ROSES 2009 Physical Oceanography MODIS Sea Surface Temperature Algorithm Refinement and Validation through Ship-Based Infrared Spectroradiometry. NASA Award Number NNX11AF26G First Year Report P. J. Minnett & M. Szczodrak Meteorology and Physical Oceanography Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, FL 33149 & R. Michael Reynolds Remote Sensing and Research Inc, 214 Euclid Avenue Seattle, WA 98122 December 16, 2011
Table of Contents 1 Objectives... 3 2 Project Tasks... 3 3 Progress in... 3 3.1 Task A1: Maintain sea-going equipment... 3 3.2 Task B1: Undertake M-AERI validation cruises... 4 3.3 Task E1: Collocate the satellite and validating data... 7 3.4 Task H1: Provide M-AERI and ISAR data to external groups... 7 3.5 Task I1: Presentations and publications... 8 3.5.1 Workshop participation.... 8 3.5.2 Reviewed publications:... 8 3.5.3 Invited Presentations... 8 3.5.4 Contributed Presentations... 9 4 Future Plans... 10 5 References... 11 2
1 Objectives The objective of this research is to use ship-based infrared spectroradiometers, and filter radiometers to measure the ocean skin sea-surface temperature (SST) in a wide range of atmospheric conditions to determine the error characteristics of the SSTs derived from infrared radiometers on earth observation satellites. The primary satellite radiometer is the MODIS, one which is on the NASA EOS Terra satellite and the other on the Aqua satellite. But the ship based measurements are also applicable to the validation of the SST retrievals from other spacecraft radiometers. The project builds on the resources and experience developed in the past MODIS SST Algorithm Maintenance contract (NNX08AE58G; P. J. Minnett and M. Szczodrak) and will leverage activities of a companion project (R. H. Evans, G. Podestá and B. Franz) for the continuation of the generation of improved global MODIS SST algorithms through the joint analysis of the validation data to be taken in this project and top-of-atmosphere brightness temperatures. 2 Project Tasks There are nine distinct but related work packages associated with this research: A. Maintain sea-going equipment B. Undertake M-AERI validation cruises C. Apply Quality Assurance D. Describe the state of the atmosphere E. Collocate the satellite and validating data F. Analyze error characteristics G. Conduct joint analyses of satellite-derived SST fields H. Provide M-AERI and ISAR data to external groups I. Provide reports to NASA management and to the wider community through presentations at national and international scientific literature and through the reviewed literature 3 Progress in In the first year of this project (1/21/2011 to 1/20/2012) emphasis has been on tasks A, B, E, H and I. 3.1 Task A1: Maintain sea-going equipment The ship-based measurements are focused on two types of instruments, the Marine- Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer, the M-AERI (Minnett et al. 2001) and the Infrared SST Autonomous Radiometer, the ISAR (Donlon et al. 2008). At the start of the project the three M-AERI s, which between them have logged over 10 years of sea-days, were in need of major overhauls. This began with the start of this project. A thorough refurbishment resulted in an M-AERI that worked well during a long deployment on the NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown (see below). 3
The maintenance of the ISARs is primarily the responsibility of the Co-I, Dr Michael Reynolds. We have two ISARs in order to ensure a continuous deployment of an ISAR on the commercial vessel M/V Andromeda Leader, courtesy of NYK Shipping Lines. After several months, the ISAR is replaced with the alternate unit which is returned to Remote Measurements & Research Co., LLC (RMR Co.) in Seattle for refurbishment. ISARs are calibrated before and after each deployment. We are indebted to Dr Andy Jessup of the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory for access to his calibration facilities when needed. In the past year four complete Japan round trips were completed. The data acquisition system produces 10-minute real-time averages of SST and transmits RT averages each half hour via Iridium short-burst data (SBD). All raw and derived data are stored on the system laptop for post analysis. In the past year we have received 5995 quality assured SBD messages and produced 21693 post process values. 