Dr. David J. Crain Profile

Dr. David J. Crain

Staff Scientist at GeoMetWatch Corp

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Proceedings Article | 19 September 2013 Open Access

Rapidly updated hyperspectral sounding and imaging data for severe storm prediction

Gail Bingham, Scott Jensen, John Elwell, Joel Cardon, David Crain, Hung-Lung (Allen) Huang, William Smith, Hank Revercomb, Ronald Huppi

Proceedings Volume 8867, 886702 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2030687

KEYWORDS: Satellites, Sensors, Imaging systems, Infrared radiation, Spectral resolution, Meteorological satellites, Fourier transforms, Calibration, Telecommunications, Spectroscopy

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Several studies have shown that a geostationary hyperspectral imager/sounder can provide the most significant value increase in short term, regional numerical prediction weather models over a range of other options. In 1998, the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) proposal was selected by NASA as the New Millennium Earth Observation 3 program over several other geostationary instrument development proposals. After the EO3 GIFTS flight demonstration program was changed to an Engineering Development Unit (EDU) due to funding limitations by one of the partners, the EDU was subjected to flight-like thermal vacuum calibration and testing and successfully validated the breakthrough technologies needed to make a successful observatory. After several government stops and starts, only EUMETSAT’s Meteosat Third Generation (MTG-S) sounder is in operational development. Recently, a commercial partnership has been formed to fill the significant data gap. AsiaSat has partnered with GeoMetWatch (GMW)¹ to fund the development and launch of the Sounding and Tracking Observatory for Regional Meteorology (STORM_TM) sensor, a derivative of the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) EDU that was designed, built, and tested by Utah State University (USU). STORM_TM combines advanced technologies to observe surface thermal properties, atmospheric weather, and chemistry variables in four dimensions to provide high vertical resolution temperature and moisture sounding information, with the fourth dimension (time) provided by the geosynchronous satellite platform ability to measure a location as often as desired. STORM_TM will enhance the polar orbiting imaging and sounding measurements by providing: (1) a direct measure of moisture flux and altitude-resolved water vapor and cloud tracer winds throughout the troposphere, (2) an observation of the time varying atmospheric thermodynamics associated with storm system development, and (3) the transport of tropospheric pollutant gases. The AsiaSat/GMW partnership will host the first STORM_TM sensor on their AsiaSat 9 telecommunications satellite at 122 E over the Asia Pacific area. GMW’s business plan is to sell the unique STORM data and data products to countries and companies in the satellite coverage area. GMW plans to place 6 STORM_TM sensors on geostationary telecommunications satellites to provide global hyperspectral sounding and imaging data. Utah State University’s Advanced Weather Systems Laboratory (AWS) will build the sensors for GMW.

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Proceedings Article | 19 September 2013 Paper

STORM: sounding and tracking observatory for regional meteorology to launch in 2016

Gail Bingham, Scott Jensen, John Elwell, Joel Cardon, David Crain, Hung-Lung (Allen) Huang, William Smith, Hank Revercomb, Ron Huppi

Proceedings Volume 8867, 88670X (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2030601

KEYWORDS: Satellites, Sensors, Infrared radiation, Imaging systems, Infrared imaging, Observatories, Fourier transforms, Satellite imaging, Satellite communications, Space operations

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Proceedings Article | 21 October 2005 Paper

Infrared mapping spectrometer to provide vertical information on atmospheric CH₄

Jack Kumer, John Mergenthaler, Aidan Roche, David Crain, Larrabee Strow, Robert Chatfield

Proceedings Volume 5978, 59781X (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.627729

KEYWORDS: Short wave infrared radiation, Satellites, Knowledge management, Spectroscopy, Reflectivity, Infrared spectroscopy, Sensors, Molecules, Ocean optics, Diffraction

