Status of the SeaWiFS Project: with a few thoughts about the future - Gene Carl Feldman

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1 Status of the SeaWiFS Project: with a few thoughts about the future - Gene Carl Feldman

2 SeaWiFS Project SeaWiFS Overview originally conceived as a follow-on ocean color mission based on the success of the Coastal Zone Color Scanner. sensor design allows derivation of ocean, land and atmospheric parameters. continuous (> 5 years) record of the Earth s biosphere

3 SeaWiFS Project Daily Coverage Subsampled 4 km data downlinked twice per day at NASA/Goddard and processed and available to researchers within hours Inter-orbit gaps and tilt filled on next day

SeaWiFS Project International Collaborations 1 kilometer data collected by SeaWiFS sensor and direct broadcast Network of 127 realtime stations deliver data to Project via the Net

4 SeaWiFS Project International Collaborations 1 kilometer data collected by SeaWiFS sensor and direct broadcast Network of 127 realtime stations deliver data to Project via the Net Select 1 km and subsampled 4 km data and recorded on-board and downloaded to the SeaWiFS Project at noon and midnight All data processed and available for browse via web within hours

SeaWiFS Project Lunar Calibration Once a month the satellite is turned to observe the Moon 5+ years of observations show remarkable sensor stability - short term calibration stability is better than

5 SeaWiFS Project Lunar Calibration Once a month the satellite is turned to observe the Moon 5+ years of observations show remarkable sensor stability - short term calibration stability is better than 1 count - long term calibration stability is better than 1.0% - absolute calibration uncertainty is 4% variations are incorporated into processing algorithms time-dependent gain and offset terms are updated as required calibration tables are distributed through the Goddard DAAC

Phytoplankton - All Things Great and Small

carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow The

that we observe are related to both physical

6 Phytoplankton - All Things Great and Small Phytoplankton represent the first link in the marine food web Just like plants on land, phytoplankton require light, water, carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow The patterns of distribution of phytoplankton that we observe are related to both physical and biological processes Phytoplankton play a key role in the ecology of the marine ecosystem Phytoplankton play a major role in the global carbon cycle

7 Ocean Chlorophyll SeaWiFS Project

8 SeaWiFS Surface Reflectance SeaWiFS Project

9 SeaWiFS Project

10 SeaWiFS Depth Classification SeaWiFS Project

11 January 1998 Seawifs captues El Nino / La Nina transition July 1998

12 Winter SeaWiFS Project

13 Spring SeaWiFS Project

14 Summer SeaWiFS Project

15 Autumn SeaWiFS Project

16 SeaWiFS Project Strength of the SeaWiFS Mission SeaWiFS is currently the ONLY long-term, consistent data set that can be used to quantify the biological consequences of global change on land and in the ocean. SeaWiFS is a successful model of government / industry partnership. SeaWiFS has delivered scientifically credible data to the research / education / and public policy community from the very first day it was turned on at approximately 9 times the volume of the data collected. Broad community acceptance and use. SeaWiFS is the currently the only mission that can provide the stable measurements to help validate current and future Earth observation missions.

17 SeaWiFS Project SeaWiFS Clear Water Radiances The interannual variability observed by SeaWiFS s currently far smaller than the sensor-to-sensor differences between SeaWiFS-Terra-Aqua

18 SeaWiFS Project SeaWiFS Lessons Learned highly integrated project structure with all elements co-located - continuous communication. flexible data processing system that constantly upgrades procedures, technologies and equipment. comprehensive, but centralized, calibration and validation program closely coupled to the data processing and quality control system. distinct software development program dedicated to providing user friendly data processing software to the community a project philosophy designed to support and involve the community at large and not just the NASA science team

19 SeaWiFS Project Growth in Number of Authorized SeaWiFS Research Data Users

20 Cost effective Satellite and instrument performing well - exceeding expectations Availability of global real-time data International network of low-cost ground stations SeaWiFS data widely used Three ocean color satellites provide optimum coverage SeaWiFS has become the standard and can be a bridge between missions, the data-buy is very cost-effective. On December 20, 2003, contract with ORBIMAGE ends

21 Last SeaWiFS data available from NASA on 20 Dec SeaWiFS Project will undertake one final reprocessing of the complete mission record including any new products starting in January 2004 and the Project is currently targeted to cease operations at the end of March suggestions for additional products encouraged as soon as possible - Discussions underway regarding future activities with the VIIRS instrument to be launched on-board NPP in 2008

Ocean s least productive waters are expanding

Click Here for Full Article GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 35, L03618, doi:10.1029/2007gl031745, 2008 Ocean s least productive waters are expanding Jeffrey J. Polovina, 1 Evan A. Howell, 1 and Melanie