200
NOAA SATELLITE AND INFORMATION SERVICE 

NOAA Satellite and Information Service’s Mission is to deliver accurate, timely, and 

reliable satellite observations and integrated products and to provide long-term 

stewardship for global environmental data in support of the NOAA Mission. 

ON THE WEB

To learn more about NOAA products and services, please visit the following links:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: www.noaa.gov 

NOAA Satellite and Information Service: www.nesdis.noaa.gov

Data and Information: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/datainfo.html 

Satellites: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/satellites.html 

Education and Outreach: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/outreach_edu.html 

Products: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/sat-products.html 

Research: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/index.php 

EEO and Diversity: www.nesdis.noaa.gov/About/Diversity/diversity.html 

Library Services: www.lib.noaa.gov 

Search and Rescue Beacon Registration: www.sarsat.noaa.gov

Front Cover Graphics: 

Top center: Using data from the SeaWiFS satellite, NOAA scientists monitor ocean color and algal blooms.

Right center: Merging NOAA’s geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite data provides global coverage of cloud cover.

Bottom center: The National Oceanographic Data Center generates ocean climatologies from the POES Pathfi nder sea surface temperature data.

Left center: A product of the National Geophysical Data Center, showing land and undersea topography on the Earth. 

Back Cover Graphic: 

The nighttime lights of the World imagery depicts the lights from cities, fi res, gas fl ares, and fi shing boats, each in a separate color.

Layout and Artistic Design: Marc Pulliam; Technical Writers/Editors: Mindy Gaines, Tara Mairs; Special thanks to the NESDIS Communications Team and NESDIS Headquarters Staff for their input and review
1 

FROM THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

NOAA Satellite and Information Service is dedicated to enhancing public safety, economic 

vitality, and environmental sustainability by gathering, processing, archiving, and distributing vast amounts of environmental data. Th ese data are essential to everyone from research 

scientists to weather forecasters to the public. Th rough this mission, we touch the lives of 

millions of people every day. During fi scal year 2008, we continued this mission and made 

great strides in both U.S. and international Earth observations. Just a few of these highlights 

for 2008 include:

NOAA installed the last 9 of the 114 U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) stations. 

Th ese stations track temperature and precipitation trends across the Nation. NOAA’s geostationary satellites relay the data from these ground-based stations to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, which 

posts the observations online. 

On June 20, 2008, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason-2 spacecraft was launched. Th is international 

eff ort is helping scientists monitor sea-level rise and predict short-term, severe weather events such as hurricanes and tropical

storms. NOAA is now operating OSTM/Jason-2; this is the fi rst time we are operating an international satellite. 

New and existing partnerships with national and international organizations allowed NOAA to continue to bring critical 

data to our users. Using data from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) aboard the European Metop-A 

satellite, NOAA developed the fi rst operational greenhouse gas products from hyperspectural sounding. Th ese products, 

which became operational in August 2008, will provide accurate mid-troposphere greenhouse gas concentrations well into 

the next decade and beyond. In April 2008, NOAA installed an antenna in Alaska to allow real-time Global Positioning 

System Radio Occultation (GPSRO) satellite data to be operationally downlinked from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites. Th e ground station support NOAA provides to the 

COSMIC program is a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who gave NOAA the 

antenna, the National Science Foundation, and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. 

Th e strides we have made this year, and every year, were possible because of the dedication, drive, and outstanding service 

of NOAA Satellite and Information Service’s employees and team members. We also appreciate the support and partnership of our constituents and international colleagues. I am proud to be part of this organization and am excited about 

the possibilities of the year ahead.

Mary E. Kicza

Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services 
2 Photo by: Carleton Bailie

Supporting the 

NOAA Mission

Preparing for Future Launches

NOAA Management Keeps Satellite Programs on Track

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, management teams from 

NOAA’s Offi ce of Systems Development (OSD) 

worked closely with contractors for the polar-orbiting NOAA-N Prime and geostationary GOES N-P 

series spacecraft to keep these complex programs on 

track. In particular, the N Prime team’s oversight 

during environmental testing allowed this spacecraft to move into storage 29 days ahead of schedule. NOAA-N Prime is the fi nal Polar-orbiting 

Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) and 

will bridge the gap to the next generation National 

Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite 

System. Polar-orbiting satellites are able to monitor 

the entire planet and provide data for long-range 

weather and climate forecasts while geostationary 

satellites provide the kind of continuous monitoring 

necessary for intensive data analysis by circling the 

Earth in a geosynchronous orbit.

In addition, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program team completed 

and delivered the contractor-furnished GOES N-P 

series ground system, giving NOAA the capability 

to operate the new spacecraft. Geostationary satellites remain the weather sentinels for NOAA—

tracking hurricanes, severe storms, and other severe 

weather. GOES-13, designated GOES-N before 

its launch in May 2006, is the fi rst satellite of the 

GOES N-P series. Two anomalies occurred during the on-orbit check out of GOES-13. One 

anomaly was a failure of the X-Ray Sensor (XRS), 

and the second anomaly was damage to the Solar 

X-Ray Imager (SXI) as result of a large solar fl are. Th e team completed the investigation of the two 

anomalies that occurred and implemented appropriate corrective action. GOES-13 presently serves 

2 
3 

as NOAA’s on-orbit spare spacecraft serving as a backup 

to the operational GOES-East and GOES-West.

NOAA Manifests Space Weather Instrument on Metop-3 

On July 2, 2008, NOAA signed an agreement with the 

European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) that allows NOAA 

to place a Space Environment Monitor (SEM) on the 

Metop-3 satellite. Th is SEM will ensure continuity of 

critical space weather data in the mid-morning orbit, 

starting in 2015. Th is agreement builds upon NOAA and 

EUMETSAT’s cooperation in polar-orbiting satellites. 

Space weather refers to conditions on the sun and in the 

solar wind that can infl uence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technologies 

and can endanger human life or health. Government 

and private sector organizations concerned with communications, satellite operations, electric power grids, human 

space fl ight, and navigation all use NOAA space weather 

information.

Climate Sensors Restored on Next Generation Polar-orbiting 

Environmental Satellites

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, the National Polar-orbiting 

Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) 

Integrated Program Offi ce (IPO) completed several key 

tasks toward the launch of the NPOESS Preparatory 

Project (NPP). 

Th e Ozone Mapping and Profi ler Suite (OMPS) successfully completed environmental testing in August and 

is preparing for shipment to be integrated with the NPP 

satellite. Th is sensor suite will protect the public by monitoring the depletion of ozone in the stratosphere, which 

can result in a number of negative health eff ects including 

an increase in skin cancer.

Th e IPO’s Ground Systems Division (GSD) celebrated 

four key milestones on the path to supporting satellite 

launch and data processing. GSD successfully tested 

the ability of ground systems to communicate with the 

NPP spacecraft and to generate raw data records. Th ey 

completed an upgrade to the satellite communications at 

McMurdo Base, Antarctica, in partnership with the 

National Science Foundation (NSF) ahead of schedule. 

Completing this upgrade early allowed operations to 

transition early after the NSF legacy system failed. Integrated Data Processing System (IDPS) hardware and 

software was installed at two locations in preparation for 

NPP. Finally, the very fi rst ground-breaking for an international, non-polar NPOESS SafetyNetTM site occurred 

in Torrejon, Spain, as announced recently by the host National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA).

Finally, in 2008, the NPOESS IPO added two sensors to 

the program. Th e Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) 

will be fl own on the NPOESS C1 spacecraft slated for 

launch in 2013. TSIS measurements address long-term 

climate change, natural variability and enhanced climate 

prediction, and atmospheric ozone and UV-B radiation. 

Th ese measurements are critical to studies of the Sun; its 

eff ect on our Earth system; and its infl uence on humankind. Additionally, the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant 

Energy System (CERES) instrument originally scheduled for a 2013 fl ight on NPOESS C1 has been accelerated to also fl y in 2010 on NASA’s NPOESS NPP mission. Scientists use CERES data to study the ways in 

which clouds aff ect the Earth’s climate.

Illustration of the Metop satellite
4 

Acquisition and Operations Phase Begins for the Next 

Generation Geostationary Satellites

On January 4, 2008, the Under Secretary for Oceans and 

Atmosphere approved the next generation geostationary 

satellite series, called GOES-R, to proceed with the Acquisition and Operations phase. Th is key decision point, 

which signaled successful completion of the Program 

Defi nition and Risk Reduction phase, cleared the way for 

requests for proposals for both the spacecraft and ground 

segment contracts to be released to industry. Th is new 

generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental 

Satellites (GOES) will improve hurricane tracking and 

severe weather forecasts by scanning the Earth nearly fi ve 

times faster than the current GOES.

Design and development also began on a new GOES-R 

instrument, the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). 

Lightning is the second highest storm-related killer in the 

United States and causes $4 to $5 billion in losses each 

year in the civilian sector. Lightning costs about $2 billion annually in airline operating expenses and passenger delays and is a frequent cause of wildfi res. Today’s 

ground-based national lightning detection networks are 

designed to locate mostly cloud-to-ground lightning—a 

small fraction of the total lightning. Th e GLM instrument will detect lightning fl ashes, including the cloud-toground, cloud-to-ocean, and in-cloud lightning, occurring 

anytime and anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, and 

detect patterns in lightning fl ashes that are early indicators of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Current Spacecraft

Critical Satellite Instrument Successfully Recovered 

On May 22, 2008, a motor on the NOAA-18 Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet Spectral Radiometer (SBUV/2) instrument became stuck, rendering it unable to take measurements. After following the standard procedures, NOAA, the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 

and contract engineers developed an innovative solution to 

perform a daily sequence of unique operations in an attempt 

to move the motor. On July 20, the eff ort ultimately freed 

the motor, and the instrument was able to continue collecting data. After a period of follow-up testing, normal daily 

operational ozone measurements and product processing resumed on July 29. 

Th e SBUV instrument maps total ozone concentrations 

and the vertical distribution of ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere on a global scale. Ozone is an important greenhouse gas in the lower atmosphere. Th ese data are essential 

to scientists and forecasters, especially during the critical 

period for ozone monitoring, from late August through 

September.

NOAA Leads Eff ort to Produce U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) Strategic Assessment Group (SAG) Report 

Th e Executive Offi ce of the President through the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and 

the Committee for Environment and Natural Resources 

(CENR) commissioned the USGEO SAG to produce 

the fi rst-ever Federal assessment of Earth observing requirements and capabilities to ensure cross agency consistency in evaluating and procuring Earth observing capacity. Th is report will provide the fi rst real assessment of the 

Nation’s capability and needs for Earth observation as a 

consolidated eff ort. NOAA led the eff ort as a Co-Chair 

and as Executive Secretariat.

One of the co-chairs of the USGEO SAG was the Program Manager of the Technology, Planning and Integration Program (TPIO) in the Offi ce of System Development for NESDIS. TPIO produces investment analyses 

for the NOAA Observing Systems Council (NOSC). 

Th e NOSC and TPIO sustain one of the most mature 

process of defi ned requirements and analysis tools within 

the Federal government.

Th e TPIO staff led the planning and the execution of a 

government-wide two-day workshop to initiate the dialog between Federal agencies with similar Earth observing needs. Th ey developed the process for completing the 

initial report and defi ned a more robust analytical framework for future analysis. Th e result was the fi rst real crosscutting assessment of requirements needed to successfully 

plan and execute future Earth observation investments. 

