EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Support to ...hsaf.meteoam.it/documents/docs/PP/SAF_HSAF_PP_3_2_Main.pdf · EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational

Project Plan

Doc. No: SAF/HSAF/PP/3.2 Issue: Version 3.2 Date: 14/07/2011 Page: 1/141

EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility

on Support to Operational Hydrology

and Water Management

(H-SAF)

Project Plan

Reference Number: SAF/HSAF/PP/3.2

Issue/Revision Index: Issue 3.2

Last Change: 14/07/2011

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DOCUMENT SIGNATURE TABLE

Name Date Signature

Prepared by : H-SAF Project Team 15/09/2010

Approved by : H-SAF Project Manager

DOCUMENT CHANGE RECORD

Issue / Revision Date Description

1.0 03/11/2006 Baseline submitted to the Requirements Review on 26-27 April 2006

1.0-Add.1 16/11/2006 Implementation of recommendations from the RR Board.

Modifications and additions have been implemented as a consequence of the RIDs

2.0 31/10/2007 Submitted to the Critical Design Review (CDR, 17-18 December 2007).

Modifications and additions have been implemented as a consequence of the RIDs

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2.1 08/02/2008

Incorporating remarks from CDR-1 (17-18 December 2007) and further reviews.

Modifications and additions have been implemented as a consequence of the RIDs.

Main changes:

CDR: SRD-2.0 added due to the need to align with URD-2.0;

SIRR:

- REP-3 added, as internal rolling document on product validation activities, to be run until the ORR

- REP-4 added, as internal rolling document on hydrological validation activities, to be run until the ORR;

STRR:

- URD-3.0 added due to the need to update the product performance requirements accounting for the results of validation

- REP-5 was previously named REP-2.1 (REP-2.1 has been used for the REP-2.0 version adjusted after CDR-1);

- WS-2:

- previous “HYDRO” consists of the issue of REP-4 at the time of WS-2;

SVRR: FR-0.5 (Draft Final Report) was previously named REP-2.5;

ORR:

- FR-1.0 (Final Report) was previously named REP-3

- in order to account for CDR-1 RID OBJ4_PP_Secretariat_017 the Proposal for the H-SAF Operational Phase (OP) is no longer included

- The structure of the ORR documentation has been defined so as to comply with CDR-1 RID OBJ4_PP_Secretariat_017

- Deliverables previously addressing documents that changed name as described in Change 4 have been re-addressed to the new names

2.2 10/04/2008 Re-structured due to remarks from CDR-2 (3-4 March 2008):

Modifications and additions have been implemented as a consequence of the RIDs.

3.0 15/09/2010 Baseline version prepared for CDOP (update after CDOP approval)

3.1 25/03/2011

Updates version acknowledging decisions and recommendations of CDOP SG1. Specifically:

- Milestones, deliverables and review logic have been updated.

- A Master schedule has been provided in appendix

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3.2 14/07/2011

Version released to SG2

- Role and name of Accounting Officer have been added;

- Master Schedule has been updated;

- Romania has been removed from consortium members list;

- Steering Group members list has been updated;

- Product Requirement Table has been moved to Appendix 3

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DISTRIBUTION LIST

Country Organization Name Contact

Austria TU-Wien Stefan Hasenauer [email protected]

Wolfgang Wagner [email protected]

ZAMG Alexander Jann [email protected]

Barbara Zeiner [email protected]

Belgium IRM Emmanuel Roulin [email protected]

Pierre Baguis [email protected]

Bulgary NIMH/BAS Gergana Kozinarova [email protected]

Dobri Dimitrov [email protected]

Snezhanka Balabanova [email protected]

Eram Artinyan [email protected]

Georgy Koshinchanov [email protected]

Valery Spiridonov [email protected]

Kamelia Kroumova [email protected]

Zornitza Krasteva [email protected]

Finland FMI Jouni Pulliainen [email protected]

Kari Luojus Kari.luojus.fmi.fi

Kati Anttila [email protected]

