National Polar-orbiting Partnership Research Articles

First-Light Imagery from Suomi NPP VIIRS

The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite was launched on 28 October 2011, heralding the next generation of operational U.S. polar-orbiting satellites. It carries the Visible– Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), a 22-band visible/infrared sensor that combines many of the best aspects of the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. VIIRS has nearly all the capabilities of MODIS, but offers a wider swath width (3,000 versus 2,330 km) and much higher spatial resolution at swath edge. VIIRS also has a day/night band (DNB) that is sensitive to very low levels of visible light at night such as those produced by moonlight reflecting off low clouds, fog, dust, ash plumes, and snow cover. In addition, VIIRS detects light emissions from cities, ships, oil flares, and lightning flashes. NPP crosses the equator at about 0130 and 1330 local time, with VIIRS covering the entire Earth twice daily. Future members of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) constellation will also carry VIIRS. This paper presents dramatic early examples of multispectral VIIRS imagery capabilities and demonstrates basic applications of that imagery for a wide range of operational users, such as for fire detection, monitoring ice break up in rivers, and visualizing dust plumes over bright surfaces. VIIRS imagery, both single and multiband, as well as the day/night band, is shown to exceed both requirements and expectations.

On Convertibility From Antenna to Sensor Brightness Temperature for ATMS

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite is a total power radiometer and scans across the track within a range of ±52.77° from nadir. It has 22 channels and measures the microwave radiation at either quasi-vertical or quasi-horizontal polarization from the Earth's atmosphere. Without simultaneous measurements at both polarizations at the same frequency, the conversion from ATMS antenna temperature to sensor brightness temperature becomes nonunique if the antenna subsystem has a significant spillover from cross-polarization. In addition, the antenna temperature could be contributed from both the near- and far-field radiation through the sidelobes of the ATMS antenna subsystem. An analysis of the ATMS antenna gain measurements reveals that the efficiencies of both ATMS antenna sidelobes and cross-polarization are frequency dependent. From the ATMS pitchover maneuver data, it is found that the contributions of spacecraft radiation through the near-field sidelobes are significant and dominates the scan-angle-dependent features in the ATMS antenna temperatures. A theoretical model is developed for the conversion from antenna to sensor brightness temperatures, which incorporates the angular dependent terms derived from the pitchover maneuver data.

Potential of NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Imagery for Modeling the Regional Economy of China

Historically, the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) was the unique satellite sensor used to collect the nighttime light, which is an efficient means to map the global economic activities. Since it was launched in October 2011, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Satellite has become a new satellite used to monitor nighttime light. This study performed the first evaluation on the NPP-VIIRS nighttime light imagery in modeling economy, analyzing 31 provincial regions and 393 county regions in China. For each region, the total nighttime light (TNL) and gross regional product (GRP) around the year of 2010 were derived, and a linear regression model was applied on the data. Through the regression, the TNL from NPP-VIIRS were found to exhibit R2 values of 0.8699 and 0.8544 with the provincial GRP and county GRP, respectively, which are significantly stronger than the relationship between the TNL from DMSP-OLS (F16 and F18 satellites) and GRP. Using the regression models, the GRP was predicted from the TNL for each region, and we found that the NPP-VIIRS data is more predictable for the GRP than those of the DMSP-OLS data. This study demonstrates that the recently released NPP-VIIRS nighttime light imagery has a stronger capacity in modeling regional economy than those of the DMSP-OLS data. These findings provide a foundation to model the global and regional economy with the recently availability of the NPP-VIIRS data, especially in the regions where economic census data is difficult to access.

Nighttime Lights Compositing Using the VIIRS Day-Night Band: Preliminary Results

Dramatically improved nighttime lights capabilities are presented by the launch of the National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day Night Band (DNB) sensor. Building on 18 years of experience compositing nighttime data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS), NOAA’s NGDC Earth Observation Group has started adapting their algorithms to process these new data. The concept of compositing nighttime data comprises combining only high quality data components over a period of time to improve sensitivity and coverage. For this work, flag image are compiled to describe image quality. The flag categories include: daytime, twilight, stray light, lunar illuminance, noisy edge of scan data, clouds, and no data. High quality data is defined as not having any of these attributes present. Two methods of reprojection are necessary due to data collection characteristics. Custom algorithms have been created to terrain-correct and reproject all data to a common 15 arc second grid. Results of compositing over two time periods in 2012 are presented to demonstrate data quality and initial capabilities. These data can be downloaded at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/eog/viirs/download_viirs_ntl.html .

An Algorithm for the Constraining of Radiative Transfer Calculations to CERES-Observed Broadband Top-of-Atmosphere Irradiance

Abstract NASA’s Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) project is responsible for operation and data processing of observations from scanning radiometers on board the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), Terra, Aqua, and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellites. The clouds and radiative swath (CRS) CERES data product contains irradiances computed using a radiative transfer model for nearly all CERES footprints in addition to top-of-atmosphere (TOA) irradiances derived from observed radiances by CERES instruments. This paper describes a method to constrain computed irradiances by CERES-derived TOA irradiances using Lagrangian multipliers. Radiative transfer model inputs include profiles of atmospheric temperature, humidity, aerosols and ozone, surface temperature and albedo, and up to two sets of cloud properties for a CERES footprint. Those inputs are adjusted depending on predefined uncertainties to match computed TOA and CERES-derived TOA irradiance. Because CERES instantaneous irradiances for an individual footprint also include uncertainties, primarily due to the conversion of radiance to irradiance using anisotropic directional models, the degree of the constraint depends on CERES-derived TOA irradiance as well. As a result of adjustment, TOA computed-minus-observed standard deviations are reduced from 8 to 4 W m−2 for longwave irradiance and from 15 to 6 W m−2 for shortwave irradiance. While agreement of computed TOA with CERES-derived irradiances improves, comparisons with surface observations show that model constrainment to the TOA does not reduce computation bias error at the surface. After constrainment, shortwave down at the surface has an increased bias (standard deviation) of 1% (0.5%) and longwave increases by 0.2% (0.1%). Clear-sky changes are negligible.

