1. Transitioning Capabilities between NASA Research and NOAA Operations Presentation to CIOSS Executive Board Meeting Aug 30, 2005 (rev 25)

2. 2 Background The transition between NASA research and NOAA operations has been identified as a national issue: –Reports of the National Research Council –Recommendations from the Commission on Ocean Policy This is being addressed in two ways: –Near-Term – Senate language in the NOAA FY05 budget for NOAA: “Provide NOAA the capability to transition NASA remote sensed ocean measurements into operational products for the user community” Observations explicitly mentioned: “ocean winds from scatterometers,…sea level…from altimeters, and…ocean color” This is a one-year $4M level of effort, with no assurance for continuation –Longer-Term – The establishment of a more formal process process between the two agencies to facilitate the transitioning

3. 3 Near-Term Approach Prepare an FY05 Implementation Plan for a Research & Operations Program and show early results for the $4M –Development of plan initiated in January 2005 –Plan approved by Jack Kelly on April 1, 2005 –Elements of plan were to have been funded and underway Link the elements of the Research & Operations Program to NOAA Goals and engage in the FY08 budget process

4. 4 Surface Vector Winds Objective Identify the most appropriate path for NOAA to collect operational surface vector winds (SVW) Status NASA QuikSCAT data have been used operationally by NWS for 3+ years Post-QuikSCAT SVW are to be provided by NPOESS/CMIS, but its performance is predicated on an evaluation of WindSat Identified Tasks Ensure timely access by NWS to WindSat SVW to enable user evaluation Refine QuikSCAT products – rain & spatial resolution Overall Issue To the extent that CMIS is inadequate, explore options for flight of a a scatterometer to follow QuikSCAT

5. 5 FY 2005 Research to Operations Program Surface Vector Winds – to go w/rev 25 TaskPI; Co-I; PartnersWhat operational product improvement is anticipated? I-2. Operational impact of QuikSCAT and WindSat on ocean wind forecasts John LeMarshall, JCSDA; John Derber, NWS/EMC Accuracy of operational wind forecasts for the high seas (EMC) I-3. Operational Impact of SVW at TPC/OPC Paul Chang; Joe Sienkiewicz, NWS/OPC; Rick Knabb, TPC; NOPP Accuracy of center-fixing for tropical cyclones (TPC) and improved surface synoptic analyses (OPC) I-4. Develop improved operational rain flag for characterizing cyclones Paul Chang with Steve Frasier, U. Mass.Improved ability to detect and track tropical & extra- tropical cyclones (TPC & OPC) I-1. Access to WindSat by WFOs Paul Chang, NESDIS/ORA with OSDPDImproved short-term coastal forecasts, such as small-craft advisories and frontal passages (WFOs) I-6. Finer-resolution land-mask and SVW for use at coastal WFOs Paul Chang; Mike Freilich, CIOSS; David Long, BYU; OSDPD; Kevin Schrab I-5. Operational Impact of SVW at coastal WFOs Mike Freilich, CIOSS; Ralph Milliff, Colorado Research Associates (CSA); Kevin Schrab, NWS/OST; WFOs

6. 6 Sea Surface Height Objective Transition satellite altimetry from NASA research to NOAA operations by implementing Jason-3 Status NASA has provided 13+ years of high-quality SSH, with TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1, but will not continue support beyond Jason-2 Identified Tasks Justify user requirements for operational SSH – hurricane intensity, coastal sea level, seasonal/interannual, climate analyses, global sea level rise... Overall Issues Build the case for a Jason-3 via an FY08 budget initiative, including prospects for a European partner

7. 7 FY 2005 Research to Operations Program Sea Surface Height – to go w/rev 25 TaskPI; Co-I; PartnersWhat operational product improvement is anticipated? II-1. Impact of SSH in short-term ocean models on hurricane intensity forecasts Mark DeMaria, CIRA; K.Emanuel, MIT; I.Ginnis, URI; G.Goni, AOML; Fred Toepfer, EMC: Kevin Schrab, OST; Rick Knabb, TPC; JTWC Accuracy of hurricane intensity forecasts (NCEP/TPC & JTWC) II-2. Impact of SSH in short-term ocean models on coastal forecasting Fred Toepfer & D.B. Rao, EMC; NOPP; Frank Aikman, CSDL; Ants Leetmaa, OAR/GFDL Improved coastal sea-level forecasting to meet needs of marine navigation, coastal planners, and resource managers (EMC & NOS) II-3. Impact of SSH on seasonal and interannual (S/I) forecasting Dave Behringer & Steve Lord, EMCImproved capability for S/I forecasting (EMC & CPC) II-7. Operational calibration and quality assessment (QA) for Jason-2 Eric Bayler & LSA of ORA; OSD; Mike Johnson, OAR/OGP; CNES; EUMETSAT In-house capability to implement operational calibration and QA for Jason-2 (NESDIS/ORA) II-5. Combining SSH and SVW for ocean current analyses Eric Bayler; Mike Johnson; Gary Lagerloef, Earth & Space Research Improved estimates of surface current field for use by resource managers (NMFS), hazmat response (NOS), and search & rescue (USCG) II-4. Combining SSH and Argo for climate analyses Ants Leetmaa, GFDL; Josh Willis, JPL; NOPPImproved climate-quality assessments for use by policy makers (OAR/OGP) II-6. Observational requirements for, and socio- economic impacts of, global sea level rise (GSLR) Stan Wilson; Chet Koblinsky; Margaret Davidson, NOS/CSC; L. Miller, NESDIS/ORA; J.Church, CSIRO; P.Woodworth, PSMSL Reduced uncertainty in future projections of GLSR for use by coastal planners (NOS/CSC) and policy makers (OGP)

