Evaluation and Monitoring of Jpss Land Surface Temperature Data

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is one of environmental data records (EDRs) produced operationally through the U.S. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) mission. LST is an important parameter for understanding climate change, modeling the hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, and is a prime candidate for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) assimilation models. Recently, the international LST and Emissivity Working Ggroup (ILSTE-WG) is promoting to the inclusion of the LST as essential climate variable (ECV) in the Global Climate Observation System (GCOS) of the Word Meteorological Organization (WMO). At the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) of National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), we, are as a science team, are responsible to for the science of JPSS LST production. In this work, we present our activities and accomplishments on the JPSS LST evaluation and monitoring since the launch of the first JPSS satellite, i.e. S-NPP, satellite. Beta version, provisional version, and validated stage 1 version of the S-NPP LST products which were announced in May 2013, July 2014, and March 2015, respectively. Evaluation of the LST products have been performed versus ground measurements and other polar-orbiting satellite LST data (e,g. MODIS LSTs); some results will be illustrated. A daily monitoring system of the JPSS LST production has been developed, which presents daily, weekly and monthly global LST maps and inter-comparison results on the STAR JPSS program website. Further, evaluation of the enterprise LST algorithm for JPSS mission which is in development at STAR currently are presented in this work. Finally, evaluation and monitoring plan of the LST production for the JPSS-1 satellite are also presented.