VIIRS constant spatial-resolution advantages

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) was launched on 28 October 2011, nearly 20 years after the conceptual definition began at the Hughes Aircraft Company's Santa Barbara Research Center. Constrained off-nadir pixel growth, producing constant or near-constant VIIRS spatial resolution over the entire scan swath, is a patented design feature that dramatically improves imaging radiometry compared to VIIRS predecessors. VIIRS ground-projected east–west (across the orbit track) and north–south (along the orbit track) pixel dimensions are constrained to within a factor of two from nadir to ±1500 km off-nadir (edge of scan) in all 22 VIIRS spectral bands. The capability is a valuable improvement to previous systems' six-fold across-track pixel growth over narrower swaths, while improving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) without larger optics. The technique allows the VIIRS day/night band (DNB) to offer nearly 9- to over 50-fold finer and truly constant area spatial resolution with enhanced sensitivity and dynamic range compared with the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS). This article reviews constant resolution from concept to VIIRS implementation and compares several VIIRS applications to similar applications of systems VIIRS replaces to demonstrate advantages of the new capability.

Preliminary investigations toward nighttime aerosol optical depth retrievals from the VIIRS Day/Night Band

Abstract. A great need exists for reliable nighttime aerosol products at high spatial and temporal resolution. In this concept demonstration study, using Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB) observations on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite, a new method is proposed for retrieving nighttime aerosol optical depth (τ) using the contrast between regions with and without artificial surface lights. Evaluation of the retrieved τ values against daytime AERONET data from before and after the overpass of the VIIRS satellite over the Cape Verde, Grand Forks, and Alta Floresta AERONET stations yields a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.71. This study suggests that the VIIRS DNB has the potential to provide useful nighttime aerosol detection and property retrievals.

The OMPS Limb Profiler Environmental Data Record Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document and Expected Performance

The retrieval algorithm for the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler is described. The goal of the OMPS Limb Profiler is to produce high quality vertical profiles of ozone in the stratosphere and upper troposphere. Additional products include aerosol extinction vertical profiles together with an estimate of the Angstrom coefficient, cloud top height and <formula formulatype="inline" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex Notation="TeX">$\hbox{NO}_{2}$</tex></formula> column density. The ozone retrieval algorithm relies on the optimal estimation approach, and uses the Pair/Triplet methodology. Estimates of bias and random errors are presented, together with a brief description of the operational code output products and the planned validation.

Satellite instrument provides nighttime sensing capability

“This is not your father's low‐light sensor,” Steve Miller, senior research scientist and deputy director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, said at a 5 December news briefing at the AGU Fall Meeting. He and others at the briefing were showing off the nighttime sensing capability of the day/night band of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) of instruments onboard the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (NPP) Earth‐observing research satellite, a joint NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite that was launched on 28 October 2011. Noting that low‐light satellite technology has been available for about 40 years, Miller said that the VIIRS day/night band “is truly a paradigm shift in the technology and capability.”

Introduction to Suomi national polar‐orbiting partnership advanced technology microwave sounder for numerical weather prediction and tropical cyclone applications

The Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite was successfully launched on 28 October 2011. On board the Suomi NPP, the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is a cross‐track scanning instrument and has 22 channels at frequencies ranging from 23 to 183 GHz which allows for probing the atmospheric temperature and moisture under clear and cloudy conditions. ATMS inherited most of the sounding channels from its predecessors: Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit‐A (AMSU‐A) and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) onboard NOAA and MetOp satellites. However, ATMS has a wider scan swath and has no gaps between two consecutive orbits. It includes one new temperature sounding channel and two water vapor sounding channels and provides more details of thermal structures in lower troposphere, especially for the storm conditions such as tropical cyclones. While ATMS temperature sounding channels have shorter integration time and therefore higher noise than AMSU‐A, the ATMS observations from their overlapping field of views are resampled to produce AMSU‐A‐like measurements.

Suomi satellite brings to light a unique frontier of nighttime environmental sensing capabilities

Most environmental satellite radiometers use solar reflectance information when it is available during the day but must resort at night to emission signals from infrared bands, which offer poor sensitivity to low-level clouds and surface features. A few sensors can take advantage of moonlight, but the inconsistent availability of the lunar source limits measurement utility. Here we show that the Day/Night Band (DNB) low-light visible sensor on the recently launched Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite has the unique ability to image cloud and surface features by way of reflected airglow, starlight, and zodiacal light illumination. Examples collected during new moon reveal not only meteorological and surface features, but also the direct emission of airglow structures in the mesosphere, including expansive regions of diffuse glow and wave patterns forced by tropospheric convection. The ability to leverage diffuse illumination sources for nocturnal environmental sensing applications extends the advantages of visible-light information to moonless nights.