Climate Change and Variability was chosen as the unifying theme for the USGEO SAG report as Earth observation priorities supporting climate also have many other 

benefi ts. Th is overarching theme will facilitate an assessment of the impact of Earth observations on preparing 

for and mitigating climate change.

4 
5 

Jason-2 Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base 

On June 20, 2008, the Ocean Surface Topography Mission 

(OSTM)/Jason-2 spacecraft launched from the Vandenberg 

Air Force Base (VAFB). OSTM/Jason-2 is an international 

eff ort between NOAA, the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA), France’s Centre National d’Etudes 

Spatiales (CNES), and the European Organisation for the 

Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.

Th e OSTM/Jason-2 satellite monitors the rate of sealevel rise and helps measure ocean conditions that contribute to the strength of hurricanes. NOAA uses data 

from the OSTM/Jason-2 to extend a 15-year record from 

its predecessor missions TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1, 

which shows that sea level is rising at a rate of 3.4 millimeters per year—nearly twice as fast as the previous 100 

years. If this rate of sea-level rise continues, it will have 

a large impact on coastal regions, causing more erosion 

and fl ooding. OSTM/Jason-2 will also be used to help 

scientists predict short-term, severe weather events such 

as hurricanes and tropical storms that are fueled by heat 

energy stored in the upper layer of the ocean.

NOAA is working with CNES to provide ground system 

support for OSTM/Jason-2. Th is function includes commanding all the satellite’s maneuvers, downloading all the 

satellite’s data, and distributing it to weather and climate 

forecasters, who are monitoring ocean-born storms and 

phenomena such as El Niño/La Niña and global sea-level rise. NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center, 

using the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS), provides long-term archive and 

data stewardship for the mission. OSTM/Jason-2 is 

the fi rst international satellite to receive ground support 

at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, 

Maryland.

10th Anniversary of the Transfer of Satellite Control 

Authority from the U.S. Air Force to NOAA

For the past 10 years, NOAA’s Offi ce of Satellite Operations (OSO) has operated the polar orbiting satellites in 

the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) 

under a May 1998 agreement between the U.S. Air Force 

and NOAA. NOAA also manages the processing and 

distribution of the data and images the satellites produce 

each day. Th e data from the DMSP satellites are received 

and used at operational centers continuously. Currently, 

data from four satellites (3 day/night, 1 dawn/dusk) are 

archived each day. 

Having NOAA operate the DMSP satellite constellation has saved over $120 million over the past 10 years for 

the American taxpayer. Th e savings have come primarily 

from personnel reductions by the Air Force. 

Th e DMSP low, earth-orbiting satellites have provided 

the military with important environmental information. 

Th e DMSP satellites image environmental features such 

as clouds, bodies of water, snow, fi re, and pollution in the 

visual and infrared spectra. Scanning radiometers record 

information, which can help determine cloud type and 

height, land and surface water temperatures, water curData from OSTM/Jason-2 helps scientists predict severe weather events that are fueled by heat energy stored in the upper layer of the ocean
6 

rents, ocean surface features, ice, and snow. Th e data are 

communicated to ground-based terminals, where they are 

processed, interpreted by military and civil meteorologists, and ultimately used in planning and conducting U.S. 

military operations worldwide.

Supporting the COSMIC/GPSRO Satellite Program

Since April 2008, real-time Global Positioning System 

(GPS) Radio Occultation (GPSRO) satellite data have 

been operationally downlinked from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate 

(COSMIC) satellites by NOAA’s ground stations in Fairbanks, Alaska; Wallops, Virginia; and Tromso, Norway, 

through agreement with the Norwegian Space Center. 

To receive these important data, NOAA installed a fi ve 

meter LEO-T antenna in the Fairbanks Command and 

Data Acquisition (CDA) station in only two months in 

unfavorable weather conditions and modifi ed an existing 

antenna at Wallops. Th e LEO-T antenna was a National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) asset located in Puerto Rico, which had to be dismantled and 

shipped to Fairbanks.

Th e COSMIC GPSRO information is used for meteorological, climate, and space weather monitoring, research, 

and forecasting applications. Th e data has been used by 

NOAA and its international partners in operational numerical weather prediction models since early 2007 and 

has enabled important measurable improvements in 

model forecast performance.

Electromagnetic signals transmitted from U.S. GPS satellites are received by the small, inexpensive, low-earthorbiting COSMIC satellites. As the GPS signal passes 

through the Earth’s atmosphere, it is distorted, and this 

distortion yields important information about atmospheric characteristics. Th is allows users to derive vertical 

profi les of temperature, pressure, moisture, and electron 

density through the troposphere, stratosphere, and ionosphere.

Th e ground station support NOAA provides to the 

COSMIC program is a cost-eff ective partnership with 

the National Science Foundation, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, and NASA. 

Global Earth Observation System of Systems 

(GEOSS) and International Cooperation 

NOAA GEONETCast Americas Eff ort Moves Forward

GEONETCast Americas, the NOAA-developed, Western Hemisphere broadcast of the global GEONETCast 

environmental data broadcast system, moved into its operational phase in April 2008. Th is low cost information 

delivery system will improve worldwide access to satellite 

and in situ data, products, and services through the use of 

communications satellites. With a real-time 24/7 data 

stream, GEONETCast Americas will provide information critical to a wide array of eff orts, including disaster 

mitigation, high-impact weather forecasting, agriculture 

management, and professional training. NOAA has been 

instrumental in facilitating agreement and contributions 

from GEONETCast’s many international partners. 

GEONETCast is part of a global eff ort of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to collect Earth observational data and distribute it to a variety 

of end users, including government agencies, private sector, decision makers, academia, and the public.

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, NOAA awarded the GEONETCast 

Americas commercial services contract to Intelsat General Corporation (IGEN). Th e contract with IGEN will 

provide continuous environmental data distribution for A satellite antenna at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) 
7 

much of North, Central, and South America and the 

Caribbean for one year, using Digital Video BroadcastSatellite technology. NOAA staff confi gure and manage 

this system remotely from the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, Maryland. In addition, NOAA developed a web portal and interface for users and trusted data providers.

Th e move to operational status brings GEONETCast 

coverage to the Western Hemisphere and marks the beginning of the fi rst-ever full-global broadcast of highquality, standardized, Earth observation information. 

GEONETCast is already reaping dividends by identifying opportunities and new arenas for the sharing and dissemination of important environmental data. For example, joint initiatives such as the Hazard Mapping System, 

a fi re monitor produced in cooperation by NOAA and 

CATHALAC (Th e Panamanian Water Center for the 

Humid Tropics of Latin America and the Caribbean), are 

now being broadcast over GEONETCast and other joint 

dissemination systems. Th is initiative is giving disaster 

management and public policy professionals in Central 

and South America important new prediction and planning tools.

Offi ce of Management and Budget Recognizes Valuable NOAA 

Observing System Segment Architecture 

Each year, the Offi ce of Management and Budget (OMB) 

evaluates the Enterprise Architecture eff orts of each Federal Agency. OMB considers the completeness, usefulness, and results of each architecture, measuring results 

in dollars saved. Th is year, the Department of Commerce 

(DOC) and OMB deemed the NOAA Observing System Architecture (NOSA) as the only mature architecture segment within DOC. 

One of the co-chairs of the NOAA Observing System 

Council, which serves as the oversight to the NOSA segment, is NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Satellite and 

Information Services. Th e goal of the NOSC is to provide 

oversight to all NOAA observing systems activities and to 

develop investment recommendations for the NOSC to 

provide to senior NOAA leadership. Th e NESDIS Technical Planning and Integration Offi ce (TPIO) is the support 

and analysis staff for the NOSC. While evaluating observing system alternatives on their cost, risk, and performance, 

the NOSC recommendations are designed to help NOAA 

leaders make sound observing system investment decisions 

that further NOAA’s strategic objectives and provide the 

best “return on investment” to NOAA and the Nation. 

Th e TPIO team analyzes alternatives against requirements throughout the year, working with other NOAA 

organizations to understand their performance objectives.

Th e NOSA segment is key to meeting NOAA’s performance outcomes and satisfying public expectations 

of NOAA and the Federal Government. Observations are fundamental to NOAA’s mission to describe, 

understand, and predict the Earth’s environment. As 

a result, NOAA has built a substantial infrastructure 

over its 37-year history that allows for the collection, 

analysis, and archiving of global ocean, atmospheric, 

space, biological, cryospheric, and land surface data. 

Th e NOSA segment not only supports the four NOAA 

Core Mission Area Segments, but it is also a key contributor to other Federal agencies such as the Federal 

Aviation Administration, U.S. Geological Service, and 

the Department of Defense. In addition, other nations 

around the globe depend on NOAA’s observational capabilities to support their own environmental forecasts 

and warnings. NOAA also collaborates with other agencies and international organizations to build partnerships 

to share responsibilities and reduce costs.

Global Space-based Intercalibration System Infrastructure 

Developed

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) made major advances to 

create the necessary infrastructure for the Global Spacebased Intercalibration System (GSICS). STAR developed a new website that allows access to products, documentation, and program coordination information. In 
8 

addition, STAR created a system to intercalibrate sensors 

on geostationary and polar-orbiting platforms. Th is activity improves the use of space-based global observations 

for weather, climate, and marine ecosystem applications 

through intercalibration of the space component of the 

Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).

GSICS is a new international initiative to ensure the comparability of satellite measurements provided at diff erent 

times, by diff erent instruments, under the responsibility of 

diff erent satellite operators. Sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization and the Coordination Group 

for Meteorological Satellites, GSICS intercalibrates the 

instruments of the international constellation of operational polar-orbiting and geostationary environmental 

satellites and ties the data to common reference standards.

NESDIS Hosts 21st Meeting of the Strategic Implementation Team (SIT-21) of the Committee of Earth Observation 

Satellites (CEOS)

On April 23-24, 2008, NOAA’s Assistant Administrator 

for Satellite and Information Services, as the SIT Chair, 

hosted SIT-21 at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 

(WHOI) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, bringing together senior offi cials from 21 international space agencies 

and organizations. Th is meeting led to the fi rst-ever concrete commitments from the representatives to take actions 

necessary to implement the Group on Earth Observation 

(GEO) 2007-2009 work plan. CEOS SIT identifi ed 147 

actions, each with a lead SIT agency. Th e actions are divided by societal benefi t area—disasters, health, energy, climate, water, weather, ecosystems, agriculture, and biodiversity—and by cross-cutting themes of architecture, capacity 

building, and data management. Assistant Administrator 

Mary E. Kicza obtained commitments at SIT-21 from the 

lead agencies to complete the 62 high priority actions by 

the end of 2008.

Th e Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) 

is dedicated to international collaboration among space 

systems and Earth observation missions. Comprised of 

28 Member and 20 Associate agencies, CEOS is recognized as the major international forum for the coordination of Earth observation satellite programs and for the 

interaction of these programs with users of satellite data 

worldwide. Th e CEOS Strategic Implementation Team 

(SIT) plays a central role in the coordination of existing 

and future missions of CEOS agencies and is responsible 

for coordinating the Committee’s contributions to the 

GEO space segment of the Global Earth Observation 

System of Systems (GEOSS). 

GEOSS will integrate all space-based, airborne, and in situ

Earth observation systems worldwide, and provide scientists, government offi cials, and the public alike with access 

to a range and depth of environmental and climate data 

never before available. Space-based observation systems 

such as those organized by CEOS will play an instrumental role in the overall GEOSS structure. 