Matias Takala [email protected]

Panu Lahtinen [email protected]

Terhikki Manninen [email protected]

France LATMOS Jean-Christophe Calvet [email protected]

Germany BfG Klaus Wilke [email protected]

Peer Helmke [email protected]

Stefan Knabe [email protected]

Thomas Luellwitz [email protected]

Thomas Maurer [email protected]

Hungary OMSZ Eszter Lábó [email protected]

International ECMWF Lars Isaksen [email protected]

Patricia de Rosnay [email protected]

International EUMETSAT Dominique Faucher [email protected]

Frédéric Gasiglia [email protected]

Jochen Grandell [email protected]

Lorenzo Sarlo [email protected]

Lothar Schueller [email protected]

Stefano Geraci [email protected]

Volker Gaertner [email protected]

Italy CNMCA Adriano Raspanti [email protected]

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Antonio Vocino [email protected]

Attilio Di Diodato [email protected]

Casimiro Ciotti [email protected]

Daniele Biron [email protected]

David Palella [email protected]

Davide Melfi [email protected]

Francesco Zauli [email protected]

Giuseppe Leonforte [email protected]

Leonardo Facciorusso [email protected]

Lucio Torrisi [email protected]

Luigi De Leonibus [email protected]

Enrico Conte [email protected]

Paolo Cesolari [email protected]

Roberto Tajani [email protected]

CNR-ISAC Anna Grazia Stefani [email protected]

Alberto Mugnai [email protected]

Cristina Sabbioni [email protected]

Daniele Casella [email protected]

Elsa Cattani [email protected]

Francesco Di Paola [email protected]

Luciana Trivellone [email protected]

Marco Formenton [email protected]

Paolo Sanò [email protected]

Sabrina Pinori [email protected]

Sante Laviola [email protected]

Stefano Dietrich [email protected]

Vincenzo Levizzani [email protected]

DPC Luca Rossi [email protected]

Paola Pagliara [email protected]

Angelo Rinollo angelo.rinollo@

Silvia Puca [email protected]

Telespazio Emiliano Agosta [email protected]

Flavio Gattari [email protected]

UniFerrara Federico Porcu' [email protected]

Marco Petracca [email protected]

USAM Alessandro Galliani [email protected]

Carmine Ranaldo [email protected]

Vincenzo Cundari [email protected]

Paolo Rosci [email protected]

Sergio Pasquini [email protected]

Poland IMWM Bozena Lapeta [email protected]

Jaga Niedbala [email protected]

Jakub Walawender [email protected]

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Jan Szturc [email protected]

Jerzy Niedbala [email protected]

Monika Pajek [email protected]

Pawel Przeniczny [email protected]

Piotr Struzik [email protected]

Rafal Iwanski [email protected]

Slovakia SHMÚ Dagmar Kotláriková [email protected]

Daniela Kyselová [email protected]

Ján Kaňák [email protected]

Ľuboslav Okon [email protected]

Marcel Zvolenský [email protected]

Marián Jurašek [email protected]

Sweden SMHI Stefan Nilsson [email protected]

Turkey ITU Ahmet Öztopal [email protected]

Arda Sorman [email protected]

Aynur Sensoy [email protected]

Sevinç Sırdaş [email protected]

Zekai Şen [email protected]

METU Ali Unal Sorman [email protected]

Orhan Gokdemir [email protected]

Ozgur Beser [email protected]

Serdar Surer [email protected]

Zuhal Akyurek [email protected]

TSMS Ali Umran Komuscu [email protected]

Aydın Gürol Ertürk [email protected]

Erdem Erdi [email protected]

Fatih Demýr [email protected]

Ibrahim Sonmez [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 13

1.1 Purpose of the document .................................................................................... 13

1.2 The Overall Logic of the Project .......................................................................... 13

1.3 The H-SAF Consortium and the Operating Units ................................................ 14

1.3.1 The H-SAF Consortium ................................................................................ 14

1.3.2 Operating Units and Countries ..................................................................... 16

2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 23

2.1 Management Structure ........................................................................................ 23

2.1.1 H-SAF Organisational structure in CDOP .................................................... 26

2.2 Review logic ........................................................................................................ 27

