
in-situ measurements, and models are gaining importance. As a contribution to this activity, the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to develop the Global Change Observation Mission(GCOM). GCOM will take over the mission of the Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-II (ADEOS-II)and develop into long-term monitoring of the Earth.
As mentioned in the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), warming of the climate system is unequivocal as is now evident from observations of increases in
global average air and ocean temperatures and widespread melting of snow and ice. However, climatechange signals are generally small and modulated by natural variability, and are not necessarily uniform
over the Earth. Therefore, the observing system of the climate variability should be stable, and should
cover a long term over the entire Earth.
To satisfy these needs, GCOM consists of two medium-size, polar-orbiting satellite series and multiple
generations (e.g., three generations) with one-year overlaps between consecutive generations forinter-calibration. The two satellite series are GCOM-W (Water) and GCOM-C (Climate). Two
instruments were selected to cover a wide range of geophysical parameters: the Advanced Microwave
Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2) on GCOM-W and the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) on
GCOM-C. The AMSR2 instrument will perform observations related to the global water and energy cycle,
while the SGLI will conduct surface and atmospheric measurements related to the carbon cycle andradiation budget. This chapter presents an overview of the mission objectives, observing systems, and data
products of GCOM.
2.

Mission Objectives

The major objectives of GCOM can be summarized as follows.
- Establish and demonstrate a global, long-term Earth-observing system for understanding climate
variability and the water-energy cycle.
- Enhance the capability of climate prediction and provide information to policy makers throughprocess studies and model improvements in concert with climate model research institutions.
- Construct a comprehensive data system integrating GCOM products, other satellite data, and in-situ
measurements.
- Contribute to operational users including weather forecasting, fishery, and maritime agencies by
providing near-real-time data.
- Investigate and develop advanced products valuable for understanding of climate change and water
cycle studies.
Detailed explanations of the objectives are as follows.
(1) Understanding global environment changes
A) Establish and demonstrate a global, long-term Earth-observing system that is able toobserve valuable geophysical parameters for understanding global climate variability andC-2

water cycle mechanisms.
B) Contribute to improving climate prediction models by providing accurate values of model
parameters.
C) Clarify sinks and sources of greenhouse gases.
D) Contribute to validating and improving climate prediction models by forming acollaborative framework with climate model institutions and providing long-term
geophysical datasets to them.
E) Detect trends of global environment changes (e.g., global warming, vegetation changes,
desertification, variation of atmospheric constituents, wide area air pollution, and depletionof ozone layers) from long-term variability of geophysical parameters by extracting
short-term (three- to six-year) natural variability.
F) Advance process studies of Earth environmental changes using observation data.
G) Estimate radiative forcing, energy and carbon fluxes, and albedo by combining satellite
geophysical parameters, ground in-situ measurements, and models.
H) Advance the understanding of the Earth’s system through the activities above.
I) Contribute to an international environmental strategy utilizing the results above.
(2) Direct contribution to improving people’s lives
A) Improvement of weather forecast accuracy (particularly typhoon track prediction, localized
severe rain, etc.).
B) Improvement of forecast accuracy for unusual weather and climate.
C) Improvement of water-route and maritime information.
D) Provision of fishery information.
E) Efficient coastal monitoring.
F) Improved yield prediction of agricultural products.
G) Monitoring and forecasting air pollution including yellow dust.
H) Observation of volcanic smoke and prediction of the extent of the impact.
I) Detection of forest fires.
3.

Observing Systems

3.1. Overall concept
As mentioned in the previous section, the entire GCOM will consist of two satellite series spanning
three generations. However, a budget will be approved for each satellite. Currently, only the GCOM-W1
satellite has been approved for actual development as the first satellite in the GCOM series. Both
GCOM-W1 and GCOM-C1 satellites will be medium-size platforms that are smaller than the ADEOS-II
satellite. This is to reduce the risk associated with large platforms having valuable and multiple observing
instruments. Also, since the ADEOS-II problem was related to the solar paddle, a dual solar-paddle
design was adopted for both satellites. To assure data continuity and consistent calibration, follow-on
satellites will be launched so as to overlap the preceding satellite by one year. The concept is summarized
in Fig. 1.
Jan. 2012

1-year
GCOM-W1
GCOM-W2

LaunchGCOM-W3
GCOM-C1
GCOM-C2

LaunchGCOM-C3

Fig. 1. GCOM concept
C-3

3.2. GCOM-W1 and AMSR2 instrument
Figure 2 presents an overview of the GCOM-W1 satellite; its major characteristics are listed inTable 1. GCOM-W1 will carry AMSR2 as the sole onboard mission instrument. The satellite will
orbit at an altitude of about 700km and will have an ascending node local time of 1330, to maintainconsistency with Aqua/AMSR-E observations.