Four Important International Agreements Signed with 

Ukraine, Norway, and India

On June 4, 2008, NOAA signed a Memorandum of 

Agreement for cooperation in Earth observation through 

the Global Earth Observation System of Systems 

(GEOSS) with the National Space Agency of Ukraine 

(NSAU). Th is marked the fi rst agreement between 

NESDIS and an agency of the Ukrainian government. Th e 

NOAA-Ukraine partnership is geared toward mobilizing 

Ukraine’s contribution to GEOSS and will cover monitoring for environmental degradation, as well as weather-related natural disasters such as fl ooding and drought. Ukraine 

also has a long history of producing high-quality in situ

observation records and observation technologies that will 

be valuable to both NOAA and GEOSS. 

In 2008, NOAA and the Norwegian Space Center amended a 2002 Implementing Agreement to allow NOAA to 

procure satellite ground support from ground stations on 

the Norwegian mainland and in Antarctica. Th is agreement is also the foundation for future expanded cooperation with Norway in satellite tracking and environmental 

data acquisition. Th e new Norwegian stations will add 

fl exibility and redundancies to NOAA satellite control, 

and, through a more expansive ground network, NOAA 

will be able to obtain valuable satellite data more quickly, 

increasing the timeliness of weather forecasts.

In early 2008, NOAA signed two agreements with 

India pledging new cooperative action in Earth observation activities. In January, NOAA and the Indian Space 

Research Organization (ISRO) signed an Agreement for 

8 
9 

Cooperation in Earth Observation and Earth Sciences. 

Th is new Agreement reaffi rms an organizational basis for 

bilateral cooperation and documents arrangements and 

understandings that enable the coordination of activities 

and programs in Earth observations, operations, and research. In April 2008, NOAA also signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding with India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences 

(MoES) to facilitate scientifi c cooperation in “Earth Observations and Earth Sciences.” Th is agreement allows 

the exchange of scientifi c resources, personnel, and technical knowledge between NOAA and MoES.

Data Access

Comprehensive Large Array-data Steward System Increases 

Volume and Improves Access

NOAA’s Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship 

System (CLASS) is an online data management system 

that stores, archives, and provides access to environmental data. CLASS has served more than 35,000 users and 

delivered more than 25 million fi les since 2001. Users 

can search through and order 43 types of atmospheric, 

coastal, and ocean data products. In fi scal year (FY) 2008, 

CLASS increased its volume of data by approximately 37 

percent, from 615 terabytes (TB) to 841 TB.

CLASS provides long-term secure storage for this information. In addition, the information technology (IT) 

features of CLASS provide weather forecasters with 

quick access to NOAA’s archived data, allowing them to 

compare current and previous storms. CLASS also facilitates access to data that will help researchers track climate 

trends. 

To continue this data stewardship eff ort, NOAA awarded 

a new CLASS contract in FY 2008 to the Diversifi ed 

Global Partners Joint Venture, LLC. Th is organization 

will provide IT services for the planning, development, 

and maintenance of CLASS for several years. 

In addition, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center and 

National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) are expanding CLASS to receive data regularly from NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites and the Defense 

Meteorological Satellite Program. In the future, CLASS 

will archive data from NOAA’s ground-based observing 

systems, including data buoys and NEXRAD. 

Also in FY 2008, a team from NOAA’s NGDC developed and demonstrated a software programming interface and web portal called the Simple NOAA Archive 

Access Portal (SNAAP) that enables users to access diverse NOAA environmental datasets, including those in 

CLASS, from a single application. Th e public will now be 

able to access NOAA’s archive holdings through a standard interface minimizing eff ort spent gathering the data 

and allowing for the development of custom clients and 

tools. Th e SNAAP system will allow for end developers 

to seamlessly make use of NOAA’s vast historical archives 

thereby maximizing the return on the archive investment. 

SNAAP integrates diff erent data systems while maintaining a clear functional separation between data archive and 

Formal signing of the NOAA-Ukraine partnership

A NOAA data user
10 

access functions. Th is new tool provides improved webservices based archive access consistent with Global Earth 

Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) objectives.

Implementation of the Automated Data Delivery and 

Visual Exploration of Real-time and Historical Coastal 

Water Temperatures

To respond to thousands of requests per day for water 

temperatures in U.S. coastal areas, including the Great 

Lakes, NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center 

(NODC) enhanced its most popular web application: the 

Coastal Water Temperature Guide (CWTG). By using 

the innovative Google Map interface and Really Simple 

Syndication (RSS) feeds, NODC allows users to browse 

simultaneously through hourly water temperatures from 

NOAA’s tidal stations; the Physical Oceanographic RealTime System (PORTS®); near-real-time moored buoy 

data; and historical monthly means from NODC’s archives. Users can also use RSS feeds to stay informed; 

these feeds automatically retrieve the latest data, so users 

do not have to visit multiple sites. Th e CWTG’s RSS 

allow NODC’s customers to keep up with water temperature sites automatically. Th e CWTG is currently 

ranked the best website of water temperatures by three 

major search engines, including Google, Yahoo! Search, 

and Ask.com.

Th is web application has expanded the use of a comprehensive coastal water temperature data and related products by a wide community, including the oceanographic 

research community, coastal resource managers and decision makers, fi sherman, beach users, vacationers, and 

academics. It also enables the translation and integration 

of data from Earth observation systems into educational 

materials, such as Internet materials and web links for science textbooks.

Since the Google Map-enabled CWTG website was 

made public in May of 2008, it has quickly become the 

primary gateway for providing useful information for 

planning beach activities such as swimming or fi shing via 

the Internet.

The NOAA Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Program

Th e NOAA Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory 

Aff airs Offi ce (CRSRAO), on behalf of the Secretary of 

Commerce (“the Secretary”), ensures the laws (Land Remote Sensing Policy Act, as amended) and policies of the 

United States regarding commercial remote sensing space 

systems are implemented. In order to discharge these 

responsibilities, the Secretary established and delegated 

authority to NOAA through CRSRAO to assure compliance with the Act and for the issuance of private earth 

remote sensing satellite operating licenses. CRSRAO 

carries out its work through two paths, a licensing function for issuance of the operating licenses, review, and coordination of foreign agreements, and other information 

for maintaining a viable license and a compliance component for inspection, verifi cation, and validation of licensees to assure they are abiding by appropriate laws, regulations, and license conditions. Th is year, in addition to 

reviewing licensing actions, CRSRAO held two Advisory 

Committee meetings for commercial remote sensing that 

dealt with international technology growth and the impact on U.S. companies. Th e CRSRAO compliance team 

also completed inspections and audits for seven licensed 

companies, including site visits to 27 foreign and domestic ground stations. Along with fulfi lling the regulatory 

requirement for inspections, CRSRAO staff conducted 

one prelaunch inspection for a new satellite and two post 

launch inspections.

Visit NOAA Satellite and Information Service at the 

Smithsonian’s Sant Ocean Hall

Th e Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s 

Sant Ocean Hall, the largest museum exhibit dedicated to 

ocean science, used major datasets from the NOAA Satellite and Information Service as a major component for 

the hall. Visitors viewed how oceans circulate and transport heat, the atmosphere interacted with the ocean to 

form hurricanes, and phytoplankton bloomed across the 

planet. Th e Environmental Visualization Lab, part of the 

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), 

supplied the latest data visualizations to the Sant Ocean 

Hall for the Science on a Sphere (SOS)®, Ocean Today 

Kiosks, and other exhibits. Also, visitors ran their hands 

over a bronze relief sculpture of the ocean fl oor from 

Nicaragua to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and literally felt 

the undersea mountains and trenches that scientists from 

the Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry were able to map 

with incredible detail.
11 

Photo by: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution
12 

Managing Our 

Ecosystems 

Improved Access to Data for Ecosystems Management

In fi scal year 2008, NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) developed and enhanced three web portals and rescued surveys for 

the public of archival images to improve ecosystem 

management. 

Th e REDM Portal supports the Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEA) by integrating disparate (physical, biological, economic, etc.) datasets 

and increasing access to observing system data 

from NOAA and Regional Associations. NODC 

designed, developed, operates, and maintains the 

web portal. Th is regional ecosystem information 

provides additional resources to the public, Federal, 

State, academic, and nongovernmental organizations. National decision makers now have free access to operational NOAA and partner products via 

the Internet. In addition, integrating physical, biological, and socioeconomic data has improved management of coastal and marine ecosystems.

In addition, NODC created a new online sea surface temperature (SST) intercomparison framework 

that provides easy access to a large collection of satellite-based, in situ, and blended SST datasets in a 

standard format. Th is new tool also has interactive 

graphics and statistics, facilitating understanding 

and analysis of a highly diverse collection of SST 

information.

Finally, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) conducted a kelp resource inventory 

program within its coastal zone in 1999 and 2000. 

MBNMS surveyed its coasts with 70-mm aerial infrared photography to map kelp canopy coverage. 

Th ese 8-year-old images are deteriorating and not 

easily accessible. MBNMS joined NODC to res12 
13 

cue the California Current Regional Ecosystem data and 

make them available to the public via NODC’s online 

Ocean Archive. NODC managed the scanning of these 

images and published the archival images online. Ecologists need historic ecosystem survey data to assess the current health of an ecosystem; they can use these images 

to assess the health of the California Current Regional 

Ecosystem.

Developing the Digital Atlas

Th e Offi ce of Ocean Exploration and Research’s (OER’s) 

Digital Atlas is a Google Maps-based application that geographically represents OER expeditions from 2001 to 2008. 

Users can fi lter the expeditions by year and OER-defi ned 

themes on the map. In support of this tool, NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) developed an 

end-to-end data management process necessary to discover, access, and visualize the data through the Digital Atlas. 

NODC also provided the architecture to transport and archive this data. 

Access to any archived datasets at NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), NODC, and the NOAA 

Central Library (NCL) is available through this same interface. More comprehensive analysis can also be performed 

for expeditions with datasets that have been integrated into 

Geographic Information System (GIS) applications that 

have been linked into the Digital Atlas.

Th e Digital Atlas allows users to locate surveys carried out 

by NOAA’s Offi ce of Exploration (OE) throughout Large 

Marine Ecosystems (LME). Th e Digital Atlas interactive 

mapping application provides a customized map interface, 

which includes menus to control mapping options and a 

set of simple tools for map manipulation. Data collected by 

these cruises can be viewed with historical information such 

as bathymetry, sediments, video streams, still photography, 

and side scan sonar imagery for the area.

Coral Reef Watch Advances

NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW) launched a new 

experimental Seasonal Coral Bleaching Th ermal Stress 

Outlook product and expanded the number of virtual 

stations for monitoring coral bleaching conditions to include 20 new experimental sites in the Greater Caribbean 

region, the Philippines, and Tanzania. Th ey also trained 

coral reef managers to address coral bleaching and the impacts of climate change on coral reefs.

Coral bleaching is one of the top three threats to coral 

reefs. Th is phenomenon, caused by climate change, is a response to environmental stress whereby the colored algae 

that live in the coral are expelled, leaving the coral looking bleached. Th is has killed corals and threatens reefs 

around the world. CRW delivers a variety of cutting-edge 

satellite-based coral reef near-real-time global monitoring products to managers, scientists, and stakeholders. In 

2008, CRW expanded and refi ned satellite modeling and 

developed applications to provide timely, accurate, and reliable coral reef information, including early warnings for 

bleaching events. Th is product can predict patterns of the 

thermal stress that could potentially cause coral bleaching 

up to four months in advance. 

