Proving Ground Activities: A Direct Broadcast Partnership at the Geographic Information Network of Alaska

Abstract:

The Geographic Information Network of Alaska (GINA) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) operates two direct broadcast antennas, receiving data from 10 polar-orbiting satellites as they fly over Alaska. Over 90 passes are received each day by these two antennas, and data from up to 8 sensors are ingested by a “near real time” processing system to create a daily product volume of more than 70 GB. Products are distributed to numerous state and federal agencies within 15-30 minutes of data acquisition. In a state as remote and rugged as Alaska, where volcanic eruptions, wildland fires, river ice jams, are annual occurrences, these data products are essential items in an operational forecaster’s tool kit.

The direct broadcast activities at GINA are built upon a foundation of support from the JPSS program, its Satellite Proving Ground, and an established collaborative team of National Weather Service (NWS) Alaska Region, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), and NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) members. GINA staff works closely with its partners to train, deploy, and evaluate products in Alaska Region forecast offices and river, aviation, and sea ice units. Recent offerings include: low-latency NUCAPS soundings from direct broadcast for more operational relevance; MiRS microwave products such as Rain Rates, Total Precipitable Water (TPW), Sea Ice Concentration, Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), Cloud Liquid Water (CLW), and Snowfall Rates (SFR) that provide information regardless of cloud cover; CLAVR-X cloud products for the aviation community; and a suite of new sea ice products for use in sea ice mapping and forecasting. The products are prepared for the NWS Advanced Weather Information System (AWIPS), and in GIS formats for government agencies like the Alaska Fire Service and the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The next few years will bring the launch of Metop-SG and JPSS-2. Preparations are underway at GINA to receive this data. The unique needs and high-latitudes of Alaska make it a natural proving ground for the JPSS program of the present and future.