TES Level 2 Subsystem is a set of computer programs that performs functions complementary to those of the program summarized in the immediately preceding article. TES Level-2 data pertain to retrieved species (or temperature) profiles, and errors thereof. Geolocation, quality, and other data (e.g., surface characteristics for nadir observations) are also included. The subsystem processes gridded meteorological information and extracts parameters that can be interpolated to the appropriate latitude, longitude, and pressure level based on the date and time. Radiances are simulated using the aforementioned meteorological information for initial guesses, and spectroscopic-parameter tables are generated. At each step of the retrieval, a nonlinear-least-squares-solving routine is run over multiple iterations, retrieving a subset of atmospheric constituents, and error analysis is performed. Scientific TES Level-2 data products are written in a format known as Hierarchical Data Format Earth Observing System 5 (HDF-EOS 5) for public distribution.
This software was written by Sassaneh Poosti, Sirvard Akopyan, Regina Sakurai, Hyejung Yun, Pranjit Saha, Irina Strickland, Kevin Croft, Weldon Smith, Rodney Hoffman, John Koffend, Gerard Benenyan, Hari Nair, Edwin Sarkissian, James McDuffie, Ruth Monarrez, David Ho, Benny Chan, and Michael Lampel of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Karina Edmonds of the California Institute of Technology at (626) 395-2322. Refer to NPO-35212.
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Processing TES Level-2 Data
(reference NPO-35212) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
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Overview
The document is a Technical Support Package (NPO-35212) from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, detailing software designed for processing TES (Thermal Emission Spectrometer) Level-2 data. This software is integral to NASA's Earth Science Enterprise and is part of the EOS (Earth Observing System) Aura mission, which aims to monitor atmospheric constituents and improve our understanding of the Earth's atmosphere.
The software accesses gridded meteorological information, extracting parameters that can be interpolated based on specific latitude, longitude, and pressure levels, as well as date and time. It simulates radiances using atmospheric data as an initial guess, along with spectroscopic parameter tables, employing the ELANOR code. This code automates a non-linear least squares solver, allowing for multiple iterations to retrieve a series of atmospheric constituents. The software also performs error analysis after each retrieval step and includes cloud detection capabilities. The final output is scientific TES Level 2 data products formatted in HDF-EOS 5 for public distribution.
Unique features of the software include its ability to simulate TES measured spectra, an object-oriented approach to radiative transfer, and its portability with minimal memory constraints—an advantage over other radiative transfer codes. The software has been improved to enhance efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy, addressing the challenges posed by the TES instrument, which utilizes 16 detectors across four focal planes and operates in various observation modes, including nadir and limb views.
The document emphasizes the software's role in providing accurate measurements of atmospheric constituents, which is crucial for understanding environmental changes and supporting NASA's aeronautical and space activities. The TES instrument is expected to observe 5,670 target scenes every other day, necessitating a robust and effective software solution.
In summary, this Technical Support Package outlines the capabilities and significance of the software in processing TES Level-2 data, highlighting its contributions to atmospheric science and its alignment with NASA's broader mission objectives. The document also provides contact information for further assistance and resources related to NASA's Scientific and Technical Information Program.