2.3 Milestones and deliverables ................................................................................ 30

2.3.1 Risk analysis ................................................................................................ 33

2.4 Coordination and Central Functions (WP-1000) .................................................. 33

2.4.1 WP-1100 (Coordination) .............................................................................. 34

2.4.2 WP-1200 (Operations) ................................................................................. 36

2.4.3 WP-1300 (User Support) .............................................................................. 39

2.4.4 WP-1400 (User Communities) ..................................................................... 39

2.5 Precipitation Products (WP-2000) ....................................................................... 40

2.5.1 WP-2100 (Observed Products Operations) .................................................. 41

2.5.2 WP-2200 (Assimilated Products Operations) ............................................... 43

2.5.3 WP-2300 (Products Continuous Development)............................................ 44

2.6 Soil Moisture Products (WP-3000) ...................................................................... 48

2.6.1 WP-3100 (Surface Soil Moisture Products Operations) ............................... 49

2.6.2 WP-3200 (Soil Wetness Index Products Generation) .................................. 51


2.7 Snow Products (WP-4000) .................................................................................. 54

2.7.1 WP-4100 (Flat and Forested Areas Intermediate Products Operations) ...... 55

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2.7.2 WP-4200 (Mountainous Areas Intermediate Products Operations) .............. 57

2.7.3 WP-4300 (Products Operations) .................................................................. 58


2.8 The Hydrological Programme (WP-5000) ........................................................... 61

2.8.1 WP-5100 (Products evaluation & interfacing with hydrological models) ....... 62

2.8.2 WP-5200 (Impact Studies Programme) ....................................................... 63

2.8.3 WP-5300 (Preparation of long-term follow-on) ............................................. 64

2.9 The Product Validation Programme (WP-6000) .................................................. 64

2.9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 64

2.9.2 WP-6100 (Product Validation and Value Assessment) ................................ 66

2.9.3 WP-6200 (Products Monitoring and NRT feedback) .................................... 67

2.9.4 WP-6300 (Provision of Ground Data) ........................................................... 68

3 SCIENCE PLAN ......................................................................................................... 69

3.1 H-SAF Products assessment .............................................................................. 69

3.1.1 Products Status Table .................................................................................. 69

3.1.2 Algorithm and Validation Fora ...................................................................... 71

3.1.3 Satellite data sources ................................................................................... 71

3.1.4 Precipitation products ................................................................................... 71

3.1.5 Soil moisture products .................................................................................. 81

3.1.6 Snow products ............................................................................................. 86

3.2 Validation activities .............................................................................................. 94

3.2.1 Hydrovalidation activities .............................................................................. 96

3.2.2 Product validation activities .......................................................................... 96

3.3 Other activities................................................................................................... 106

3.3.1 Visiting Scientist Programme ..................................................................... 106

3.3.2 Training programme and Workshops ......................................................... 107

3.3.3 Interactions with other SAFs and entities ................................................... 108

3.3.4 Federate Activities ...................................................................................... 109

3.3.5 Service Activities ........................................................................................ 110

3.3.6 Maintenance and evolution of the system .................................................. 111

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APPENDIX 1 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................ 113

APPENDIX 2 REFERENCES ....................................................................................... 119

Applicable documents .................................................................................................. 119

Reference documents .................................................................................................. 119

Scientific References ................................................................................................... 120

APPENDIX 3 PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS TABLE .................................................... 121

APPENDIX 4 MASTER SCHEDULE ............................................................................ 139

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Composition of the H-SAF Consortium ............................................................................. 15

Table 2 Second-level participants .................................................................................................. 16

Table 3 Composition of the H-SAF Steering Group ....................................................................... 24

Table 4 Composition of the H-SAF Project Team .......................................................................... 25

Table 5 Milestones and deliverables for CDOP ............................................................................. 31