NOAA’s CRW also launched a new Seasonal Bleaching 

Outlook product, which has already greatly enhanced 

managers’ ability to plan for mass bleaching events. Th ese 

eff orts, combined with international and nongovernment 

organization partnerships, bring state-of-the-art satellite 

tools to coral reef managers, stakeholders, and researchers. 

Th rough training and active collaboration, resource manA coral reef in Hawaii
14 

agers in the United States, Palau, Papua-New Guinea, and 

elsewhere have already applied CRW tools to improve 

their approach to managing coral reefs in the face of climate change. While reef managers cannot stop climate 

change, they can use NOAA’s tools to prepare for anticipated impacts and respond to bleaching events. Now, 

they can plan for bleaching events well in advance. In the 

future, this advance knowledge may be used to reduce the 

damage to coral reefs as well.

Improved Customer Services to NESDIS Users

In 2008, the Offi ce of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution (OSDPD) created a User Services group. Th is 

group’s mission is to strengthen the link between NOAA 

and the users of satellite information. Th e User Services 

group created a new website and supporting architecture 

that provides a central access point to the critical satellite 

data, products, and services. Th is also makes it easier to 

navigate the web portal due to the improved layout and 

organization of products in terms of scientifi c discipline. 

An immediate benefi t of this group was seen in July 2008, 

when Hurricane Dolly and Tropical Storm Fay caused a 

signifi cant increase in the number of public accesses to 

OSDPD’s web servers. Th e new website and architecture permitted normal operations to continue despite the 

increase in load to the servers and the network—the web 

servers and associated web pages performed 100 percent 

of the time during this event. Work continues on improving these popular webpages, including adding date 

and time stamps to offi cial Tropical Prediction Center 

(TPC) forecasts, including buoy winds, and transitioning 

the tropical animations to the effi cient and faster Adobe 

Flash® platform.

Also in 2008, NOAA began to improve the Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC) Operations 

Desk. Th is improvement will result in greater accuracy 

and decreased response times to user inquiries, product 

or service outages, or satellite or ground system anomalies 

that may aff ect products. 

With over 400 operational products and more transitioning from research to operations, OSDPD User Services is 

also looking into integrating ESPC operational databases 

with the follow-on to SATPROD, called the Satellite 

Product End to End Documentation System (SPEEDS) 

that is being developed at NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). SPEEDS will use international metadata and Federal Geographic Data standards 

to develop a database detailing the creation, development, transition, operation, and retirement or divestiture 

of a NESDIS product or service, with detailed datafl ow 

diagrams, contact information, and a complete record of 

all metadata pertaining to the product or service. Th is 

development eff ort is critical to maintaining an eff ective 

information portal for users in the advent of the National 

Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System and Geostationary Operational Environmental 

Satellite R Series.

An image of Hurricane Dolly’s eyewall, taken on July 23, 2008
15 

Predicting Climate 

Variability and 

Change

Expanding Availability of Paleoclimatic Data

Paleoclimatologists use clues from natural sources 

such as tree rings, ice cores, corals, and ocean and 

lake sediments to understand natural climate variability. In fi scal year 2008, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) archived 110 new 

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) 

paleoclimatology products and harvested hundreds 

of dataset descriptions from international partners, 

responding to customer requests for more data and 

for one-stop shopping for climate data. NOAA operates the World Data Center for Paleoclimatology 

and the Applied Research Center for Paleoclimatology, with the goal to provide data and information scientists need to understand natural climate 

variability as well as future climate change. NOAA 

archives about a hundred new paleoclimate data records each year, most on high-priority topics such 

as abrupt climate change, past hurricane and forest 

fi re frequency, and long-term trends in precipitation 

and temperature.

Newly archived paleoclimatic data and climate reconstructions are important to research on the 

long-term history of our climate. By improving the availability of these data, NCDC enables 

scientists to use paleoclimatic information to better 

understand and model future abrupt climate change, 

provide a context for today’s climate change and variability, and understand biosphere linkages to climate. 

NOAA Employing New Tools to Accurately Measure 

Climate Change

In fi scal year 2008, NOAA installed the last 9 of the 

114 stations of the U.S. Climate Reference Network 

(USCRN). Th ese stations track temperature and 

15 
16 

precipitation trends across the Nation. The completion of 

this new, high-technology climate monitoring network directly supports NOAA’s goal to understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan 

and respond. The CRN is helping to pinpoint the shifts 

in America’s changing, often unpredictable, climate. Each 

CRN station is crucial to obtaining accurate information on 

current—and likely future—conditions. Each CRN station 

logs real-time measurements of surface temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and solar radiation. NOAA’s geostationary satellites relay the data from these ground-based 

stations to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, which 

posts the observations online. NOAA employees oversaw 

a decade-long process of network design, site selection, 

installation, commissioning, operational monitoring and 

maintenance, and product development. The public can 

have confi dence in the observations derived from this network with its emphasis on accuracy and reliability.

Climate Change Science Program Synthesis and Assessment 

Product 3.3 Released

In June 2008, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program 

and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research released a scientifi c assessment that provided the fi rst comprehensive analysis of observed and projected changes in 

weather and climate extremes in North America and U.S. 

territories. NOAA staff played a key role in producing 

this assessment; they oversaw the consolidation of scientifi c research on climate extremes, and they edited and 

packaged the information.

Among the major fi ndings reported in Weather and Climate 

Extremes in a Changing Climate is that droughts, heavy 

downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are 

likely to become more commonplace as humans continue 

to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping 

greenhouse gases. The report is based on scientifi c evidence 

that a warming world will be accompanied by changes in 

the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of 

weather and climate extremes.

Global warming over the past 50 years is due primarily to 

human-induced increases in heat-trapping gases, according 

to the report. Many types of extreme weather and climate 

event changes have been observed during this time and continued changes are projected for this century. An improved 

ability to understand climate change and variability is essential to provide decision makers with the information they 

need to plan for these changes.

Expanding the World Ocean Database

NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) 

increased the amount of historical and modern data in 

the World Ocean Database (WOD). WOD is a global, 

comprehensive, quality-controlled compilation of oceanographic vertical profi le data. Datasets for this collection 

are submitted to NODC from ocean researchers around 

the world. Approximately 400,000 Ocean Station Data 

(OSD) and Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) datasets have been processed for inclusion into WOD 2009. 

NODC has made most of these data available online or 

will make them available online shortly.

Ocean profi le data, and products based on these data, are 

used widely by the oceanographic, climate, and geodetic 

scientifi c communities. These data have been used to document the warming of the world ocean over the past fi fty 

years. The data are frequently used as internal and external 

boundary conditions in ocean general circulation models 

CRN station in Baker, Nevada
17 

and in assimilation studies. In addition, this database provides information about rising sea levels and changing climatic zones, which can affect the incidence of disease and 

crop success or failure.

First Operational Greenhouse Gas Products from Satellites

NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research 

(STAR) developed the fi rst operational greenhouse gas 

products from hyperspectural sounding. These products, 

which became operational in August 2008, are derived 

from data taken by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) aboard the European Metop-A satellite. With this information NOAA will be able to provide 

accurate mid-troposphere greenhouse gas concentrations 

well into the next decade and beyond. Greenhouse gases 

are essential to maintaining the temperature of the Earth 

and in excess can raise temperatures. Measurements include carbon dioxide (CO2

), carbon monoxide (CO), and 

methane (CH4

).

Anthropogenic and natural processes produce the gases 

(sources), and there are natural processes that remove 

these gases (sinks) from the atmosphere. Monitoring 

these greenhouse gases is essential for understanding 

sources and sinks and when integrated with ground-based 

measurements and models will provide better monitoring of regional and global trends. Measurement of atmospheric concentration along with in situ measurements 

and process models can be used to estimate the sizes of 

the sources and sinks. This new operational product also 

responds to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Increasing 

atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse 

gases, leads to increasing severe weather conditions, such 

as droughts and intense hurricanes. Information on the 

seasonal and geographic distribution of greenhouse gases 

will provide critical data on the sources of these gases and 

how best to mitigate the risks.

Extending Hydrological Product Climatology to 21 Years

Through support from the NOAA Offi ce of Global Programs, NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and 

Research (STAR) used data from the Special Sensor 

Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) fl own onboard the Defense 

Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite to 

generate a valuable time series of hydrological products, 

including rain, snow, ice, cloud liquid water, and total 

precipitable water covering 21 years. The extended time 

series of these environmental data permit NOAA to more 

accurately monitor and detect change in the amount and 

pattern of climatically important surface and atmospheric 

processes, thereby directly supporting NOAA’s climate 

mission and international programs, such as the Global 

Precipitation Climatology Program. 

Reporting Climate Variables in NOAA’s State of the 

Climate Report for 2007: Spearheaded by NOAA’s National 

Climatic Data Center scientists, the State of the Climate in 2007

report provides a summary of global climate conditions for 

the year. 

Ocean temperature data from the World Ocean Database
18 

Providing 

Weather and

Water Information 

Using Advanced Scatterometer for NOAA Ocean 

Surface Vector Wind Products

To meet the continuing demand for ocean surface 

vector wind (OSVW) data by weather forecasters, NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and 

Research (STAR) created a new process to capture 

and process data from the Advanced Scatterometer 

(ASCAT) aboard the European Metop-A satellite. Currently, the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) QuikSCAT satellite provides OSVW data used for weather forecasting and 

warnings. In preparation for the eventual degradation of QuikSCAT, STAR designed the ASCAT 

processing system to ensure continuity of OSVW 

information. 

Marine weather forecasting and warnings provided 

by these data benefi ts the marine transportation 

system, recreational boating and fi shing activities, 

and coastal regions and islands impacted by marine 

storms. Global OSVW data improves our knowledge of how the ocean and atmosphere interact, 

which is important for understanding the longerterm (climate) and shorter-term (weather) changes 

to the global environment.

Space Weather Product Enables Reliable Air 

Traffic Communications

Periodic clouds of energetic particles emitted from 

the Sun during explosive solar activity can aff ect 

air transportation by decreasing the eff ectiveness 

of air traffi c communication. To address this issue, 

NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center 

(NGDC) developed a new space weather product, 

called the D-region absorption product, to quantify 

18 
19 

communication signal strength losses based on NOAA 

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 

(GOES) particle measurements. In 2008, the D-region 

absorption product was incorporated into operations into 

the National Weather Service (NWS) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

Th e D-region absorption product is a quantitative tool for 

airline traffi c planners to assess the reliability of their communications infrastructure at high latitudes—the regions 

most aff ected by space particle storms. Th is information 

can minimize costly re-routing requirements. Airline rerouting due to unplanned space weather events can cost the 

airline industry several hundred thousand dollars per fl ight 

and cause signifi cant delays for passengers and crew. Th ese 

costs are passed on to consumers as increases in ticket prices, and fl ight delays can disrupt travel plans. Commercial 

fl ight planning now includes the consideration of space 

weather particularly on polar routes, which are especially 

aff ected by D-region radio wave absorption.

GOES Biomass Burning Emissions Product Implemented 

On July 16, 2008, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) biomass burning (agricultural and forest fi res) emissions product for air quality 

modeling applications became operational. To accomplish 

this, NOAA’s Center for Satellite Research and Applications (STAR) developed new biomass (fuel load), burned 

area, and fuel moisture algorithms needed to support the 

emissions product. Biomass burning releases trace gases 

and aerosols into the atmosphere that lead to deteriorated air quality in the vicinity and downwind region of 

fi res. Smoke aerosols are harmful to human health and 

economy. Since most biomass burning events occur with 

no advance warning, satellite data are the best source of 

information that can be incorporated into a model to improve forecasts over broad areas.