3.2 Task B1: Undertake M-AERI validation cruises Following extensive refurbishment an M-AERI was installed on the NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown for a series of cruises that began in Charleston, SC, on July 21, 2011. The ship track included a section along the 24 o W line of PIRATA moorings under the Saharan Air layer off West Africa. The planned track is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Planned track of the NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown from Charleston to Cape Town. The actual dates were July 21 to August 21. 4
Figure 2. Track of the NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro. The second cruise was from Cape Town to Rio de Janiero and provided the opportunity to take measurements in a severely under-sampled region of the oceans. This was a section of the CLIVAR Repeat Hydrography program. The ship departed Cape Town on September 25, 2011 to commence the CLIVAR/CO 2 A10 line. Since all of the scientific berths were taken, the M-AERI and ancillary instruments were tended by a colleague from the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. The track of the ship is shown in Figure 2. The ship arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 31, 2011. The third leg was from Rio de Janeiro to Barbados, from November 6 to 17 and encompassed a variety of atmospheric conditions, including the western extension of the Saharan Air Layer. The quality of the data from all of these cruises has not yet been assessed, but the preliminary skin SSTs measured by the M-AERI are shown in Figure 3. Figure 3. The tracks of the NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown with the colors indicating the skin SST derived by an M-AERI. 5
Figure 4. Skin SST measured from the M/V Andromeda Leader. The ISAR deployments are primarily on a commercial vessel, the Andromeda Leader of NYK Shipping Lines which plies the trade route between Japan and US ports on the west and east coasts. The data return has been good, and the SSTs measured from the Andromeda Leader are depicted in Figure 4. As a token of appreciation of the support from the Captain and crew of the Andromeda Leader over several years, a plaque was presented by Dr Reynolds to Captain Pavan D'Lima (Figure 5). Figure 5. Dr Michael Reynolds of RMR Co. on the bridge of the Andromeda Leader presenting the Master with a plaque in appreciation for their support of this project by hosting an ISAR on the ship. 6
Figure 6. The R/V Kilo Moana with the position of the M-AERI Mk2 above the bridge indicated (left). Shown in the right-hand frame, the M-AERI Mk2 in the white, ribbed enclosure is accompanied by a cylindrical ISAR. From this position, both M-AERI Mk2 and ISAR have a clear view of the sea ahead of the ship. Under a separately funded project the second generation M-AERI is being developed and the first at-sea deployment was on the R/V Kilo Moana on a cruise from Apia, Samoa, to Honolulu, HI, from December 6 to 16, 2011. An ISAR was collocated with the M-AERI Mk2 above the bridge (Figure 6) to provide comparative data. 3.3 Task E1: Collocate the satellite and validating data The ISAR data are transmitted as an email message every half hour to RSMAS using an Iridium telecommunications link. This is forwarded to interested parties and archived at the RSMAS Remote Sensing Laboratory. Scripts were developed to parse the messages, apply quality assurance tests and append them to files which are input to the process for generating the matchup databases (MUDBs) with MODIS and other satellite radiometers. Effort has been invested in automating this process and rendering it robust to transmission and formatting errors. The generation of the MUDBs is done through the companion project led by Dr R. H. Evans. The research ships that host the M-AERIs do not generally offer the bandwidth needed to transmit the data to RSMAS, so the quality assurance and input to the MUDB generation is done post-cruise. 3.4 Task H1: Provide M-AERI and ISAR data to external groups The M-AERI MODIS MUDBs has been delivered to Dr Gary Corlett, the AATSR Validation Scientist, the University of Leicester in the UK, and the ISAR data from the Andromeda Leader, and its predecessor the M/V Jingu Maru, have been delivered to the National Oceanography Center in Southampton in the UK. An agreement on ISAR data exchange has been reached with Dr Kunio Yoneyama of JAMSTEC who has recently installed an ISAR on the R/V Mirai. 7