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Precise measurements of CH₄ in a column of near surface air, and in partial columns above this, would be very valuable in identifying sources/sinks of atmospheric CH₄, and its transport. For this purpose we have proposed a grating mapping spectrometer (GMS) for deployment as an Instrument of Opportunity (IOO) on the NPOESS that acquires data in the 2990 to 3050 cm^-1 spectral region. It will provide measurements of CH₄ absorption of sunlight in the weaker CH₄ features in the region, and of thermal emission in the stronger CH₄ features in the region. It is the combination of the two that provides the vertical information. The IOO will acquire spectra on a crosstrack swath centered on nadir, and with 1/2 width of 55 degrees on each side of nadir (about 2800 km full width swath on the ground for a nominal 828 km satellite altitude). This with footprints that are about 3.1 km on a side at nadir. The small footprint facilitates cloud screening, and identification of CH₄ source hotspots. A capability to project the slit to nadir along the direction from satellite to sun will be utilized for over the ocean viewing in order to facilitate measurements in solar glitter. It will obtain spectra with resolution n < 0.58 cm^-1 and sample spacing < 0.17 cm^-1. Based on the spectral characteristics and currently achievable very low-noise we do a linear error analysis (Rodgers, [1]) for the simultaneous retrieval of multi-column CH₄, humidity, and surface parameters and ¹³CH₄ total column. We show that useful multi-column CH₄ retrievals can be obtained, with good near surface sensitivity in sunlit conditions. We also show the ¹³CH₄ column can be retrieved with precision better than 3%. Retrieval of ¹³CH₄ column in the earth's atmosphere is analogous in difficulty to retrieval of the major CH₄ isotope column in the Martian atmosphere by a similar GMS deployed on a Mars orbiter. We show that H₂O vertical information can be retrieved from these measurements and discuss the potential for ethane column retrieval.

Proceedings Article | 21 October 2005 Paper

Proposed NPOESS IOO to provide enhanced information on atmospheric CH₄, CO, and CO₂, and to mitigate effects of CO₂ SWIR non-LTE

Jack Kumer, John Mergenthaler, Aidan Roche, David Crain, Larrabee Strow, Robert Chatfield

Proceedings Volume 5978, 59780E (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.627722

KEYWORDS: Short wave infrared radiation, Spectral resolution, Reflectivity, Clouds, Calibration, Temperature metrology, Troposphere, Data modeling, Satellites, Carbon monoxide

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Measurements of the column CH₄, CO and CO₂ are high priorities of the NPOESS Pre-Planned Product Improvement (P3I) data sets. Risk reduction for existing NPOESS instruments, including mitigation of daytime CO₂ SWIR non-LTE effects, is also a high priority. We have proposed an NPOESS Instrument Of Opportunity (IOO) to address these priorities. It consists of two grating mapping spectrometers (GMSs). One that would acquire measurements with high spectral resolution Δv < 0.13 cm^-1 of CH₄, CO and H₂O absorption lines in reflected sunlight in the VSWIR region 4281 to 4301 cm^-1, and another for measurements with Δv < 0.30 cm^-1 in the SWIR region 2355 to 2430 cm^-1. The IOO will acquire spectra on a crosstrack swath from nadir to 55 degrees (about 1400 km on the ground) on footprints that are about 1.55 and 3.1 km on a side at nadir for the two GMS, respectively. The small footprint facilitates cloud screening, and identification of pollution hotspots. We use linear error analysis (LEA, based on the Rodgers [1] paper) to estimate the proposed IOO's performance. The LEA indicates that the IOO should be able to provide CH₄ and CO column retrieval over sunlit land (and from ocean glitter when it is viewed) that satisfies or exceeds NPOESS P3I Environmental Data Records (EDRs) requirements in all aspects except refresh where the IOO would provide every two days vs the once per day requirement. Further, it shows the VSWIR IOO data when used in combination with the NPOESS Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) [2] data should provide: (a) CO profile data with sensitivity to CO in near surface air that is enhanced compared to that in the current TERRA-MOPITT, ACQUA-AIRS and AURA-TES data sets because these are limited to thermal infrared measurements that lack sensitivity to CO in near surface air layer where there is little contrast between the air temperature and the ground surface temperature, (b) CH₄ profile with sensitivity in the near surface air layer that is crucial for identifying CH₄ sources/sinks (c) and significant improvement in the CrIS retrieved humidity in the near surface layer of air. We show the SWIR IOO data can be used for CO₂ column retrieval with near surface air layer sensitivity in the daytime. And also that in combination with CrIS SWIR data facilitates CO₂ SWIR non-LTE mitigation that is required for advanced sounding quality temperature profile (TP) retrieval from CO₂ SWIR data in daytime conditions. This provides risk reduction in case of degradation in the CrIS LWIR region data.

Proceedings Article | 14 October 2004 Paper

Future data requirements of operational space weather systems

David Crain

Proceedings Volume 5548, (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.562507

KEYWORDS: Imaging systems, Space operations, Environmental sensing, Meteorology, Data modeling, Atmospheric modeling, Sensors, Atmospheric particles, Systems modeling, Electromagnetism

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Conference Committee Involvement (6)

High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing

22 September 2014 | Amsterdam, Netherlands

Satellite Data Compression, Communications, and Processing X

8 May 2014 | Baltimore, MD, United States

High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing III

25 September 2013 | Dresden, Germany

High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing

26 September 2012 | Edinburgh, United Kingdom

High-Performance Computing in Remote Sensing

19 September 2011 | Prague, Czech Republic

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