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An Overview of Recent Actions/Events to Assure a Continued OSVW Capability

This overview highlights recent actions and events to ensure a continued OSVW (Ocean Surface Vector Winds) capability. It discusses the importance of QuikSCAT OSVW, user training, weather forecasting improvements, and the transition from research to operations. Recent events, including workshops and studies, have led to potential options for a QuikSCAT follow-on mission. NOAA is conducting an impact study to make a decision in the near future.

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An Overview of Recent Actions/Events to Assure a Continued OSVW Capability

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  1. An Overview of Recent Actions/Events to Assure a Continued OSVW Capability

  2. Conclusions, Goals and Questions… • QuikSCAT is synonymous with OSVW measurement of a certain quality • QuikSCAT OSVW have proven and understood impacts on NOAA’s operational weather forecasting and warning process • User training and education is a critical element in the successful transitioning of research data to operations • Weather forecasting and warning improvements and climate data records existing today due to availability of Quality Satellite OSVW Data MUST NOT BE DEGRADED! • But can we transition proven research technologies to operations? • What technology do we really want to transition from research to operations?

  3. Recent Events • NOAA Operational Satellite Surface Vector Winds Requirements Workshop, Tropical Prediction Center – Miami, June 5-7, 2006http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/SVW_nextgen/SVW_workshop_report_final.pdf • $4M for research to operations transitioning of ocean capabilities has now been provided for the third year in a row (FY05-07) • New leader – Mary Kicza – at NOAA/NESDIS was quick to recognize and act on the difference in capabilities between WindSat and QuikSCAT • New leader – Mike Freilich at NASA/ESD – shares with Kicza an appreciation and interest in the challenge of transitioning • The controversy over NOAA’s lack of a QuikSCAT follow-on caused by the (then) Director of the NHC got this issue fully into the open • Both Kicza and Administrator Lautenbacher have testified to Congress • She and the (then) head of the NWS have visited JPL • NPOESS Nunn-McCurdy impact on climate data records has generated some interest in the Administration • OSTP made $15M available to address this in FY07 • Of this amount, the NOAA scatterometer study received $500K (to which we secured an additional $500K as a match)

  4. Recent Events • NOAA/NASA Commissioned NRC Decadal Survey – National Imperatives for the next decade and beyond? Report published January 2007 - NRC recommends NOAA to transition to operations wind vector measurements through a next generation scatterometer • W&W and C&T goals made a QuikSCAT follow-on OSVW mission one of their priorities. A next-generation satellite OSVW mission capability is being carried in the Satellite Sub-Goal (above core) in the FY10-14 PPBES process • In June 2007, NOAA asked JPL to conduct a study to provide the technical readiness, cost, and impact to NOAA of (1M investment): • A QuikSCAT equivalent re-flight • An Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission (XOVWM) • A constellation (2) of XOVWM instruments • A draft of the final report documenting results of this study will be ready by January, 2008

  5. NOAA Operational Weather Forecasting and Warning OSVW Requirements Workshop • Workshop Goals: • Summarize utilization and impact of currently available satellite OSVW data in operational weather forecasting • Define NOAA’s operational OSVW requirements • Explore sensor/mission concepts using proven remote sensing technologies to meet these requirements • Key requirements: • km level spatial resolution • all weather retrievals • wind retrievals applicable for all warning categories • near-coastal winds • training and education • These requirements are entered into NOAA Consolidated Observations Requirement List (CORL) • http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/SVW_nextgen/SVW_workshop_report_final.pdf

  6. NRC Decadal Survey • NOAA/NASA Commissioned NRC Decadal Survey – National Imperatives for the next decade and beyond? • D. Chelton, M. Freilich & 700+ scientists worldwide signed for ocean science community letter of support (OVW, SSH, SST, SSS measurements) • NOAA: Ocean Prediction Center, National Hurricane Center provided scatterometer OSVW letters of support • Report published January 2007 • NRC recommends NOAA to transition to operations wind vector measurements through next generation scatterometer - Extended Ocean Vector Wind Mission - XOVWM

  7. All These Events Led To: NOAA funded JPL to determine a preliminary assessment of cost, schedule, performance for a QuikSCAT follow-on operational OSVW mission Following two options are being considered: Extended Ocean Vector Wind Mission XOVWM QuikSCAT Functional Replacement

  8. Helping NOAA Make A Decision:NOAA-JPL Impact Study • Contributors: • JPL: measurement simulations, algorithm development • NOAA (NESDIS, OPC, NHC, WFO, NCEP): provide impact assessments based on data simulations • Areas of Emphasis: • Tropical cyclones (Katrina and Rita) • Extra-tropical cyclones (Helene, Seattle storm Dec 2006) • Coastal winds (dual low level jets off of Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino, high wind events along the Alaska coast ) • Schedule: Study evaluations will be completed in late December ’07 • NOAA to make a decision about which QuikSCAT follow-on option to proceed with in spring 2008

  9. Conclusions • Much progress has been made in the last year • However, there is no guarantee at this point that there will be an ocean vector winds mission after QuikSCAT ends • The scatterometer is competing against many different instruments with active user communities in a limited funding environment • The science and operational requirement justifications for a follow-on scatterometer OSVW mission must continue to be made • The following year will be key for advocacy by the science and operational communities • The end users must be an integral and active part of the next steps • These activities need to be sustained

  10. Recommendations for Consideration • Elevate the priority, accelerate and approve plansfor continuousOSVW missionsto minimize the data gap and continue improvements in weather forecasting and warning capabilities and climate studies realized today, • Fund the Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission(XOVWM) as recommended by the National Research Council and designed and presented in a study by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to overcome limitations in current measurement capabilities and advance improvements in weather forecasting especially in coastal zones and hurricanes • User impact studies need to continue beyond the completion of the QuikSCAT follow-on study that NASA-JPL is conducting for NOAA.

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