APSDEU-6, 1-3 June 2005 Seoul, Korea 1 Overview of Australian Bureau of Meteorology Satellite Activities Country Report for Australia

APSDEU-6, 1-3 June 2005

Seoul, Korea1

Overview of Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Satellite Activities

Country Report for Australia

APSDEU-6, 1-3 June 2005, Seoul, Korea 2

Services provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology

weather forecasts and warnings (and tsunamis) climate and hydrological information in support of aviation, shipping, defence,

industry and the general public, to enhance economic and social well-being

TC Tracy1974ESSA-8


Local ground stations

Rationale for local reception: timeliness; full resolution; low cost, relatively low maintenance; backup to Melbourne Head Office (security of

access to data). Ranging geo satellites - TARS - Treaty with Japan,

MOU with China

J-TARS, Crib Point


Locally received satellite data

MTSAT-1R/GOES-9/FY-2C: Melbourne HO & Crib Pt (near Melbourne)

NOAA: Crib Pt (2), Darwin, Perth, Casey (Antarctica), Alice Springs

FY-1D: Melbourne, Darwin, Casey MODIS: Hobart, Perth, (Alice Springs from

ACRES); AIRS Melbourne Hobart, Alice Springs, Perth - consortia MTSAT-1R, FY-2C - Perth, Darwin, Brisbane

& Sydney, plus Melbourne

Crib Point - south of Melbourne (SE Australia)

TERSS - Hobart


MTSAT-1R/GOES-9 applications

solar radiation Atmospheric Motion Vectors volcanic ash detection assimilation of radiances into NWP models Data Collection Platforms



Example of output from the Bureau's solar radiation model using GMS-5 visible observations and ancillary data


AMVs at 3 levels derived from GOES-9 images, processed using McIDAS before assimilation into NWP models


FY-2C 30 Jan 2005 06 UTC


MTSAT-1R on 9 May 20050232 UTC infrared, test transmission HiRID


MTSAT-1R 0333 UTC, 9 May 2005 colour-enhanced composite with Vis, IR: HiRID


Data Collection Platforms

Automatic weather stations - geo relay (GMS/MTSAT)

Tide gauges - geo relay

Drifting buoys - NOAA DCPLS


Coverage by Bureau Receiving Stations – Polar Orbiters


Polar orbiter applications

ATOVS retrievals Sea Surface Temperatures Normalised Difference Vegetation Indices Grassland Curing Indices sea ice monitoring low cloud/fog detection bushfire monitoring (hotspots, smoke) volcanic ash detection multichannel composites BMRC is validating GPS estimates of Total

Precipitable Water, and improving NWP models.

TC Thelma


Australian region sea surface temperature map from NOAA satellite data in degrees Celsius.


SST quality: average RMS error (satellite versus ground truth). Red line is RMS error of 1.0 degree Kelvin.


Maximum Value Composite NDVI product

Low cloud/fog mask from NOAA data, for southern part of Western Australia, 6 April 2004. Colours are: gray no cloud detected; red rejected fog/low cloud; blue very low cloud/fog; green low cloud; yellow low cloud but tops clearly distinct from ground (ex ch3-ch4); brown dull cloud - low

and/or thin (ex neighbouring pixel check); purple bright cloud - mid and/or thick (ex neighbouring 'surface' check); magenta/pink cirrus & cloud edges; orange cold cloud - ice or large water droplets; black cold cloud - probable

ice.