8. 8 Ocean Color* Objective Transition ocean color from NASA’s SeaWifs and Aqua/MODIS to NOAA operations with VIIRS Status SeaWiFS has been used since 1997 for research & HAB forecasting, but NASA is discontinuing free access needed by the research community to fix MODIS deficiencies in coastal areas and maintain climate data records Identified Tasks Jointly support with NASA continued access to SeaWiFS data for research community Develop a robust in-situ calibration capability for ocean color Justify support for climate-quality ocean-color data records Overall Issues Assess prospects for VIIRS to meet requirements for ocean color – pre- launch characterization, on-orbit and concurrent in-situ calibration, and a capability for continuing algorithm development and re-processing * The term, Ocean Color, is used to mean normalized water-leaving radiances – from which parameters like chlorophyll a concentration, characterization of harmful algal blooms, water clarity, and inherent optical properties can be derived

9. 9 FY 2005 Research to Operations Program Ocean Color – to go w/rev 25 TaskPI; Co-I; PartnersWhat operational product improvement is anticipated? III-1. Continue SeaWiFS for MODIS evaluation and VIIRS overlap Rick Stumpf, NOS; Paula Bontempi, NASA/HQ; Stan Wilson, NESDIS Enable the use of climate-quality observations by resource managers (NMFS & NOS); improve NOS forecasting of harmful algal blooms (HABs) III-2. Fix MODIS deficiencies in coastal waters Rick Stumpf; Kent Hughes, NESDIS/ORA; Bob Arnone, NRL; Chuck McClain Improve coastal monitoring to support resource managers and coastal planners (NOS & NMFS) III-3. Develop a more robust in-situ oceanic calibration capability Dennis Clark & Mengua Wang, NESDIS/ORA; NIST; SJSU; MLML; Mark Abbott, CIOSS In-house capability to implement operational calibration for satellite ocean color (NESDIS/ORA) III-4. Make a more effective case for climate- quality ocean color Chet Koblinsky, NOAA Climate; Mark Abbott, CIOSS; Chuck McClain, NASA/GSFC Maintain climate-quality observations for use by resource managers and policy makers (NMFS, NOS, OAR/OGP) III-5. Facilitate access to multiple satellite data sets to meet fisheries & IOOS needs Cara Wilson et al, NMFS/ PFEL; Dave Foley, CoastWatch; Local IOOS Regional Association Improved access to data for environmental basis for managing fisheries and protected species (NMFS); support needs of IOOS Regional Associations

10. 10 Near-Term – Status The Research & Operations Program beyond FY05 –Senate mark for FY06 includes $4M, but the House mark does not –Continuation will depend on the Conference Committee Progress on the Overall Issues will ultimately be dependent on success in the budget process, the first opportunity for NOAA being in FY08

11. 11 Longer-Term Approach (1) Establish a Plan to transition key capabilities between NASA and NOAA This plan is included in the Administrator’s priorities for NOAA and is to be available for high-level agency review by the end of the year The term, capabilities, includes the full range of activities extending from space hardware, calibration & validation, communications, ground data system including archival, timely access to data, assimilation of data into models, and the generation of associated analyses and forecasts

12. 12 Longer-Term Approach (2) Research & Operations (R&O) Transition Management Oversight Establishes framework for collaboration, sets bilateral policy and priorities, approves Transition Plan, and oversees execution –NOAA/Greg Withee –NASA/Mary Cleave R&O Joint NASA/NOAA Working Group Identifies initial set of key Capabilities, prepares overall Transition Plan including those Capabilities, and executes –NOAA/Gary Davis –NASA/Ron Birk R&O Transition Teams Prepare an implementation plan for each identified Capability We worked to get the three ocean-related capabilities included in the initial set

13. 13 Longer-Term – Status Terms of Reference for the R&O Joint NASA/NOAA Working Group (JWG) have been agreed to by both agencies The JWG has recommended an initial set of capabilities for transitioning –Surface Vector Winds –Sea Surface Height –Ocean Color –Global Precipitation –NASA Research Sensor(s) on GOES-R We are awaiting formal approval for these capabilities Discussions are underway regarding the establishment of an implementation team for each

14. 14 Longer-Term – Prospects Prospective next steps for each capability –Surface Vector Winds – possible new start for a NASA Ocean Vector Wind Mission –Sea Surface Height – proposed NOAA new start in FY08 for Jason-3 –Ocean Color – institutionalize a mechanism for the collection of Thematic Climate Data Records (TCDRs) from SeaWiFS/MODIS/VIIRS

15. 15 Functions Needed for Ocean Color TCDRs Pre-launch characterization On-orbit calibration Independent in-situ cal/val capability Continued algorithm development/refinement Continued reprocessing capability Archival Establishment of a NASA-like, competitively selected, NOAA-funded science team

16. 16 Functional Responsibilities for Ocean Color TCDRs from VIIRS FUNCTIONRESPONSIBILTYCOMMENTS Pre-launch characterization NPOESS IPO On-orbit calibrationNPOESS IPO Independent in-situ cal/val capability Use whatever existsNo funding is planned for this Continued algorithm development Scientific Data Stewardship (SDS) SDS has new FY06 funding for a half-doz. initial CDRs; SST is sole ocean parameter Continued reprocessing capability ArchivalCLASS Establishment of a NASA- like, competitively selected, NOAA-funded science team While no funding is budgeted for this, SDS will seek input & guidance from the scientific community