Fig. 2. Overview of GCOM-W1 satellite

TABLE 1
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF GCOM-W1 SATELLITE
Instrument

Size

Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-2 (AMSR2)
Sun-synchronous orbit
Altitude: 699.6km (over the equator)
5.1m (X) * 17.5m (Y) * 3.4m (Z)

Mass

1880kgPower

Over 4050W

Launch

JFY2001 (beginning of CY2012)

Design Life

5 years

StatusPreliminary design started in JFY2007

Orbit

Figure 1 presents an overview of the AMSR2 instrument in two different conditions. Also, basic
characteristics including center frequency, bandwidth, polarization, instantaneous field of view(FOV), and sampling interval are indicated in Table 2. The basic concept is almost identical to thatof AMSR-E: a conical scanning system with a large offset parabolic antenna, feed horn cluster torealize multi-frequency observation, external calibration with two temperature standards, andC-4

total-power radiometer systems. The 2.0m diameter antenna, which is larger than that of AMSR-E,
provides better spatial resolution at the same orbit altitude of around 700km. The antenna will be
developed based on the experience gained from the 2.0m diameter antenna for ADEOS-II AMSR
except the deployment mechanism. For the C-band receiver, we adopted additional 7.3GHz
channels for possible mitigation of radio-frequency interference. An incidence angle of 55 degrees(over the equator) was selected to maintain consistency with AMSR-E. The swath width of 1450km
and the selected satellite orbit will provide almost complete coverage of the entire Earth’s surface
within two days independently for ascending and descending observations.

Fig. 3. Sensor unit of AMSR2 instrument in deployed (left and center) and stowed (right) conditions.
TABLE 2FREQUENCY CHANNELS AND RESOLUTIONS OF AMSR2 INSTRUMENT

Centerfrequency[GHz]

Bandwidth[MHz]

6.925 / 7.3

350

10.65

100

18.7

200

23.8

400

36.5

1000

89.0

3000

Polarization

Beam width [deg.](Ground resolution [km])V and H

1.8 / 1.7
(35 x 62) / (34 x 58)
1.2(24 x 42)0.65
(14 x 22)0.75
(15 x 26)
0.35
(7 x 12)0.15(3 x 5)

Sampling interval
[km]

10

5

3.3. GCOM-C1 and SGLI instrument
Figure 4 gives an overview of the GCOM-C1 satellite; its major characteristics are listed in Table 3.
GCOM-C1 will carry SGLI as the sole mission onboard instrument. The satellite will orbit at an altitude
of about 800km; the descending node local time will be 1030, to maintain a wide observation swath andreduce cloud interference over land.
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Fig. 4. Overview of GCOM-C1 satellite
TABLE 3
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF GCOM-C1 SATELLITE
Instrument

Size

Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI)
Sun-synchronous orbit
Altitude: 800km (over the equator)
4.6m (X) * 16.3m (Y) * 2.8m (Z)

Mass

1950kgPower

Over 4250W

Launch

JFY2012 (TBD)

Design Life

5 years

StatusResearch phase

Orbit

The SGLI instrument has two major new features: 250m spatial resolution for most of the visible
channels and polarization/multidirectional observation capabilities. The 250m resolution will
provide enhanced observation capability over land and coastal areas where the influences of humanactivity are most obvious. The polarization and multidirectional observations will enable us toretrieve aerosol information over land. Precise observation of global aerosol distribution is a key for
improving climate prediction models.
SGLI consists of two major components: the Infrared Scanner (IRS) and the Visible and
Near-infrared Radiometer (VNR). An overview of the SGLI instrument is shown in Fig. 5 for theentire radiometer layout, IRS, and VNR components. Also, requirements for sensor performance arelisted in Tables 4 and 5. VNR can be further divided into two components: VNR-Non Polarized(VNR-NP) and VNR-Polarized (VNR-P). VNR-NP and VNR-P are the 11-channel multi-band
radiometer and the polarimeter with three polarization angles (0, 60, and 120 degrees). VNR-P has atilting function to meet the scatter angle requirement from aerosol observation. The IRS is an
infrared radiometer covering wavelengths from 1μm to 12μm. It consists of short infrared (SWI;
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1.05 to 2.21μm) and thermal infrared (TIR 10.8 and 12.0μm) sensors. It employs a scanning mirror
system with a 45-degree tilted flat mirror rotating continuously to realize an 80-degree observation
swath and calibration measurement in every scan.
Through intensive discussions and optimizing studies, the number of SGLI channels wasdecreased from the 36 channels of GLI aboard ADEOS-II to 19 channels, while the number of
SGLI standard products will increase compared to those of GLI.

Fig. 5. Overview of SGLI radiometer layout (upper), IRS instrument (lower-left), and VNR radiometers(lower-right).
TABLE 4
SGLI MAJOR PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
Item
Spectral Bands

Scan Angle
Instantaneous field(IFOV) at nadir

of

view

Quantization
Absolute Calibration Accuracy
Life Time

Requirement
VNR-NP
11CH 380-865nm
VNR-P
2CH 670, 865nm / 0, 60, 120deg Polarization
IRS SWI
4CH 1.05-2.21μm
IRS TIR
2CH 10.8, 12.0μm
VNR-NP
70deg (Push-broom scanning)
VNR-P
55deg (Push-broom scanning)
IRS SWI/TIR
80deg (45deg rotation mirror scanning)
VNR-NP
1000m (VN9CH), 250m
VNR-P
1000m
IRS SWI
250m (SW3CH), 1000m SW1,2,4CH)
IRS TIR500m
12 bit
VNR : ≤3% IRS : ≤5% TIR : ≤0.5K
5 Years

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TABLE 5
SGLI OBSERVATION REQUIREMENT DETAILSCH
VNR-NPVNR-PIRS SWIIRS TIR

4.

