CEOSConstellation Study

Atmospheric Composition

Ernest HilsenrathNASA Headquarters

Joerg LangenESA ESTEC

Future Activities WorkshopVirginia BeachMarch 8-9, 2007

Atmospheric Composition (AC) Constellation

• CEOS has agreed to provide the space component for GEOSS and deliver data to meet the GEO SBAs: http://www.earthobservations.org/about/about_GEO.html

• The Atmospheric Composition (AC) Constellation is one of four pilot projects to bring about technical/scientific cooperation and collaboration among space agencies that broadly meets GEO objectives and also support national priorities

• The AC Constellation study will identify mission(s) or data delivery that serves the science and application community that can be advocated by the CEOS agencies (NASA, ESA, CSA, Eumetsat, JAXA, etc)

• The AC Constellation study will prioritize user requirements and define missions or a “virtual” system consisting of space and ground segments including archives that meet user requirements

• The AC Constellation considers only the space component of atmospheric composition science and applications, but recognizes the need for complimentary ground based measurements and modeling to fully address science priorities

Atmospheric Composition (AC) Constellation

• Requirements for Atmospheric Composition measurements have been developed by national and international agencies and panels

– Decadal Survey, NASA Science Plan, USCCSP, CAPACITY, IGACO, GMES

• These are mature and are supported by CEOS agencies in ongoing mission definition studies.

• The AC Constellation goal is to collect and deliver data to develop and improve predictive capabilities for coupled changes in the ozone layer, air quality and climate forcing associated with changes in the environment.

• Atmospheric Composition supports five of the nine GEO SBAs:– Health, Energy, Climate, Hazards, and Ecosystems

• Specific users include: – Forecasting: National weather and environmental protection services– Monitoring and Assessement: Montreal and Kyoto Protocols, IPCC,

WMO/UNEP, CCSP, PROMOTE (GMES)

AC Constellation – Science Questions

• How is stratospheric ozone responding to the Montreal protocol and what are the effects of climate change on expected ozone recovery?

• What are the impacts of long range transport of pollution on local and regonal air-quality? How do changes in air quality effect ecosystems?

• How do changes in atmospheric composition (radiatively active gases and aerosols) affect climate? How does climate change affect atmospheric composition?

“Observations have clearly shown that human activities are changing the composition of the Earths atmosphere. Research has demonstrated that there are important consequences of such changes for climate, human health, and the balance of ecosystems.. ”, IGOS/IGACO, 2004

Aura/OMI NO2

Terra/MODIS RGB

Collaboration and Participants

• The developing NASA Science Plan recognizes that partnerships are essential, “...because of the complexity and breadth of these issues and that the atmosphere links all nations”.

• NAS DS also recommends: “…leverage international efforts, ..teaming...missions…data access”

• Participants: (NASA, ESA, CSA, and Eumetsat have major AC missions in orbit)– USA: NASA .......................................Lead– USA: NOAA .......................................Paticipant– ESA……………………………………...Co-lead– Netherlands: NIVR……………….......Participant– Canada: CSA, MSC....………………..Participant– France: CNES………………………....Participant– Eumetsat…………………………….....Participant– China: NSMC, CSSAR, CAST……….Contacted– EU/GMES…………………………….....Contacted– Japan: JAXA…………………………...Contacted– Germany: DLR………………………...Not contacted

AC Constellation Plan

• Establish a framework for long term coordination among the CEOS agencies where the “Constellation” concept will identify specific opportunities for meeting science and application requirements:

– Develop a consensus for priorities based on and established user requirements and emerging societal needs from both operational and research communities

– Evaluate existing and upcoming missions, both operational and research and compare with requirements

– Establish how existing and approved missions could work synergistically to meet the international user community requirements and in particular the GEO Societal Benefit Areas

– Define enhancement in the area of cal/val, quality control, and data accessibility and interoperability

– Develop rationale, strategy and standards for new mission(s) to meet requirements not being met and for possible new requirements. Strategy to include architecture, schedule, and possibly costs

User Requirements

• The CEOS agencies have considered requirements for Atmospheric Composition observations through research results, study solicitations, user workshops, etc. The following are examples of published requirements:

– US: NASA Science Plan, CCSP, NCAR AQ Workshop, NPOESS EDRs

– International: GEO, GCOS, CAPACITY, GMES/PROMOTE, IGACO/WMO, IGAC-SPARC, Post EPS

• User requirements are mostly consistent and build-on or refer-to each other

• AC Constellation study will prioritize requirements and consider emerging needs

– Science and application users will participate to insure requirements are met

Atmospheric Composition: Space Capabilities

• Existing: Aura, Envisat, ACE, ODIN, CALIPSO, Cloudsat, Terra/MOPITT/CERES, Aqua/AIRS/CERES, POESS/SBUV-2, POLDER, Metop/GOME-2/IASI

• Upcoming approved: OCO, GLORY, NPP/NPOESS (aerosol and ozone, no chemistry), EarthCARE, ADM-Aeolus, GOSAT, FY-3/SBUS-TOU, SWIFT

• ESA EE Pre-Phase A: TRAQ (AQ), PREMIER (UT/LS),

A-SCOPE (CO2)

• Under Consideration: High resolution multispectral nadir and limb imagers in coordinated orbits: GMES and NAS DS, NASA Mission Concepts for LEO, GEO orbits

Known missing capabilities/components

• Measurement continuity of trace gases in upper troposphere and stratosphere. Needed to better understand trends and to quantify the effectiveness of the Montreal protocol (Measurements stop with Aura, ACE, and Envisat)

• Accurate and continued monitoring of gases, aerosols, clouds in the UT/LS, with high vertical resolution, for climate research and applications

• Improved accuracy and coverage of radiatively active gases and aerosols in the boundary layer needed for surface flux assessment. Aerosol/cloud formation remains the largest uncertainty in climate forcing

• Short and long term temporal and spatial variation measurements of radiatively and chemically active trace gases and aerosols to determine their impact on air quality for improved inventories, predictions, and assessments

• Tracking trans-continental and -oceanic transport of tropospheric pollutants and their precursors.

• Interoperability of atmospheric composition data across existing and planned missions. Interoperability is a major objective of GEO, CEOS, WMO, etc.

Constellation Study: Implementation • Assemble international Study Team consisting of CEOS Agencies with

Atmospheric Composition interests and assets and authorized to commit resources

• Complimentary advisory group from science and application community to insure requirements are being considered. Participate in establishing priorities

• The Study Team will consider the following elements of the AC Constellation:Develop a virtual constellation of existing and upcoming missions using synergies among the instruments. First cut attempt to establish how well GEOSS objectives can be met

Study advanced architecture with new space assets and varying orbits with expectations that new technology could also be brought forward to best meet user requirements

– Cal/Val is essential for insuring data accuracy so that the data can be used for its intended purpose. WGCV involvement

– Data system interoperability is major GEO objective (AR-07-P1) to insure that data are useful, properly targeted, and easily accessible. WGISS involvement

– Data access and discovery from distributed systems will be provided via standard interfaces and protocols by national archives.

Constellation Benefits

• Synergies provided by the Constellation will substantially improve accuracy and coverage of satellite data and result in improved Atmospheric Composition science and application capabilities

• International scientific forum for debating priorities and formulating future Atmospheric Composition missions

• Opportunity for participating space agencies to cooperate in planning, developing, and operating future missions.

• The Constellation will allow for an efficient response to new requirements as the Earth system responds to climate change