3.5 Task I1: Presentations and publications 3.5.1 Workshop participation. Under the auspices of the WCRP Observations and Assimilation Panel (WOAP), a workshop was hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA) in Frascati, Italy on 18-20 April 2011 to prepare a technical report on the evaluation of global climate datasets; eight satellite-related essential climate variables (ECVs) were considered. Minnett was an invited participant in the workshop and presented the progress that has been made under the grants that preceded this one on developing SST Climate Data Records. The report of the Workshop is in print. The PI participated in the second NASA Sea Surface Temperature Science Team Meeting was held in Coconut Grove, Florida from 2 to 4 November, 2011. Details of the meeting including agenda, presentations, list of attendees, interim reports, etc, may be found at http://sstscienceteam.org. 3.5.2 Reviewed publications: Nalli, N. R., E. Joseph, V. R. Morris, C. D. Barnet, W. W. Wolf, D. Wolfe, P. J. Minnett, M. Szczodrak, M. A. Izaguirre, R. Lumpkin, H. Xie, A. Smirnov, J. Wei. (2011), Multi-year observations of the tropical Atlantic atmosphere: Multi-disciplinary applications of the NOAA Aerosols and Ocean Science Expeditions (AEROSE). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92, 765-789. Minnett, P. J., M. Smith, and B. Ward (2011), Measurements of the oceanic thermal skin effect. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 58, 861 868. doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.10.024. Minnett, P.J. and G. K. Corlett (2012), A Pathway to Generating Climate Data Records of Sea-Surface Temperature from Satellite Measurements. Deep Sea Research. Accepted subject to minor revision. Szczodrak, M., P. J. Minnett and R. H. Evans (2012), The effects of anomalous atmospheres on the accuracy of infrared sea-surface temperature retrievals: dry air layer intrusions over the tropical ocean. Remote Sensing of Environment. In review. 3.5.3 Invited Presentations Minnett, P.J., Assessment of Climate Data Records of Sea-Surface Temperature an Essential Climate Variable. WCRP Observations and Assimilation Panel (WOAP) Workshop on Evaluation of Satellite-Related Global Climate Datasets. Frascati, Italy on 18-20 April 2011 Minnett, P.J. and R. H. Evans, Determining the accuracy of MODIS Sea-Surface Temperatures an Essential Climate Variable, MODIS Calibration Workshop, Marriott Inn and Conference Center, Hyattsville, MD, May 17, 2011 Minnett, P.J., R. H. Evans, and G. Podestá, Sea-Surface Temperature from MODIS, MODIS Science Team Meeting, Marriott Inn and Conference Center, Hyattsville, MD, May 18 20, 2011. 8
Minnett, P.J., Sea Surface Temperature algorithm refinement and validation though shipbased infrared spectroradiometry Oceans Breakout, MODIS Science Team Meeting, Marriott Inn and Conference Center, Hyattsville, MD, May 18 20, 2011. Minnett, P.J., Sea-Surface Temperature from MODIS, Météo-France/Centre de Météorologie Spatiale, Lannion, France. May 31, 2011. Minnett, P.J., Clarifications of SST definitions. 12 th Science Team Meeting of the Group for High Resolution Sea-Surface Temperature, University of Edinburgh, 27th June- 1st July 2011. Minnett, P.J., Potential of improved observation missions: METImage. 3rd Post-EPS User Consultation Workshop, Darmstadt, Germany, 29-30 September 2011. Minnett, P.J., and P.C. Cornillon, Global Sea-Surface Temperatures Derived from Satellites: Assessing Data Quality and the Quest for Climate Data Records. AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 5-9 December, 2011. 