SCIAVALIG
The Great SCIAMACHY Validation Assessment
The ENVISAT mission is planned to continue nominal operation until the mid-2014.
That leaves 3 more years of atmospheric science measurements. At the moment
these instruments run nominally and produce vast amounts of scientifically sound
data as confirmed by validation. For example, a quick estimate tells us that 95%
of the SCIAMACHY data is of high quality and is meeting tight
validation requirements. Most likely much of your work, being on
systemcalibration, on algorithm developments, or on validation studies, has
contributed substantially to this success. In the meantime, new data products
are also being developed, which by definition have not undergone
proper validation yet.
This message is intended to let you think about the remaining part of the
mission, current retrieval and validation challenges, and new products
being developed right now!
Suppose you have a limited time span and financial budget to spend on the final
development and/or validation of your data product. What would you spend it
on? Based on your experience with the SCIAMACHY system and data, can you come
up with a short list of shortcomings in the satellite instrument calibration
or in the satellite instrument data that are of high priority to be solved?
Or are you developing new SCIAMACHY data products that will need
specific correlative measurements to compare with? Could you think
of ground-based, air-borne and balloon-borne correlative observations outside
of the realm of available networks and plannedcampaigns that we need in order
to solve these shortcomings or validate new data products? Then hereby you
are invited to do so.
This is what we call "The Great SCIAMACHY Validation Assessment"
For example: Can we validate radiances over large snow fields like Antarctica
and do we have correlative data there? Can we improve on stratospheric
ozoneretrievals at high solar zenith angles? How can we gainunderstanding of
the trend in ozone difference with ground-based observations? How well do
ourcloud algorithms behave over snow/ice? How well are the tropospheric data
products of NO2 and SO2 retrieved and validated?
This message is intended for the calibration experts, the algorithm
developers, the validation scientists, and also the end-users of the
SCIAMACHY data records.
You are cordially invited to take part in "The Great Validation Assessment" of SCIAMACHY.
The outcome of this assessment will enable us to start thinking of SCIAVALIG
actions like:
- Identification of validation gaps
- Performing new and dedicated measurements with standard equipment
- Providing recommendations for funding towards the development and deployment of new, dedicated equipment
- Defining or joining future campaigns aimed at achieving our goals
Let us know where you think SCIAMACHY data needs to be improved and help us
in shaping future activities that will aid in achieving these goals.
Please download the following single-page form (available as Word or PDF), complete it and
email it to SCIAMACHY validation support office before the 31st of May 2011.
Thank you!
This assessment is done on behalf of SCIAVALIG
Last update: 19 April 2011
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