Abstract
The GOES-R field campaign is a planned activity in support of post-launch L1b & L2+ product validation of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). An integrated approach is planned that includes both high-altitude manned and near surface unmanned systems coordinated with ground-based observations over several Earth targets (desert, ocean, land and lightning producing storms). These activities will be coordinated with WMO GSICS partners and low Earth orbit environmental satellites which include S-NPP, Terra/Aqua, METOP and Landsat. While this effort will provide an overview of the GOES-R field campaign plans, our focus will concentrate on addressing the validation challenges of ABI. One fundamental validation challenge is the collection of coincident and collocated aircraft-based observations with matching zenith angles to the space-based geostationary sensor. Another challenge is the collection of coincident and collocated ground based geophysical surface observations with equivalent pixel sizes to the space-based sensor. These observations are used to reduce radiometric validation uncertainties and are typically limited to point based measurements. This study will address these challenges and present on radiative transfer modeling efforts conducted to characterize the view angle uncertainties, planned high-altitude collection strategies, as well as plans to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to conduct geospatial near surface observations to support L1b & L2+ validation. Addressing these challenges will enhance validation capabilities of the GOES-R science teams, in addition to pushing the current state-of-the-art of operational environmental satellite validation capabilities.
GOES-R Field Campaign: Addressing the Validation Challenges of Geostationary Satellite Observations
The GOES-R field campaign is a planned activity in support of post-launch L1b & L2+ product validation of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). An integrated approach is planned that includes both high-altitude manned and near surface unmanned systems coordinated with ground-based observations over several Earth targets (desert, ocean, land and lightning producing storms). These activities will be coordinated with WMO GSICS partners and low Earth orbit environmental satellites which include S-NPP, Terra/Aqua, METOP and Landsat. While this effort will provide an overview of the GOES-R field campaign plans, our focus will concentrate on addressing the validation challenges of ABI. One fundamental validation challenge is the collection of coincident and collocated aircraft-based observations with matching zenith angles to the space-based geostationary sensor. Another challenge is the collection of coincident and collocated ground based geophysical surface observations with equivalent pixel sizes to the space-based sensor. These observations are used to reduce radiometric validation uncertainties and are typically limited to point based measurements. This study will address these challenges and present on radiative transfer modeling efforts conducted to characterize the view angle uncertainties, planned high-altitude collection strategies, as well as plans to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to conduct geospatial near surface observations to support L1b & L2+ validation. Addressing these challenges will enhance validation capabilities of the GOES-R science teams, in addition to pushing the current state-of-the-art of operational environmental satellite validation capabilities.