Simpson Weather Associates

Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Observation System Simulation Experiments and Sensor Web

Observation System Simulation Experiments

WRF nature run cloud field with simulated space-based lidar scan pattern

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are observing system impact assessments providing objective quantitative evaluations of future observing systems such as a Doppler wind lidar (DWL). These experiments conducted at NOAA NCEP (opens in a new tab) and NOAA AOML (opens in a new tab) use "nature runs" from ECMWF (global) or AOML WRF (mesoscale) as plausible atmospheres for all simulations of DWL winds, cloud motion wind vectors and ocean surface vectors. Coherent, Direct Detection and Optical Autocovariance wind lidars concepts have been simulated for OSSEs.

  • Observing System Simulation Experiments for a Spaceborne Doppler Wind Lidar in the Joint Center for Satellite Data (pdf) (PDF)

DWL Operations within a Sensor Web Modeling and Data Assimilation System

Sensor Web Simulator visualization of a slewing Global Wind Observing Sounder scenario

A "Sensor Web Simulator" (SWS) was developed at NASA/GSFC for use in Earth Science mission planning. The SWS demonstrated how advanced information technology can reduce mission costs, extend mission life, and enable better data collection through the collaboration of observing system assets and numerical models. The SWS focused on three potential Decadal Survey missions: the "3D Winds" mission, Extended Ocean Vector Winds Mission (XOVWM) and the Precipitation and Allweather Temperature and Humidity (PATH) mission. Also included was The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-series (GOES-R) mission.

  • End-to-End Design and Objective Evaluation of Sensor Web Modeling and Data Assimilation System Architectures: Phase II (pdf) (PDF)
  • DWL Operations within a Sensor Web Modeling and Data Assimilation System: Recent Results (ppt) (PowerPoint)
  • NASA/GSFC Sensor Web WMV (Windows Media video) File