3.5.4 Contributed Presentations Minnett, P. J. The M-AERI Mk2. Joint GHRSST DV-WG, HL-TAG & ST-VAL Workshops, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, March 1, 2011. Minnett, P. J., S. Dendamrongvit and M. Kubat, Alternative forms of the atmospheric correction algorithms (at high latitudes). Joint GHRSST DV-WG, HL-TAG & ST- VAL Workshops, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, March 2, 2011. Minnett, P. J., S. Dendamrongvit and M. Kubat, New approaches to the infrared Atmospheric Correction algorithm, 12 th Science Team Meeting of the Group for High Resolution Sea-Surface Temperature, University of Edinburgh, 27th June-1st July 2011. Zhu, X and P.J. Minnett, Diurnal Variability in Coastal Shallow Waters: updated results, 12 th Science Team Meeting of the Group for High Resolution Sea-Surface Temperature, University of Edinburgh, 27th June-1st July 2011. Minnett, P. J., Pierre LeBorgne & H. Roquet, SEVIRI SST and Shipboard Skin SST Comparisons: Initial results. 12 th Science Team Meeting of the Group for High Resolution Sea-Surface Temperature, University of Edinburgh, 27th June-1st July 2011 Minnett, P.J., R.H. Evans and A. Ignatov, Sea-surface Temperatures from the VIIRS on NPP. 2011 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, Oslo, Norway, 5-9 September, 2011. Joseph, E., A. Flores, M. Oyola, N. Nalli, V. Morris, R. Lumpkin, D. Wolfe, and P. J. Minnett. Aerosol and ocean science expeditions (AerOSE): analysis of dust optical properties and their impact on the thermodynamics of the Saharan air layer. First International Workshop on the Long-Range Transport and Impacts of African Dust on the Americas, San Juan, PR October 6-8, 2011. Minnett, P.J., R.H. Evans, K. R. Turpie, D. May. Surface Temperature: sea-surface temperatures from the VIIRS on NPP. World Climate Research Program Open Science Conference. Denver, CO, 24-28 October, 2011. 9
Minnett, P.J., M. Szczodrak, M. Izaguirre, R Michael Reynolds. Sea Surface Temperature: Climate data records of sea-surface temperatures. World Climate Research Program Open Science Conference. Denver, CO, 24-28 October, 2011. Minnett, P.J., M. Kubat, S. Dendamrongvit, G. P. Podestá, Sea Surface Temperature: New algorithms for the derivation of sea-surface temperatures from infrared satellite radiometers. World Climate Research Program Open Science Conference. Denver, CO, 24-28 October, 2011. 4 Future Plans The planned activities in the second year of this project including continuing the tasks begun in the first year, and add others that are listed in Section 2 above. The routine deployment of the ISARs on the M/V Andromeda Leader will continue by Dr Reynolds, with the second instrument being deployed on other ships as opportunities arise. Similarly, the M-AERIs will be installed on research ships Plans are being made to install an M-AERI Mk2 on the cruise liner Allure of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. This builds on a successful collaboration between RSMAS and RCCL that included installing an M-AERI on Explorer of the Seas for many years (see reports of previous projects). A suitable position on the Allure of the Seas has been identified and the ship has agreed to make the minor structural changes needed to accommodate the instrument, to provide electrical power and access to the ship s internet system. The instrument will be mounted on a small balcony behind the bridge which is a very sheltered position and off-limits to passengers (Figure 7). At this point it has not been decided whether it will be on the port or starboard side. M-AERI Mk 2 Figure 7. The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship Allure of the Seas with the planned mounting position of an M-AERI Mk2 indicated. 10
5 References Donlon, C., I. S. Robinson, M. Reynolds, W. Wimmer, G. Fisher, R. Edwards, and T. J. Nightingale, 2008: An Infrared Sea Surface Temperature Autonomous Radiometer (ISAR) for Deployment aboard Volunteer Observing Ships (VOS). Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 25, 93-113. Minnett, P. J., R. O. Knuteson, F. A. Best, B. J. Osborne, J. A. Hanafin, and O. B. Brown, 2001: The Marine-Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (M-AERI), a highaccuracy, sea-going infrared spectroradiometer. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 18, 994-1013. 11