To create this product, STAR:

 Developed biomass (fuel load) data using the 

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land products and validated the 

product using U.S. Forest Service in situ data

 Developed an algorithm to convert GOES instantaneous fi re size information into burned 

area product

 Developed an algorithm to use the Advanced 

Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) 

vegetation products and derived fuel moisture 

information

 Worked with the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) and NOAA Air Resource Lab 

in assimilating GOES biomass burning emissions into models to determine the impact on 

air quality predictions

When used in operational air quality forecast models, this 

product improves air quality forecasts. Th e public is then 

able to take precautionary measures based on the forecasts.

POES-GOES Blended Analysis Becomes Operational

NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research 

(STAR) scientists and operations personnel, collaborating with domestic and international academic partners, 

developed and implemented a new class of sea surface 

temperature (SST) analysis. Th ese new operational ocean 

remote sensing products blend SST measurements from 

NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites and 

are available via NOAA CoastWatch. Under development for a number of years, these new products bring 

Developing the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) U.S. Drought Portal (drought.gov): 

Drought.gov is an up-to-date resource for information about 

drought conditions and prognoses in the United States.
20 

improved geographic measurements of the world oceans 

and better temporal coverage. Future improvements will 

include geostationary satellites from other nations and 

data from microwave instruments.

Better SST measurements throughout the global ocean 

will improve numerical weather predictions and ecosystem management eff orts. In addition, this single global 

product satisfi es all four of the NOAA strategic goals, 

which directly support the public:

 Ecosystems – Coral reefs will have global SST 

coverage on a high temporal scale. Th ere are 

many vulnerable coral reef systems in the Indian 

Ocean.

 Climate Variability – Climate users will have 

one consistent standard product. Variability of 

SST may play an important role in monsoon 

dynamics and other important basin-scale and 

regional processes and phenomena.

 Weather and Water – Allow for better forecasting with products such as SST, solar radiation 

cloud drift winds, atmospheric soundings, cloud 

types, and heights and amounts.

 Safe and Effi cient Transportation – Th e SST 

information will enhance transportation safety 

in the Gulf regions for Naval and commercial 

operations.

NOAA Expands Tsunami Data, Information, and Activities 

NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) 

compiles, archives, and makes accessible data and information about tsunamis worldwide. NGDC stewards tsunami information such as coastal and deep-ocean water 

level data; tsunami event and impact data; imagery; and 

bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data. NGDC’s 

tsunami information archive supports hazard evaluation 

and mitigation eff orts. Th is year, the archive grew by over 

700 percent, from 12 to 100 gigabytes. Th e data is used by 

a broad range of scientists, emergency managers, disaster 

relief agencies, land use planners, utility and transportation companies, engineers and surveyors, insurance companies, educators, the public, and federal, state, and local 

governments. 

Also in fi scal year 2008, NGDC signifi cantly improved 

NOAA’s capability to forecast, warn, and mitigate the 

impacts of tsunamis on U.S. coastal communities by: developing six new high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs); supporting the rapid deployment of Deepocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DARTTM) 

buoys by routinely creating reconnaissance, pre-deployment 

bathymetric maps; and greatly expanding (by over 400%) 

the digital data archive for historical tsunami event and 

impact data, DARTTM data, coastal bathymetric and 

LIDAR data, and, for the fi rst time, high-resolution 

coastal tide gauge data. NGDC also provided 42 custommade, reconnaissance, sighting maps for the deployment 

of DART® buoys. NOAA satellites collect and transmit DART® buoy data to the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers and the NOAA National Data Buoy Center 

in real time to enable early detection, measurement, and 

real-time reporting of tsunamis in the open ocean. 

NGDC’s support of NOAA’s Tsunami Program is signifi -

cant in preparing coastal communities to be resilient in 

the face of low probability but high impact tsunamis. Improved forecast, warning, and mitigation capability saves 

lives and increases a community’s ability to recover from 

unavoidable tsunami hazards. By developing the coastal 

DEMs and improving NOAA’s capability to successfully 

and rapidly deploy DARTTM buoys, NOAA’s NGDC is 

saving lives by improving the lead-time for warnings and 

reducing the number of unnecessary coastal evacuations.

Transition of Interactive Multi-sensor Snow and Ice 

Mapping System (IMS): The Offi ce of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution transitioned the Interactive Multi-sensor 

Snow and Ice Mapping System from the Satellite Services 

Division to the National Ice Center with no interruption of 

service to primary customers.

Sea Surface Temperatures
21 

Supporting 

Commerce and 

Transportation

The COSPAS-SARSAT System 

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, the international 

Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking 

(SARSAT) System assisted in the rescue of 308 

people throughout the United States and its surrounding waters. Th is high-tech system uses a network of international satellites, including NOAA’s 

geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites, and 

ground stations to quickly detect and locate distress 

signals from emergency beacons onboard boats and 

planes and from handheld personal locator beacons. 

Also in FY 2008, NOAA reached a milestone with 

the 200,000th emergency beacon registered in the 

National 406 megahertz (MHz) Beacon Registration Database. Th e 406 MHz Beacon Registration 

Database allows users to register their beacons with 

contact information and a description of the vehicle 

if applicable. Th e Search and Rescue (SAR) authorities use this information to expedite rescues as well 

as cancel false alerts, both of which make the system 

more effi cient.

One of the more notable SARSAT rescues in 

FY 2008 took place on April 10, 2008, when the 

SARSAT system helped the U.S. Coast Guard 

respond to a major engine room fi re aboard the 

merchant vessel M/V Sea Venus, which was about 

1,200 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, at 

the time. Th e 577 foot Panamanian-fl agged vessel, 

with a crew of 23, was en route from Rhode Island 

to Belgium when the fi re broke out. At about 7:30 

a.m., NOAA’s satellites detected a distress signal 

from an emergency position indicating radio beacon 

(EPIRB) onboard the vessel and relayed the ship’s 

location to search and rescue personnel at the Coast 

21 
22 

Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Norfolk, 

Virginia. Th e Canadian Navy, and two other merchant 

vessels in the area, also provided critical coordination. 

After gaining control and fi nally extinguishing the fi re, 

14 of the 23 crew members were then safely transferred 

from the Sea Venus to its sister ship, the Olympian Highway. Nine crew members remained onboard to await a 

tug from Halifax, Nova Scotia, which towed the disabled 

vessel safely to port.

Arctic Buoy Network Expanded

In response to drastic changes in the sea ice extent and 

distribution in the Arctic Ocean, NOAA, through the 

National Ice Center (NIC), expanded the Arctic buoy 

network. NIC deployed prototypes of new seasonal ice 

buoys capable of surviving melting and refreezing cycles 

and being air- or ship-deployed on ice or open water. Also, 

in partnership with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and 

other NOAA offi ces, NIC deployed open ocean drifters 

with barometric sensors. Th is improved network will provide operational weather agencies with needed air pressure and temperature information over areas that are now 

void of data. Th is new approach will have a major impact 

on the availability of key environmental information over 

the Arctic Ocean basin. Specifi cally it will provide operational weather agencies with needed air pressure and 

temperature information over areas that are now void of 

data, helping improve regional and global model forecast.

In addition to improving modeling and forecasting, these 

buoys will enhance the quality and quantity of the information provided each year to vessels navigating in icy 

waters. Vessels such as NOAA ships, U.S. Coast Guard 

Icebreakers, and National Science Foundation research 

vessels rely on data from the buoys. Annotated imagery and measurements help these vessels plan routes and 

navigate through potentially hazardous ice conditions. 

Nighttime Lights Earth Imagery Supports Hazard Response

Each year, catastrophic environmental events aff ect millions of people worldwide. To help communities recover 

from these hazards, NOAA’s National Geophysical Data 

Center (NGDC) provides timely satellite images and 

analysis of changes in nighttime lights using data from 

the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). 

Th ese observations can be used to assess the extent and 

impact of these events on communities because artifi cial 

lighting is a reliable indicator of community health and 

stability. Decision makers can use observed changes in 

nighttime lights to guide response and restoration eff orts 

and to ensure those eff orts are eff ective and effi cient. 

During fi scal year (FY) 2008, NGDC supported assessments of power outages resulting from the severe Pacifi c 

storms in January; monitored the local nighttime light 

conditions in the aff ected Sichuan province following the 

devastating May earthquake in China; provided similar 

products during the Midwest fl ooding in June; monitored 

power outages in the Gaza strip; and provided synoptic 

imagery of Iraq.

By monitoring transient changes in nighttime artifi cial 

lighting, NGDC provides excellent indicators of socioeconomic impacts on local commerce and transportation, 

the eff ects of which can be felt worldwide.

Improved Magnetic Field Model for Safe Navigation

NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) 

signifi cantly improved the accuracy and resolution of the 

standard main magnetic fi eld navigational model by incorporating several years of high-quality satellite, airborne, 

Nighttime lights of the world
23 

and shipborne magnetic fi eld data. Magnetic variations in 

the rock of the Earth’s crust can cause signifi cant issues for 

navigation via magnetic compass. In a continuing eff ort to 

address this issue, NGDC developed a method to model 

the magnetic fi eld to a degree never before accomplished. 

NGDC then worked with government and nongovernment agencies worldwide to acquire as much magnetic 

fi eld data as possible. Using these data, NGDC developed 

a new magnetic fi eld model that captures both the fi eld 

generated within Earth’s core and the fi eld generated in the 

near-surface rocks of the crust.

Many small boats and all aircraft rely on magnetic fi eld 

navigation as either a primary or a backup system. Surveyors and landowners rely on NOAA’s magnetic fi eld 

calculators to survey or re-survey property lines. Resource 

exploration, directional drilling, satellite orientation, and 

basic research all rely on magnetic fi eld models. Improving this model improved capabilities in all of these areas.

NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center Named Primary 

Steward for Extended Continental Shelf Data Management

NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) 

stepped forward to lead the data management and data 

integration eff orts necessary for the U.S. Government 

to determine the outer limits of its extended continental shelf (ECS). Data management is essential for the 

United States to confi rm our exclusive sovereign rights 

over our continental shelf and to manage the natural resources on and below the ocean fl oor. Th e value of the 

natural resources within the U.S. ECS is estimated to be 

at least $1 trillion.1

 To take advantage of this opportunity, the United States initiated a program to confi rm its 

exclusive sovereign rights over its continental shelf and 

to manage the natural resources on and under that area 

of at least one million square kilometers. In this capacity, 

NGDC will establish and maintain a central database and 

metadata repository for ECS data, lead construction and 

maintenance of the ECS data management system, and 

help to develop systems to preserve critical ECS analyses 

and decisions. 

In fi scal year (FY) 2008, NGDC has drafted a data management guide to support the analysis of our off shore 

areas and substantiate any submission to the United 

Nations. In addition, in June 2008, NGDC brought 

together marine data and metadata experts to develop 

detailed metadata templates, based on the International 

Standards Organization (ISO) metadata standard, for 

marine seismic and bathymetric data. Th ese templates 

are now being tested and refi ned and will soon be in use 

as the ECS metadata standard by academic and Federal 

Government partners such as NOAA’s Offi ce of Ocean 

Exploration and Research, the U.S. Geological Survey 

and Minerals Management Service, and the U.S. Department of State.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of 

the Sea (UNCLOS), countries are entitled to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles 

from the coastline, and they may also exercise sovereign 

rights over the physical continental shelf in areas beyond 

the EEZ. As many as 80 countries can expand their EEZs 

under Article 76 of UNCLOS, based on a complex set of 

criteria that defi ne the water depth, including the 2,500 

meter isobath, seafl oor geology, sediment thickness, and 

distance from the coastline. 

