title: Land and cryosphere products from Suomi NPP VIIRS: Overview and status.
abstract: [1] The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument was launched in October 2011 as part of the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP). The VIIRS instrument was designed to improve upon the capabilities of the operational Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer and provide observation continuity with NASA's Earth Observing System's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Since the VIIRS first-light images were received in November 2011, NASA- and NOAA-funded scientists have been working to evaluate the instrument performance and generate land and cryosphere products to meet the needs of the NOAA operational users and the NASA science community. NOAA's focus has been on refining a suite of operational products known as Environmental Data Records (EDRs), which were developed according to project specifications under the National Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellite System. The NASA S-NPP Science Team has focused on evaluating the EDRs for science use, developing and testing additional products to meet science data needs, and providing MODIS data product continuity. This paper presents to-date findings of the NASA Science Team's evaluation of the VIIRS land and cryosphere EDRs, specifically Surface Reflectance, Land Surface Temperature, Surface Albedo, Vegetation Indices, Surface Type, Active Fires, Snow Cover, Ice Surface Temperature, and Sea Ice Characterization. The study concludes that, for MODIS data product continuity and earth system science, an enhanced suite of land and cryosphere products and associated data system capabilities are needed beyond the EDRs currently available from the VIIRS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, USA ; These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors.forename: Christopher O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Justice
authors.affiliation: These authors contributed equally to this work. ; Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Miguel O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Román
authors.affiliation: NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research College Park, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Csiszar
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Eric F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Vermote
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California, USA.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hook
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Friedl
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Center for Remote Sensing Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Zhuosen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts, USA ; Center for Remote Sensing Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Crystal B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.affiliation: Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschudi
authors.affiliation: Science Systems & Applications, Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Lanham, Maryland, USA ; Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.affiliation: Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Dorothy K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Climate and Radiation Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Alexei I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lyapustin
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Sigma Space Corporation, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Sadashiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devadiga
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Sigma Space Corporation, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Masuoka
keywords: VIIRS; global change research; infrared; land surface; satellite remote sensing; visible
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Sep 25;109(39):15706-11
references.pmid: 22984179