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STAR Participates in the 5th Annual GOES-R Algorithm Working Group Meeting

photo: Wisconsin State Capitol; the 5th Annual AWG Meeting took place in Madison, WI


CIMSS Director Steve Ackerman addresses the AWG

CIMSS Director Steve Ackerman
addresses the AWG


photo: Conference attendees at the Concourse Hotel

23 June 2010 - Over 30 STAR scientists attended the Fifth Annual GOES-R Algorithm Working Group (AWG) Meeting was held from June 7-11 at the Concourse Hotel in Madison, WI. This year's theme was responding to the GOES-R Algorithm Development Executive Board (ADEB)'s recommendations from its August 2009 report. The annual meeting included reviewing the progress of the AWG's development of its 80% and 100% Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) delivery packages, science developments and GOES-R Risk Reduction activities. It also included two poster sessions, application team meetings with the Algorithm Integration Team (AIT) and three technical interchange meetings with the Harris contractor.

STAR receives about $15 million a year for GOES-R related work and this meeting showcased their substantial efforts in fiscal 2010, as well as including the cooperative institutes' contribution. STAR is providing 54 product algorithms for the next series of Geostationary weather satellites (GOES-R).


Attendees

There were approximately 175 attendees, including the following people affiliated with GOES-R:

  • GOES-R System Program Director (SPD)
  • GOES-R Program and Project Scientists
  • GOES-R Ground Segment (GS) Project Management and staff
  • GOES-R Ground Segment Core Contractor staff
  • Algorithm Working Group (AWG) Management and staff
  • STAR Cooperative Institutes (CIMSS and CIRA)
  • JPSS Program members
  • Academic, Government and Industry representatives
  • ADEB and IVV reviewers

Conference Goals and Objectives


Conference Goal:

Present the accomplishments of the AWG and GOES-RRR over the past year


Conference Objectives:

  1. Review the progress of the Algorithm Working Group (AWG) over the past year and review objectives of the coming year;
  2. Present results/issues/science from the product application teams;
  3. Provide feedback on Algorithm Development Executive Board's (ADEB) independent peer review report;
  4. Hold individual meetings with the product application teams and the Algorithm Integration Team (AIT) to review algorithm code development;
  5. Inform the GOES-R Program Office and the AWG Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on the status of the AWG.
  6. GOES-RRR annual review

Meeting Agenda

Algorithm Working Group Annual Meeting Final Agenda, (PDF, 127 KB)


GOES-R Annual Meeting Activities


Welcome and Introductions

The GOES-R AWG meeting started with introductory remarks from the GOES- R AWG Program Manager, Mitch Goldberg, discussing the objectives and agenda of the meeting. Mitch highlighted the ADEB's review report and emphasized their feedback being reflected in the 100% ATBD documents to be delivered in September 2010. Mitch also provided the Technical Advisory Committee with its objectives and reviewed the 2009 recommendations.

Mike Pavolonis from CIMSS gave the keynote talk: Using the GOES-R AWG Volcanic Ash Algorithm to Track Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Ash: Impacts on Operations and Research, (PDF, 6.26 MB). This was an up to date talk detailing the quick turnaround of modifying a GOES-R AWG algorithm for use in the operational GOES systems. The product was generated within a week and supplied critical information on the volcanic ash cloud primarily used by the aviation industry to make flight decisions.

Greg Mandt, the Program System Director, provided an overview of GOES-R activities and schedules. He also announced that the Program would be executing Options 1 and 2 of the contract, resulting in the AWG receiving the go-ahead for the delivery of the Option 2 products to the Harris GS contractor.


Application Team Presentations, Poster Session and AIT Break-outs

The AWG application team presented updates on all baseline ATBDs, improvements since 80%, integration of ADEB comments, schedule updates, validation test run results and issues.

The AIT met with application teams to go over code development issues, schedules, EVM and Harris comments/questions.

A poster session was conduct that featured AWG product science background and process overviews.

Application Team Presentations, Poster Session and AIT Break-outs

The AWG application team continued with presenting updates on all Opton 2 ATBDs at the 80% maturity, schedule updates, validation test run results and risks/issues. The AIT met with application teams to go over code development issues, schedules, EVM and Harris comments/questions. A second poster session was conduct that featured AWG product science background and process overviews.


AWG Wrap-up, TAC Briefing and Risk Reduction

The AWG closed its portion of the meeting with a presentation of the TAC's 2009 recommendations and the AWG's response to those recommendations. The TAC also presented its 2010 recommendations and spent time reviewing and taking questions from the audience.

The Risk Reduction program began its meeting after lunch. Ingrid Guch, the Risk Reduction Program Manager, went over the agenda and goals for its meeting. Talks were given by the different cooperative institute's research scientists on GOES- R risk reduction work. This work detailed ongoing activities to improve GOES-R algorithm products, produce training materials and prepare users for GOES-R data.


Risk Reduction Talks, Meeting Wrap-up

Talks continued from the scientists presenting work over the past year on the GOES-R risk reduction activities.

 

Special thanks to Kenny Lowe from the GOES-R Ground Segment team for compiling this report and photos.