1

 Murton, B.J., et al. Global Non-Living Resources on the Extended Continental Shelf: Prospects at the 

Year 2000. International Seabed Authority Technical Report No. 1. 2001.

23 

Hosted NOAA Data and Information for a Changing 

Climate Conference: NESDIS employees hosted NOAA Data 

and Information for a Changing Climate conference where 

data users from the energy, insurance, and transportation 

sectors directly infl uenced the development of emerging 

products and services.

This NOAA bathymetric data shows Giggenbach Submarine Volcano
24 

NESDIS 

Community

Introducing Young Scientists to NOAA

Each year NOAA’s Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) partners with the 

Th omas Jeff erson High School for Science and 

Technology (TJHSST) in Alexandria, Virginia, to 

introduce young scientists to the world of studying 

live data from satellites. Each student selected for 

this mentorship program chooses a topic, researches 

the topic, prepares a paper, and presents a seminar to 

STAR scientists and their classmates. To date, four 

students have participated in this program; STAR 

expects to invite at least two students next year. 

Th is mentorship program provides high school students the opportunity to apply interests, knowledge, 

and aptitude in a professional setting. Completion of the mentorship program fulfi lls the senior 

science research requirement for graduation at 

TJHSST. Th e mentorship program also supports 

NOAA’s cross-cutting priority of Environmental 

Literacy, Outreach, and Education. By exposing 

talented students to the rigors of professional science, NOAA hopes to inspire them to pursue this 

discipline, inspire their peers, and possibly return to 

NOAA after college.

NESDIS Mentors Students from Scholarship Programs

In fi scal year 2008, NESDIS mentored students—

Christopher Amante, Sara Mohon, Ethan Peck, 

Alexander Davies, Bethany Norris, Meghan Purdy, 

David Young, Anthony Reisinger, Kamau Mbalia, 

and Kathryn Tippey—as interns from the Hollings 

Scholarship Program and Undergraduate Scholars 

Program.

Th e National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings scholarship 

program is designed to: increase undergraduate

24 
25 

training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, 

technology, and education; foster multidisciplinary training opportunities; increase public understanding and support for stewardship of the ocean and atmosphere; improve environmental literacy; recruit and prepare students 

for public service careers with NOAA and other natural 

resource and science agencies at the Federal, State, and 

local levels of government; recruit and prepare students 

for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science; and to improve scientifi c and environmental education in the United States.

Th e goal of the Undergraduate Scholars Program is to increase the number of students who undertake course work 

and graduate with degrees in targeted academic fi elds integral to NOAA’s mission. Th is program provides an opportunity for rising junior and senior students to study 

disciplines relating to NOAA’s mission. 

Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology 

Center (CREST)

One of the major goals of NOAA-CREST is to recruit, 

mentor, and train graduate students in science, engineering, and technology areas of relevance to NOAA, with a 

special emphasis on traditionally underrepresented groups. 

Since the inception of NOAA-CREST in 2001, the center has been successful in developing a strong pipeline of 

students from high school through college level. It has 

increased the number of students pursuing graduate studies in NOAA-related science, engineering, and technology areas by introducing education and outreach programs 

at CREST institutions and communities. CREST, led 

by the City College of the City University of New York 

(CUNY), has trained and graduated about 150 students 

in NOAA-related sciences, and currently 75 students are 

being trained at CREST and its partner institutions. 

Dr. Leona Charles graduated with honors when she was 

awarded her Bachelors degree in Computer Science in 

2004. Dr. Charles enrolled in the Electrical Engineering 

PhD program at the CUNY Graduate Center, specializing in Remote Sensing Application in Climate and Air 

Quality. Th roughout her graduate studies, Dr. Charles was 

strongly supported by various NOAA-CREST assistantships and fellowships. Th e opportunities at CREST set 

her on a bright career pathway, which helped her focus on 

her career interest, and at the same time exposed her to the 

advances of science and technology enabling her to apply 

her interest to real-world applications, through her close 

interactions and mentoring by experienced CREST faculty members. CREST also provided her with many opportunities to showcase her research at other institutions, 

industry, prestigious conferences, and CREST sponsored 

seminars and symposiums throughout the United States. 

In August 2007, Dr. Charles was honored with Research 

Excellence Award supported by Newport for her excellent 

research presentations at the SPIE International Society 

of Optical Engineering.

Dr. Charles was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree 

in February of 2007, and she defended her doctoral thesis in January 2008. Because of her enormous experience gained through CREST research and training, Dr. 

Charles was off ered a position as a Space Systems Engineer with Northrop Grumman in March 2008.

Unprecedented Access to NOAA Information: The public, researchers, and academia captured over 10,641,000 online photos from July 2007 through 2008. Access NOAA’s 

online Photo Library at www.photolib.noaa.gov.

International Polar Years 2007-2008 Library Update: 

The NOAA Central Library enhanced the online bibliography 

International Polar Year 2007-2008: Resources on Polar Research 

in the NOAA Central Library Network: A Selected Bibliography as 

well as developed a website, presented papers, and more.

Participants of the 2008 NOAA Hollings Scholarship Program
26 

The Science on a Sphere (SOS)® exhibit at the new Smithsonian Sant Ocean Hall. 

Some visualizations featured on the sphere were created by the NOAA Satellite and Information Service. 
Photo by: John Steiner/Smithsonian Institution27 
28 

2008 NOAA Gold Medals 

NESDIS Nomination

Felix Kogan, ORA

For developing a vegetation health monitoring and drought 

early warning system and for transferring the capability to 

more than ten nations.

2008 NOAA Silver Medals 

NESDIS Nomination

Lisa Taylor, NGDC

Paula Dunbar, NGDC

Robin Warnken, NGDC

Kelly Stroker, NGDC

John Campagnoli, NGDC

Joy Ikelman, NGDC

Susan McLean, NGDC

For creating new digital elevation models, reconnaissance 

maps, assessments, and databases that provide information 

for tsunami forecasts and warnings.

2008 Administrator’s Awards 

NESDIS Nominations

Axel Graumann, NCDC 

For chairing the EEO/Diversity Committee for NCDC and 

for developing programs that help employees understand 

diversity and allow NOAA to attract and maintain a diverse 

workforce. 

Jennifer Heyob, WFMO 

For providing outstanding and quality service to the NOAA 

Line and Corporate Offi ces in implementing performance 

management and awards policy.

Menghua Wang, ORA 

For scientifi c excellence and innovation in developing improved coastal ocean color products and their transition 

from research into applications.

Nominations submitted by other offi ces

Jay Lawrimore, NCDC 

This is an Offi ce of the Under Secretary group nomination. 

For leadership in eff ectively, creatively, and in record time 

depicting the accomplishments of NOAA and the U.S. Group 

on Earth Observations for a global summit of 73 governments.

Thomas Karl, NCDC

This is an Offi ce of the Deputy Under Secretary group nomination. For outstanding leadership in and dedication to developing U.S. CCSP Synthesis & Assessment Products integrating climate research for decision support.

David H. Levinson, NCDC

David M. Anderson, NCDC

David R. Easterling, NCDC

Eileen Shea, NCDC

This is an Offi ce of the Deputy Under Secretary group nomination. For outstanding dedication to developing U.S. CCSP 

Synthesis & Assessment Products integrating climate research for decision support. 

Thomas C. Peterson, NCDC

This is an Offi ce of the Deputy Under Secretary group nomination. For outstanding leadership in and dedication to developing U.S. CCSP Synthesis & Assessment Products integrating climate research for decision support.

Other Awards 

NOAA Team Member of the Month for June 2008

H. Stefan Maus, NGDC

For your contributions to the development of global magnetic fi eld models, used widely by the national and international communities, and your superior and prolifi c research 

and for serving as an exemplary mentor and role model to 

junior scientists and students.

NOAA Team Member of the Month for September 2008

Susan McLean, NGDC

For your contributions in the areas of geomagnetic data and 

modeling, earthquake, volcano, and tsunami hazard information development, and your strong leadership in the data 

management and infrastructure development for the pending U.S. submission for an Extended Continental Shelf.

2008 NOAA Go 2008 NOAA Gold Medals ld Medals depicting the accomplishments of NOAA and the U picting the accomplishments of NOAA and the U.S. Group
29 

ANTONIO A. ABADIA DIANA L. ABNEY STANLEY J. ABNEY MICHAEL H. ABREU MARY ADAMS ANDREW L. ADKINS, JR. ALFREDA M. ALEXANDER AISHA D. ALI ANDREW J. ALLEGRA DONALD L. 

ALLEN KHALID M. ALVI KEITH AMBURGEY DAWN W. ANDERS DAVID M. ANDERSON DONNA M. ANDERSON GLORIA E. ANDERSON MICHAEL J. ANDERSON JEREMY J. ANDRUCYK WILLIAM 

E. ANGEL STEVEN R. ANSARI JIMI R. ANZELC CHARLENE J. APPERSON ANTHONY ARGUEZ JEFFREY D. ARNFIELD STEVEN M. ATKINS ROBERT M. AUNE CAROL A. AUSTIN GLORIA AVERSANO 

SHYAM N. BAJPAI CHARLES S. BAKER CLIFFORD B. BAKER EDWARD M. BAKER RICHARD T. BALDWIN THOMAS BALDWIN JAMES G. BALLOU WALID J. BANNOURA OLGA K. BARANOVA 

CHRISTOPHER D. BARNET ALVA J. BARNETTE CELSO S. BARRIENTOS JOHN J. BATES BRUCE BAUER PATRICIA A. BAUER ERIC J. BAYLER RUSSELL H. BEARD MICHAEL R. BEAVIN CALVIN T. 

BECK THOMAS W. BECKER KATHY P. BELFIELD PHYLLIS BELLAMY TONI D. BELLAMY PATRICK S. BELOTE DAVID A. BENNER KEVIN N. BERBERICH EUGENE J. BERRY PAULA E. BERRY MARGARET E. BIGGERSTAFF FREEMAN B. BLACKWELL, JR. ILISSA BLECH BRIAN G. BLOEDEL HAL J. BLOOM JULIE A. BOSCH LISA D. BOTLUK SID A. BOUKABARA DAVID P. BOWMAN KANDIS Y. 