VN1
VN2
VN3
VN4
VN5
VN6
VN7
VN8
VN9
VN10
VN11
P1
P2
SW1
SW2
SW3
SW4
T1
T2

Λ
Δλ
nm: VNR, IRS SWI
μm: IRS TIR
380
10
412
10
443
10
490
10
530
20
565
20
670
10
670
20
763
8
865
20
865
20
670
20
865
20
1050
20
1380
20
1630(TBD)
200
2210
50
10.8
0.7
12.0
0.7

IFOV
m
250
250
250
250
250
250
250
250
1000
250
250
1000
1000
1000
1000
250
1000
500
500

SNR
SNR: VNR, IRS SWINEΔT(K): IRS TIR
250
400
300
400
250
400
400
250
400
400
200
250
250
500
150
57
211
0.2
0.2

L (for SNR)
W/m2/sr/μm
60
75
64
53
41
33
23
25
40
8
30
25
30
57
8
3
1.9
300 (K)300 (K)

Products

Geophysical products made available by GCOM-C1 and GCOM-W1 are listed in Tables 6 and 7.
There are two categories of data products: standard product and research product. A “standard”
product is defined as a product with proven accuracy that is to be operationally processed anddistributed. In contrast, a “research” product is a prototype for a standard product and is processedon a research basis. Both tables indicate standard products with shading.

C-8

OceanAtmosphere

Land

TABLE 6
GEOPHYSICAL PRODUCTS OF GCOM-C1
GCOM-C Geophysical Products
Precise Geometrically Corrected Image
Atmospherically Corrected Land Surface Reflectance
Vegetation Index including NDVI and EVI
Vegetation Roughness Index including BSI_P and BSI_V
Shadow Index
Land Surface Temperature
Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Leaf Area Index
Above-Ground Biomass
Land Net Primary Production
Plant Water Stress trend Index
Fire Detection Index
Land Cover TypeLand surface Albedo
Cloud Flag including Cloud Classification and Phase
Classified Cloud Fraction
Cloud Top Temperature and Height
Water Cloud Optical Thickness and Effective Radius
Ice Cloud Optical Thickness
Water Cloud Geometrical Thickness
Aerosol over Ocean by Visible and Near Infrared
Aerosol over Land by Near Ultra Violet
Aerosol over Land by Polarization
Long-Wave Radiation Flux
Short-Wave Radiation Flux
Normalized Water Leaving RadianceAtmospheric Correction Parameters
Ocean Photosynthetically Available Radiation
Euphotic Zone Depth
Chlorophyll-A Concentration
Suspended Solid Concentration
Absorption Coefficient of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter
Inherent Optical Properties

Resolution
250m
250m
250m
1km
1km
500m
250m
250m
1km
1km
500m
500m
250m
1km
1km

Scene: 1km
Global: 0.1deg

Coast: 250m
Open ocean: 1km
Global: 4~9km

Coast: 500m
Other: ditto
Coast: 500m
Other: ditto
Coast: 250m
Other: ditto

Sea Surface Temperature
Ocean Net Primary Production
Phytoplankton Function TypeRed Tide

Coast: 250m
Open ocean: 1km
Coast: 500m
Open ocean: 1km

Multi Sensor Merged Ocean Color Parameters
Multi Sensor Merged Sea Surface Temperature

C-9

TABLE 6 (continued)
GEOPHYSICAL PRODUCTS OF GCOM-C
GCOM-C Geophysical Products

Resolution
Scene: 250m
Global: 1km
250m
1km
250m
Scene: 500m,
Global: 1km
Scene: 250m,
Global: 1km
1km
Scene: 250m,
Global: 1km
1km
Scene: 250m,
Global: 1km
1km
250m

Snow and Ice Covered Area

Cryosphere

Okhotsk Sea-Ice Distribution
Snow and Ice Classification
Snow Covered Area in Forest and Mountain
Snow and Ice Surface Temperature
Snow Grain Size of Shallow Layer
Snow Grain Size of Subsurface Layer
Snow Grain Size of Top Layer
Snow and Ice Albedo
Snow Impurity
Ice Sheet Surface Roughness
Ice Sheet Boundary Monitoring

TABLE 7
GEOPHYSICAL PRODUCTS OF GCOM-W1
GCOM-W Geophysical Products

RegionResolution

Integrated Water Vapor

Global Ocean

15km

Integrated Cloud Liquid Water

Global Ocean

15km

Precipitation

Global except Cold Latitudes

15km

Sea Surface Temperature

Global Ocean

50km

Sea Surface Wind Speed

Global Ocean

15km

Sea Ice Concentration

High-Latitude Ocean

15km

Snow depth

Land

30km

Soil Moisture Content

Land

50km

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