TOVS/ATOVS


Satellite versus radiosonde soundings

97-98 El Nino - SE Asia fires


4 Feb 2003, NOAA-16, Victoria/Tasmania


China’s FY-1C &-1D

10 channel radiometer received and processed real-time at Crib Pt,

near Melbourne, Casey, Darwin

Multichannel composite colour FY-1C image over south Australia


FY-1D


Indirectly received satellite data

Meteosat & GOES from SSEC, UKMO, Eumetsat NOAA from SSEC University of Wisconsin INSAT from Internet scatterometer e.g. from GTS or QuikSCAT from

NOAA/NESDIS ERS altimeter in BUFR from GTS ENVISAT RA and AATSR ftp from ESA SSM/I DMSP from NOAA/NESDIS ATOVS (SATEMs) from NOAA/NESDIS & UKMO SATOB AMVs and SSTs


QuikSCAT: Wind barbs (in knots), colour-coded via wind speed: 0 - black, 5 - blue, 10 - light blue, 15 - cyan, 20 - aqua, 25 -

green, 30 - lime green, 35 - yellow, 40 - orange, 45 - red, >50 brown.


ERS Scatterometer winds over Tropical Cyclone Justin 16 March 1997, overlaid on GMS-5 satellite image.


TRMM surface rain


28 May 2003Night - EST

AVHRR – 0300AATSR – 2200MODIS – 2230AMSRE – 0200

15.5–17.0 OS138.5–141.0 OE


Future Plans for Bureau satellite activities

further direct reception; further access to non-local RT products (GTS, Internet); further education & training and promotion to improve

utilisation, with Bureau's Training Centre; quality and performance measurement; X-band data management and new ground stations (Crib Pt,

Darwin, Antarctica) MODIS workshops and software exchange/stds enhanced data assimilation into NWP models, especially

regional/mesoscale e.g. ATOVS, AIRS establishment of regional servers for RT time data dissemination

including RARS


Advanced and Future Satellite Systems

Aqua: MODIS 36 channels, 250m-1km res, 0.4-15 microns; AIRS/AMSU/HSB - AIRS 2378 channels vis to mid-IR: high res soundings

METOP-2 FY-3 series NPP, NPOESS COMS, FY-2D, MTSAT-2 GIFTS


APSDEU environment: International Meteorological Satellite Arrangements

WMO World Weather Watch (WWW) WMO Space Programme (Geneva) enhanced R&D RT satellite data access brokered by WMO with

huge impact on NMHSs (eg. Terra, Aqua, Envisat) Coordination Group on Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) ITWG/ITSC APSDEU members have many bilateral MOUs or Treaties which

provide facilitating mechanisms for enhanced cooperation


International satellite trends

Trend 1: R&D satellites in space based component of GOS which serves NMHSs for nearly 200 countries increased RT access; more data

Trend 2: satellite sensors are integrating imaging and sounding functions and shifting from multispectral to hyperspectral. Determine geophysical parameters better

Trend 3: L-band environmental satellites being replaced by advanced satellites at X-band

Trend 4: newer satellites transmit in internationally agreed digital formats unable to be read by current ground receiving stations unless they are substantially upgraded.


Trends…. Trend 5: Need to form composite observing systems integrating

ground and space based networks, with adaptive capabilities for natural disasters or emergencies

Trend 6: Education and training more and more critical and globally coordinated

Trend 7: Clients want integrated products, GIS compatible with data layers, to assist in their decision making and businesses

Trend 8: global and regionalised data distribution in RT, perhaps the forerunner of EOS/GEOSS subsystems


Total solar eclipse Dec 2002, near Woomera, Australia


Mars





APSDEU-6, 1-3 June 2005

Seoul, Korea49

ASIA-PACIFIC RARS


Data Collection

HRPT Stations Built on existing national stations (Australia, China incl HK, Japan,

Korea, New Zealand) Further stations identified subject to

• coverage/user requirement assessment (e.g. NWP models)• network/communications considerations• possible candidates (need to define this)

– Singapore, Guam, Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii– additional Antarctic stations (McMurdo, Dumont d’Urville, Siyowa – in

addition to Casey) – possibility of integrated approach assume processing done at each HRPT station – output AAPP Level

1a or 1c Transfer of data between stations and processing centres – hybrid

mixture of GTS-based FTP, internet-based FTP, national communications


Standardisation Recommendations

Anything disseminated inter-regionally must use a commonly agreed version of the AAPP software, and should be in BUFR (which should be integrated into the distributed software)