Table 6 Planned product readiness timetable ................................................................................ 33

Table 7 Impact Studies Programme: list of countries, test sites and hydrological models ............. 64

Table 8 List of countries participating to the Products validation programme ................................ 67

Table 9 List of participants to WP-6200 and/or WP-6300 ............................................................. 68

Table 10 Expected evolution of the Products Status during CDOP ............................................... 70

Table 11 Satellite data sources .................................................................................................... 71

Table 19 Product Requirements Table (Part 1 - Characteristics and methods) ............................ 130

Table 20 Product Requirements Table (Part 2 - Performances and requirements) ...................... 138

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Logic of the transition from the Development Phase to CDOP and CDOP-2 ................... 14

Figure 2 Management structure (OBS) of H-SAF in CDOP ........................................................... 23

Figure 3 Top-level WBS of H-SAF in CDOP ................................................................................. 26

Figure 4 CDOP schedule ............................................................................................................... 27

Figure 5 WBS of WP-1000 (Coordination and Central Functions) ................................................. 34

Figure 6 H-SAF Central Archive and distribution facilities (engineering view) ................................ 38

Figure 7 WBS of first three levels of WP-2000 (Precipitation) ....................................................... 41

Figure 8 WBS of first three levels of WP-3000 (Soil moisture) ...................................................... 49

Figure 9 WBS of first three levels of WP-4000 (Snow parameters) ............................................... 55

Figure 10 WBS of first three levels of WP-5000 (Hydrological programme) .................................. 62

Figure 11 WBS of WP-6000 (Product validation programme) ....................................................... 65

Figure 12 Coverage from two (left) or three (right) consecutive orbits of four satellites ................. 72

Figure 13 Example of precipitation map from SSM/I - Left: retrieved precipitation; right: brightness

temperature in channel 85.5 GHz, V polarisation ................................................................... 73

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Figure 14 Example of precipitation map from AMSU - Left: retrieved precipitation; right: brightness

temperature in channel 89 GHz of AMSU-B, V polarisation ................................................... 73

Figure 15 Example of map of precipitation rate from SEVIRI + PR-OBS-1 + PR-OBS-2 ............... 75

Figure 16 Morphing of passive microwave (PMW) rain products during a severe storm over Italy

on 12 June 2007. ................................................................................................................... 76

Figure 17 6-hourly products PR-OBS-3 by blending SEVIRI IR images with MW-derived

precipitation (from SSM/I-SSMIS and AMSU), at 00, 06, 12, 18 and 24 UTC; and map of

accumulated precipitation over the 24 hours .......................................................................... 78

Figure 18 Upper panel: instantaneous precipitation from COSMO-ME for 5 Feb 2008, 00 UTC.

Bottom panel: accumulated precipitation in the preceding 24 h. Forecast run initialised at 00

UTC of 4 Feb 2008 ................................................................................................................ 79

Figure 19 Coverage from ASCAT in 24 hours. The figure also shows ESA global surface soil

moisture retrievals on certain continental areas. Day 10 January 2008.................................. 83

Figure 20 Example of large-scale surface soil moisture from ASCAT. Metop-A, 8 July 2008,

18:30-18:40 UTC ................................................................................................................... 84

Figure 21 Example of small-scale surface soil moisture (SM-OBS-2) obtained by disaggregation of

global product. Metop-A, 5 June 2007, 17:51 UTC. Area of approx.880 x 650 km2 over central

Europe ................................................................................................................................... 84

Figure 22 Left: example of H-SAF CDOP SWI maps. Right: volumetric soil moisture from the H-

SAF development phase........................................................................................................ 85

Figure 23 Coverage from AVHRR (left) and AMSR-E (right) for the purpose of snow products.

