Support to EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation

(NOAA Collaborators:Satya Kalluri)

EUMETSAT Polar System Second Generation (EPS-SG) represents Europe's contribution to the future Joint Polar System (JPS), which is planned to be established together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of United States, following on from the Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS). EPS-SG is the mid-morning observing system of the NOAA-EUMETSAT polar constellation and complements JPSS satellites that fly in the afternoon orbit. It will provide operational observations and measurements from polar orbit for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and climate monitoring in the 2023 to mid-2040's timeframe. The next generation sensors onboard EPS-SG have improved accuracy/resolution/dynamic range of the measurements.

The project work focuses on development of enterprise processing/retrieval algorithm and software, proxy sensor data record (SDR) preparation, and testing/validation of processing algorithm/software activities that are related to the five EPS-SG sensors: Meteorological Imager (METimage), MicroWave Sounder (MWS), MicroWave Imager (MWI), Radio Occultation sounder (RO) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer-Second Generation (IASI-SG). Through this work, simulated proxy data for METimage, MWS, MWI and IASI-SG at NOAA/STAR will be generated and distributed; gridded METimage Land Surface Temperature (LST) and albedo retrieval algorithm/software package and JPSS-METOP inter-comparison toolkit will be developed and validated; Microwave Integrated Retrieval System (MiRS) software to process EPS-SG MWS data and Snow Fall Rate retrieval algorithm will be upgraded for EPS-SG MWS; processing algorithms for EPS-SG MWI data and snow cover retrieval algorithm will be updated and tested; the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) RO data retrieval algorithm and validation tool will also be developed and validated; the NOAA Unique CrIS/ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) software will also be updated to prepare for IASI-SG.

This project will provide a critical pathway to and preparation for operational implementation of NOAA algorithms for EPS-SG data, ensuring continuity of NOAA operational products in the post-MetOp period.