BOYD THOMAS L. BOYD TIMOTHY P. BOYER JAMES E. BRADY TIMOTHY L. BRANCH TESS B. BRANDON DOUGLAS D. BRAUER DEBRA S. BRAUN CAROL J. BREGER MICHAEL BREWER DARBIE L. BRIDGETT MARK S. BRIELE DANNY E. BRINEGAR RANDAL B. BRINKER ROBERT O. BRISCOE BARBARA D. BROOKS DONNISE P. BROOKS TODD H. BROOKS CHRISTOPHER W. BROWN 

DANIEL R. BROWN, JR. DOROTHY BROWN JANET M. BROWN LINDA A. BROWN WILLIAM O. BROWN ALBERTA BRUNSON JOSEPH P. BRUST, JR. CHARLES S. BRYANT JERRY G. BRYANT JULIE 

J. BRYANT CHARLES R. BUCKNER WILLIAM C. BURKHART THEODORE T. BURLEW, JR. ROBIN S. BURRESS MARY R. BURRIS JONATHAN D. BURROUGHS HYRE BYSAL PATRICK C. CALDWELL 

LOUIS P. CAMBARDELLA JOHN G. CAMPAGNOLI CHANGYONG CAO SHARON D. CAPPS HILL THOMAS R. CAREY JAN A. CARPENTER CHRISTINE M. CARPINO LARRY W. CARR LILA P. CARR 

DONALD M. CARROLL EMILY M. CARTER LILLIAN R. CARTER PRESTON S. CARTER STEVEN L. CARTER WILLIAM A. CARTER JOHN C. CARTWRIGHT KENNETH S. CASEY JOSEPH K. CATALAN 

MICHAEL W. CHALFANT KIMBERLY K. CHAMBERLAIN PAUL S. CHANG LAURA M. CHAPMAN DANIEL C. CHAPPELL DOUGLAS C. CHARNOCK, JR. SAM M. CHEN HOMER L. CHERRIX TROY A. 

CHERRY ROSA M. CHIEDI JAE Y. CHOE LUKMAN H. CHOLID CRAIG A. CLARK DAVID M. CLARK DEBRA E. CLARK JOHNNY R. CLARK, JR. NATHAN B. CLARK PABLO CLEMENTE COLON SETH 

A. CLEVENSTINE BERRY K. COLEMAN CARLA L. COLEMAN RICHARD A. COLEY JUANITA M. COLLER SHARON D. COLLEY DONALD W. COLLINS KAY E. COLLINS RONALD E. COLLINS GUSTAVE 

J. COMEYNE III LAURENCE N. CONNOR BARBARA COOK THERESSA D. COREN JUSTIN G. COUTURE ARLENE A. CRAIG CONSTANCE R. CRAIG VAN D. CRAWFORD ANGELA L. CRENSHAW 

MICHAEL J. CRISON DENNIS E. CROCKETT SCOTT L. CROSS JUSTIN A. CROUCH IVAN A. CSISZAR RUBY E. CUBANO MARY L. CUMBERPATCH BRENDA L. CUMBIE JOHN T. CUSTIS JANE A. 

D ‘AGUANNO HARRY W. DAHLBERG, JR. KEVIN A. DAILEY DAWN E. DANIELS JAIME M. DANIELS CAROLYN D’ANTONIO CHARLES M. DAVIS GARY K. DAVIS JOHN W. DAVIS LYCRETIA D. 

DAVIS VAUGHN W. DAVIS, JR. NANCY A. DEFRANCESCO STEPHEN A. DELGRECO CLAUDE D. DELLINGER MARK DEMARIA WILLIAM F. DENIG SUSAN DEVINE HOWARD J. DIAMOND BENJAMIN L. DIEDRICH PAUL M. DIGIACOMO HANJUN DING KRISTIN M. DORFLER JEROME W. DORSEY WARREN F. DORSEY EVE A. DOUGLAS MICHAEL J. DOWNES HENRY F. DRAHOS, JR. AMBER 

R. DRUMM PAULA K. DUNBAR PATRICK D. DUNSTON MICHAEL R. DURAN IMKE DURRE PARMESH H. DWIVEDI RUSSELL DYSON CARLON M. EAKIN TINA M. EAST DAVID R. EASTERLING 

DENNIS E. EBERTS DAVID M. EDDY MARGARET L. EGGLESTON LEON M. ELLISON STANLEY W. ELSWICK CHRISTOPHER D. ELVIDGE MARCUS O. ERTLE EDWARD H. ERWIN TERRI J. ESHAM 

ROBIN L. EVANS ELIZABETH F. EWELL WAYNE M. FAAS JOHN R. FAUERBACH LISA A. FAUNCE CHARLES J. FENNO CHRISTINE D. FENWICK ANGELA D. FERGUSON RALPH R. FERRARO, JR. 

KATHERINE A. FINCHER ROBERT S. FINSON ANNA FIOLEK DAVID E. FISCHMAN JEAN M. FITCH MICHAEL W. FITZMAURICE, JR. DANIEL G. FLANAGAN ROBERT P. FLEEMAN STEPHEN E. FLEMING KAREN E. FLERLAGE LAWRENCE FLYNN TERRI L. FORD BERNADETTE G. FOREMAN ELLIOT L. FOREST JON M. FOSTER CHRISTOPHER G. FOX DAVID N. FRANC DEBORAH L. FRANKLIN 

PHALA L. FRANKS HELEN V. FREDERICK RICHARD W. FREEMAN GREGG W. FROSTROM JENNIFER M. FRYE RICHARD A. FULTON DAVID R. FURLONG MICHAEL B. GALEONE GREGORY M. GALLINA KEVIN P. GALLO HERNAN E. GARCIA RICHARD L. GAREY ROBERT D. GELFELD HELEN J. GIBSON VICENTE A. GILBERTO WALTER J. GLANCE, JR. MARY A. GLASER BYRON E. GLEASON 

KARIN L. GLEASON HILDA S. GOHRBAND MITCHELL D. GOLDBERG DAVID N. GOLDSMITH ZACHARY G. GOLDSTEIN STEVEN J. GOODMAN GEOFFREY P. GOODRUM LYNN A. GOSS JAMES J. 

GOUDOUROS TYNA A. GRAHAM VINCENT GRANO AXEL GRAUMANN DONALD G. GRAY JOSEPH P. GREEN MARGARITA E. GREGG PATRICK D. GREGORY TRINA M. GRIFFIN VANESSA L. 

GRIFFIN STEVEN M. GRIFFITH DORIA B. GRIMES PETER L. GRIMM STEVEN A. GRIPPANDO BYRON GRISHAM III WENDY S. GROSS JASON K. GRUNIN INGRID C. GUCH JAMES J. GURKA JOSE 

M. GUTIERREZ RAY E. HABERMANN IDA M. HAKKARINEN BETHANY A. HALE ALAN D. HALL MARK O. HALL NORMAN F. HALL THOMAS E. HALL EDWARD C. HAMBLIN MELANIE A. HAMILTON 

GREGORY R. HAMMER ANDRE L. HAMMOND CYNTHIA HAMPTON KARL HAMPTON DONG J. HAN JING N. HAN JAY W. HANNA JERRY D. HARDY EMILY D. HARROD DAVID S. HASENAUER 

JAMES S. HAUGHEY BRENNAN J. HAY HEATHER M. HAY KESHA D. HAYES KENNETH HAYWOOD ANDREW K. HEIDINGER LISA K. HEILMEIER RICHARD R. HEIM, JR. SEAN R. HELFRICH GRACE 

M. HENSLEY DAVID K. HERMRECK RHONDA L. HERNDON ROGER W. HEYMANN BRIAN K. HILL SHERIDAN L. HILL DONALD W. HILLGER CONRAD S. HINSON OLIVER D. HIRSCHFELD LOUIE 

E. HOFF CURTIS W. HOLLAND MARY B. HOLLINGER KAREN E. HORAN TRIVITA V. HORTON SEYED A. HOSSEINI TAMARA G. HOUSTON MENG HUAN PAUL E. HUDSPETH PATRICIA A. HUFF 

BRIAN K. HUGHES KENT H. HUGHES PAMELA Y. HUGHES BRENDA Y. HUMPHRIE SROBINSON STACEY J. HURCOMBE LISA S. HURT TOBY M. HUTCHINGS RICHARD C. HUTCHINS GLENN M. 

HYATT ALEXANDER IGNATOV CHERYL L. INGRAM ANTONIO R. IRVING CONRAD G. JACKSON NINA L. JACKSON RUSSELL L. JACOBS LAWRENCE S. JAMES RICHARD F. JAMES IFTIKHAR 

JAMIL STEPHEN J. JANOSKI JOHN A. JENSEN MICHAEL D. JENSEN MATTHEW A. JOCHUM CHERYL M. JOHNSON DAPHNE R. JOHNSON DENNIS L. JOHNSON GREGORY P. JOHNSON PHILLIP 

S. JOHNSON ROMONTE E. JOHNSON THADDEUS R. JOHNSON THELMA JOHNSON QUEEN E. JONES GEORGE M. JUNGBLUTH CHARLES KADIN SATYA KALLURI CYNTHIA B. KARL THOMAS 

R. KARL DANIEL K. KARLSON NEAL K. KASKE MARIAN E. KATZ MARILENE S. KAZIOR EDWARD J. KEARNS KATHLEEN A. KELLY JEFFREY R. KEY JAMIE M. KIBLER MARY E. KICZA ERIC A. 

KIHN HEATHER S. KILCOYNE DONGSOO KIM JASON Y. KIM BEVERLY C. KING JOHN O. KINSFATHER STEVEN P. KIRKNER THOMAS J. KLEESPIES JOSEPH C. KLEIN MARY K. KLISCHER JOHN 

A. KNAFF KENNETH R. KNAPP KRISTIN M. KNISKERN JOHN M. KOBAR BRENDA KOENIG CHAD E. KOENIG FELIX KOGAN CHANDRA R. KONDRAGUNTA SHOBHA KONDRAGUNTA DANIEL E. 

KOWAL JOSEPH E. KRAFT JEFFREY A. KROB ANGELA M. KUHN JOHN M. KUHN ROBERT J. KULIGOWSKI SHELDON J. KUSSELSON DENNIS M. LACKEY JOHANNA S. LANG JOHN P. LA ROCQUE 

MARIA M. LARSEN BLAKE L. LASHER ISTVAN LASZLO REGINALD B. LAWRENCE JAY H. LAWRIMORE ALEX W. LAWSON, JR. TIMOTHY P. LEARY LARRY L. LEDLOW, JR. SHARON LEDUC DONNA F. LEFLER RICHARD V. LEGECKIS ERIC W. LEULIETTE DAVID H. LEVINSON KEITH A. LEVINSON SYDNEY LEVITUS JAMES E. LEWIS KIRK J. LIANG CHRISTINA J. LIEF JOHN L. LILLIBRIDGE III 

DANIEL T. LINDSEY GEORGE B. LINVILL BRIAN W. LITTLE XIAOFAN LI ROSS A. LOBLEIN JEFFERY D. LOGAN KELLY K. LOGAN JACK N. LOTT IV SUSAN E. LOVE BROTAK JOHN LOVING KEVIN 

E. LUDLUM CHARLES R. MACFARLAND BARBARA Z. MACNEILL ERIC J. MADSEN JOANNE MAGOULAS RONALD E. MAHMOT PATRICIA MAHONEY DENNIS J. MAILHOT LESLIE N. MAIZEL 

CHRISTINA H. MAK GREGORY A. MANDT DANIEL J. MANNS DEBRA M. MARCHANT ANNE E. MARKEL KAREN M. MARKS JAMES M. MARTIN, JR. BROOKS D. MASON DEANA M. MASTIN KARON 

R. MATHEWS EILEEN M. MATURI BILLIE F. MAYBIN PATTY J. MAYO WILFRED E. MAZUR DAVID C. MCADOO GARY P. MCBRIEN KIMBERLY I. MCCARTY MILTON S. MCCOWN KENNETH R. MCDONALD DOUGLAS G. MCELREATH ALVIN L. MCGAHEE JOLENE R. MCGILL DAVID F. MCGINNIS MARJORIE P. MCGUIRK VERNON E. MCINTOSH, JR. KEITH W. MCKENZIE ALITA M. MCKINLEY 

SUSAN J. MCLEAN ALBERT J. MCMATH, JR. DONNA P. MCNAMARA KELLY A. MCNEAL ROBERTA A. MCQUILKIN AJAY N. MEHTA MATTHEW J. MENNE JAMES L. MENTZER FRANK E. MENZER 

NANCY L. MERCKLE SHARON M. MESICK LAURA K. METCALF DAN R. METZGER ANGELA L. MICHAEL MICHAEL MIGNOGNO SUZETTE M. MILANO SCHOSER EDWARD M. MILLER ERIC J. 