Minimum standards should be set for quality-tagging of data (source traceability, ……)

Minimum service management standards should be set (points to be addressed are in the EARS documentation)

EUMETSAT can assist with its quality control and monitoring software (free)


Data Collection and Distribution

between 2 and 6 Data Collection and Distribution Centres (Nodes) proposed: Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul etc (approximates to Region II) Melbourne, Singapore etc (approximates to region V) Need to agree on this

Centres responsible for both regional and inter-regional distribution Builds on GTS architecture Regional distribution will use a combination of FTP/Internet or GTS – depends on

available connectivity Inter-regional distribution – first preference is GTS – subject to meeting timeliness

targets – tests to be conducted (Melbourne<>Tokyo, Tokyo<>Washington, Melbourne<>Exeter); possibility of China comms satellite? Exchange timeliness to be determined.

Dissemination architecture proposed reflects the specifics of the Asia/Pacific region (limited number of centres requiring ATOVS data, but ECMWF and others like NCEP want global RT ATOVS)


Australia: current capabilities

Data Acquisition six HRPT stations four X-band stations - two part owned ABoM

Reception: all NOAAs, FY-1d for HRPT stations, plus all Terra and Aqua overpasses

AVHRR, ATOVS, DCPs; CAPS, McIDAS and AAPP used Roughly 15 passes per day per station Distribution: WAN across Australia, plus optical fibre within Head Office, plus

Internet Infrastructure to assist with RARS(s) - yes - major web site www.bom.gov.au, ftp

servers, GTS, SATAID satellite data server.


Australia: requirements

Requirements via RARS: ATOVS, ASCAT; also MODIS, AIRS, DMSP (e.g.SSM/IS)

Geographical regions: global. Australian region requirements well met but would like to expand to Antarctica and NZ, then global

Satellites for RARS data: NOAA, Metop, DMSP, ENVISAT, NPP, NPOESS, FY-3, Aqua, Terra

Data formats: BUFR mainly, possibly HDF (for ATOVS Level 1d) Timeliness: <2 hours, but preferably better for meso models Mechanisms:

initially GTS; could also be satellite broadcast, Internet, ftp server, RANET (Radio and Internet for the Communication of Hydrometeorological and Climate Related Information) etc. Cost of access is an issue.


Australia: RARS discussions

standardisation of data processing and formats and transmission protocols will require consideration to ensure effective RARS operations

resources deployment and affordability, communications bandwidth, data compression and data management.

associated implications for expansion to distribution of satellite data beyond ATOVS would also need consideration

Regular Asia-Pacific Satellite Data Exchange and Utilisation (APSDEU) meetings deal with many data exchange issues, so that community can contribute significantly to the preparations for RARS(s) in the Asia-Pacific region. Countries attending include Japan, Australia, USA, Korea, China, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong (China). APSDEU-6, Seoul in 2005: RARS and ADMs to be discussed.

ABoM keen to contribute to enhanced exchange of satellite data to better meet our data requirements and those of other WMO Members. e.g. in cooperation with JMA, Bureau already operates a satellite data server providing near-RT GOES-9 data in SATAID format for use by NMHSs in the Asia-Pacific region. This system is likely to become increasingly important after MTSAT-1R and newer generation satellites.


RARS Vision

RARS increases satellite data use with big global impacts; expansion to AVHRR, ASCAT, geo data

RARS fits with WMO, GEO and an Asia-Pacific regional system for coordinated:

direct reception e.g. X-band processing (cal/nav) and archival applications R&D, training rapid data exchange

balance between local reception and global non-local access driven by user needs, security of access, satellite constraints (DB/onboard storage), operator constraints (availability of RT products).

Documents

APSDEU-6, 1-3 June 2005 Seoul, Korea 1 Overview of Australian Bureau of Meteorology Satellite Activities Country Report for Australia