The new Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO) SST system was developed at NESDIS
jointly by the STAR and the OSDPD.
ACSPO v1.0 was made operational in May 2008 and the current version is v1.4.
ACSPO generates the same products as the NESDIS heritage Main Unit Task (MUT) system:
Clear-Sky Radiances (CSR) over oceans, in all AVHRR bands
Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from Brightness Temperatures (BT)
Aerosol Optical Depths (AOD) from clear-sky reflectances
The ACSPO products have higher spatial resolution than MUT and comparable or improved accuracy.
Currently, ACSPO operational products are generated from AVHRR GAC data onboard NOAA -19, -18 and MetOp-A. Also, data from NOAA-16 and -17 are
processed, for cross-platform consistency analyses. Data are served via OSDPD Data Delivery Server in HDF4.2 format as 1-hour granules. A sample ACSPO
granule is found at ftp://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/sod/osb/aignatov/ACSPO.
The ACSPO Interface Control Document which describes the layers in the HDF file and granules naming convention, and preliminary evaluation of the ACSPO
Clear-Sky BTs and SST are found in the same directory.
Nighttime SSTs and BTs may be subject to residual cloud contamination in difficult areas such as the roaring forties
Daytime SST may be subject to residual aerosol contamination in the area of Saharan outbreak
These problems have been alleviated in ACSPO v.1.10 which is currently being tested.
Presently, ACSPO products are operationally generated alongside the heritage MUT products. Once the two products are extensively cross-evaluated
and ACSPO product is documented and gains user confidence, the MUT product line will be discontinued in NESDIS.
NOAA-17 AVHRR scan motor degraded after 10-Feb-2010 and the corresponding data are not displayed.
Info link++
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GAC