MILLER KAREN L. MILLER LAURENCE L. MILLER BARRY L. MILLS GARY C. MITCHELL TSAN MO LARRY O. MOHLER DEBRA A. MOLENAR LINDA V. MOODIE CARLA J. MOORE DANIEL L. 

MOORE JEANNETTE A. MOORE JOHN C. MOORE KELVIN L. MOORE JOHN T. MORAN EDWARD MORRIS JAMES W. MORRIS JOHN P. MORRISROE SCOTT V. MOWERY KENNETH P. MUGFORD 

MARK F. MULHOLLAND DANIEL P. MULLER JOSEPH E. MULLIGAN PATRICIA J. MULLIGAN GREGORY S. MUNDY MARILYN A. MURPHY WILLIAM B. MURPHY DERRICK MURRAY REGINA A. 

MURRAY JAMES B. MUSSMANN ROBERT A. NAGAN JOHN P. NANGLE SELINA M. NAUMAN CHERYL L. NAVE LINDA J. NEELY BRIAN R. NELSON RYAN M. NELSON TERESA J. NERO CARL 

W. NEWLON VIHA T. NGUYEN CATHERINE L. NICHOLS MURRAY L. NICODEMUS WILLIAM F. NOCK TEELA D. NORRIS CLINTON J. NORTHROP BRADLEE B. NUNN KIMBERLY K. NYE MARY E. O’ 

CHERY CHRISTOPHER M. O’CONNORS MICHAEL A. O’DELL ERIC J. OGATA JON E. OLSON MICHAEL E. ONDRUSEK KAREN S. OWEN TIMOTHY W. OWEN BONITA S. PAGEL MICHAEL A. PALECKI 

RHONDA J. PALUBA JOHN A. PAQUETTE GREGG A. PARENT ANTOINETTE D. PARHAM CECIL A. PARIS FREUD P. PARK JAMES T. PARKER ARTHUR R. PARSONS SAMUEL M. PATTERSON II 

CHRISTOPHER R. PAVER MICHAEL J. PAVOLONIS ERNEST R. PAYNE HERALD A. PEARSALL VICKI S. PECK MONTY B. PEFFLEY PAUL E. PEGNATO JESSICA L. PEJSA RONALD PENN JOHN J. 

PEREIRA JOSEPH M. PEREZ MARLIN O. PERKINS JOEL L. PERLROTH JOYCE A. PETERS THOMAS C. PETERSON ROSEMARY PETTIS EDWARD J. PHILLIPS JOHN R. PHILLIPS SHERI A. PHILLIPS 

WILLIAM G. PICHEL ROBERT B. PIERCE LINDA PIKULA KAROL D. PITTMAN BRUCE E. PLOTT MICHAEL F. PORCH ALFRED M. POWELL ALEXANDER S. POZNIAK VIRGINIA M. PRESSLEY RYANN 

PRICE JEFFREY L. PRIVETTE KENNETH L. PRYOR HONGMING N. QI STEVEN R. QUILLEN RONALD R. RADEMACHER BRUCE H. RAMSAY TRACEY B. RANDALL ROBERT H. RANK HENRY J. RAY 

III JAMES RAY RONALD D. RAY ANTHONY L. REALE ROBERT J. REDMON GEORGE A. REEDY LETECIA P. REEVES TINA M. REID JOHN M. RELPH THOMAS M. RENKEVENS ALAN H. REVELL 

RICHARD W. REYNOLDS THOMAS E. REYNOLDS SHARON J. RICH RASHELLE H. RICHARDSON DEBORAH B. RIDDLE GEORGE E. RIEFLER BARRY S. RIGGIN MARGARET M. RIPLEY NANCY A. 

RITCHEY CARMELO RIVERA DEBORA E. RIVERA ANN M. RIVERS PATRICIA L. RIVOLTA JEFFREY M. ROBEL THOMAS W. ROBERTS DARRELL R. ROBERTSON ALAN D. ROBINSON DIANE V. 

ROBINSON ROBERT L. ROBLIN DONALD E. ROBY JENNIFER E. ROCHESTER CAROL S. ROGERS LAURIE A. ROKKE MIGUEL A. ROSARIO FELIX JOSE M. ROSARIO DOUGLAS P. ROSS THOMAS 

F. ROSS WARREN E. ROSS JOE L. ROYSTON LINDA D. RUBIO MARK G. RUMINSKI GLENN K. RUTLEDGE STEVEN RUTZ THOMAS W. RYAN JOSEPH E. SALAZAR LINDA D. SALYERS AHIRA M. 

SANCHEZ PATRICIA A. SANCHEZ JOHN W. SANNS JOHN F. SAPPER LEESHA A. SAUNDERS KERRY A. SAWYER CHARLOTTE L. SAZAMA STEPHEN M. SCHAEFFER STEVEN A. SCHAFFER KAREN 

D. SCHAFFERT GUY D. SCHEIN, JR. BONNIE S. SCHELLER ELIZABETH J. SCHENCK GARDNER WALTER C. SCHLEICHER, JR. KENNETH E. SCHMIDT TIMOTHY J. SCHMIT DAVID C. SCHOOLCRAFT 

THOMAS B. SCHOTT RICHARD G. SCHREITZ ALAN L. SCHWARTZ TAMMY A. SCOTT MARK R. SEIDERMAN LANCE E. SEMAN HILAWE SEMUNEGUS GEORGE N. SERAFINO JANICE A. SESSING 

MICHAEL S. SETTLES MATTHEW G. SEYBOLD PAUL A. SEYMOUR JOYCE A. SHAFFER HUGH A. SHARKEY AWDHESH K. SHARMA GEORGE F. SHARMAN III EILEEN L. SHEA DUSTIN A. SHEFFLER 

KARSTEN A. SHEIN JAMES R. SHERIDAN LEI SHI JOSEPH SHIRLEY MAHENDRA B. SHRESTHA HERNAN J. SILVA JOHN J. SIMKO NAAMAN M. SIMPSON GEORGE M. SINCLAIR, JR. MARGARET 

L. SKEOCH DONNIE R. SLACK MARY E. SLAY MARK O. SLEEPER RICHARD L. SLONAKER CONSTANCE D. SLUSSER RONALD W. SMILEK ADAM B. SMITH ALISA B. SMITH DAVID B. SMITH 

DAVID N. SMITH DAVID P. SMITH ELIZABETH O. SMITH JONATHAN M. SMITH LAKEL A. SMITH RHAPSODY R. SMITH DEARRING THOMAS E. SMITH, JR. THOMAS M. SMITH WALTER H. SMITH 

IGOR V. SMOLYAR MARSHALL S. SMYLY ROBERT L. SNEAD, JR. SHARON R. SNEAD THOMAS V. SNELL NICOLE A. SOLOMON JESSE W. SPEIDEL ALBERT B. SPENCER, JR. TERESSA SPENCER 

MICHAEL F. SQUIRES STANLEY M. STANCZYK SUSAN M. STARKE LINDA STATHOPLOS LINDA S. STATLER ERIC F. STENGEL SCOTT E. STEPHENS SIMONE E. STEPHENS PETER M. STEURER ADELE 

A. STEVENS KAREN M. ST GERMAIN JOSEPH W. STINUS DANIEL W. STOCKTON JESSE R. STRAND CLIFTON R. STRAUTMAN DAVIDA Z. STREETT KELLY J. STROKER ROBERT F. SUMMERS 

LEANGCHWAN C. SUN GRACE L. SWANSON DENISE R. SYLVESTER JASON T. SYMONDS EDWARD V. TABOR CHANG KOU TAI MICHAEL D. TANNER KENDRA L. TARVER ALICIA C. TAYLOR LISA 

A. TAYLOR PAMELA M. TAYLOR GENE R. TERRY ROE E. TERRY MARGARET K. TESSIER ALBERT E. THEBERGE, JR. ADRIENNE M. THOMAS JOHN L. THOMAS CHARLES W. THOMASON, JR. JEFFREY 

M. THOMPSON, JR. PATRICIA C. THOMPSON JOSEPH T. THORNTON TERRANCE A. TIELKING CLARENCE W. TIGNOR ARLA B. TILLMAN MONICA E. TODIRITA MICHAEL TOMLINSON NORWOOD 

E. TRUITT YO KUNG J. TSUI JAUVONNE M. TUCKER MICHAEL A. TURK RACHEL K. TURLEY KEVIN L. TURNER ANTHONY J. TWITTY ROBERT N. TYE ERIC D. UNDERHILL DAVID P. URBANSKI 

MICHAEL L. URZEN JABIN S. VAHORA JAMES VALENTI MARCO A. VARGAS SARA W. VEASEY KATY M. VINCENT FREDERICK A. VIZBULIS RUSSELL S. VOSE BRIAN M. VOSS JOYCE N. VOYLES 

SUDHIR G. VYAS ANGELO G. WADE CRAIG R. WADE GARY S. WADE EUGENE R. WAHL LEESALEE C. WALKER JANET S. WALL CAROL WALLACE STEVEN D. WALLACE BRIAN S. WALLING 

TIMOTHY J. WALSH MENGHUA WANG DARLENE N. WARD RODNEY V. WARD ANDREW L. WARDRETT BARBARA A. WARNICK ROBIN R. WARNKEN DONNA C. WARREN MICHAEL W. WARREN 

EUNICE F. WARRINGTON PATRICIA A. WEIR ROGER B. WELDON FUZHONG WENG KAY E. WESTON PHILIP L. WHALEY CHRISTOPHER A. WHEELER JOSEPH L. WHITE IV SANDRA C. WHITE 

HILERY T.J. WHITEHURST HARRY D. WHITELEY PETER A. WILCZYNSKI BRENDA M. WILKINS CHARIS A. WILKINSON DANIEL C. WILKINSON ALEXANDER F. WILLIAMS CLAUDE N. WILLIAMS, 

JR. KEVIN L. WILLIAMS LINDA J. WILLIAMS LINDSEY B. WILLIAMS STEPHANIE J. WILLIAMS TYRONE L. WILLIAMS WAYNE L. WILMOT WILLIAM S. WILSON VERNELL M. WOLDU WALTER W. 

WOLF WINIFRED F. WOMACK HELEN M. WOOD LENORA M. WOODS CHARLES T. WOOLDRIDGE RUSSELL L. WORMAN VICKIE S. WRIGHT THOMAS M. WRUBLEWSKI DAVID B. WUERTZ XIANGQIAN WU ZHONG N. WU ANGELA P. WYATT MARTIN YAPUR JAMES G. YOE HAN YONG SHAROLYN R. YOUNG YUNYUE YU MARGARIDA M. YUAN STEVEN E. ZEGALIA DAVID F. ZEHR 

CYNTHIA B. ZEIGLER TRACY L. ZEILER XIWU ZHAN HUAI MIN ZHANG LIMIN ZHAO CHENG ZHI ZOU 

NOAA SATELLITE AND INFORMATION SERVICE EMPLOYEES
200