SEVIRI all-time present ......................................................................................................... 87

Figure 24 Example of Snow mask from SEVIRI, blended from the FMI product in flat/forested

areas, TSMS in mountains ..................................................................................................... 88

Figure 25 Example of Snow fractional cover from AVHRRI, blended from the FMI product in

flat/forested areas, TSMS in mountains ................................................................................. 89

Figure 26 Example of maps of Snow status from AMSR-E on 3 March (left) and 3 April (right) 2009

.............................................................................................................................................. 91

Figure 27 Example of Snow water equivalent map from AMSR-E, blended from the FMI product in

flat/forested areas, TSMS in mountains ................................................................................. 91

Figure 28 Classes and sub-classes for evaluating Precipitation Rate products. Applicable to PR-

OBS-1, PR-OBS-2, PR-OBS-3, PR-OBS-4 and PR-ASS-1rate ........................................... 104

Figure 29 Classes and sub-classes for evaluating Accumulated Precipitation products. Applicable

to PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1accumulated ........................................................................... 105

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Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the document

This document exposes the Project Plan of the Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management (H-SAF). It is mainly focused on the H-SAF work programme for the Continuous Development and Operations Phase (CDOP), whose period of duration is from 1st September 2010 to 29th February 2012.

The H-SAF objectives for the CDOP phase are here explained in detail: scope, project management, science plan belong to the “Main” part of this Project Plan; Work Packages description and deliverables belong to the Annex of the Project Plan, separated for a better readability of the tasks.

This Project Plan is a baseline for the CDOP phase, strongly based on the results of the H-SAF CDOP Proposal. At the same time, this document uses the approach of explaining objectives and activities also in terms of expected evolution of the H-SAF system from the Development Phase, which termination is the starting point of the CDOP Phase.

1.2 The Overall Logic of the Project

During the H-SAF Development Phase a number of products (13, of which 6 for precipitation, 3 for soil moisture and 4 for snow) were brought to a variable level of maturity.

Ten products are approaching to the end of this Phase at “Pre-operational” status (5 for precipitation, 3 for soil moisture, 2 for snow) while other three will be at “in development” status (1 for precipitation, 2 for snow). This situation is, in summary, the starting point of the CDOP for what concern the products status.

The H-SAF CDOP focuses on the period: 1st September 2010 to 29th February 2012.

From a general and long term programmatic point of view the February 2012 breakpoint does not correspond to any specific technical event in the foreseen H-SAF evolution. As it will be seen in the following discussion, the operations will be initially based on the activities routinely conducted at the end of the Development Phase, and will be progressively transformed/updated as long as new satellites replace those currently in use and new user requirements will be acquired. Identifiable breakpoints are, for products from GEO satellites, the launch of Meteosat Third Generation in ~ 2016 and, for products from LEO satellites, the launches of NPP in ~ 2010, GCOM-W in ~ 2012, NPOESS C1 in ~ 2013 and NPOESS C2 in ~ 2016. Preliminary thoughts also should be given to post-EPS (~ 2018). Other satellites in the scenario are those of the ESA/GMES Sentinel series (Sentinel-1, ~ 2011; Sentinel-2, ~ 2012; Sentinel-3, ~ 2012).

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The logic of the transition from the Development Phase and CDOP and thereafter CDOP-2 is shown in next figure:

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20172005 2006 2007 2008

Product Development

DEVELOPMENT PHASE

Product Generation and Dissemination

Continuous Development

Product Validation

Consolidated/improved Products

Continued Validation

CDOP CDOP2

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20172005 2006 2007 2008

Product Development

DEVELOPMENT PHASE

Product Generation and Dissemination

Continuous Development

Product Validation

Consolidated/improved Products

Continued Validation

CDOP CDOP2

Figure 1 Logic of the transition from the Development Phase to CDOP and CDOP-2

1.3 The H-SAF Consortium and the Operating Units

1.3.1 The H-SAF Consortium

The participants to H-SAF in CDOP are very much the same as in the Development Phase, with very few additions.

The Leading Entity is the Italian Meteorological Service. It provides the Coordination and

Central functions from Rome (Headquarters) and Pratica di Mare (CNMCA, the National Meteorological Centre).

The Product development and generation area is split into five operational centres, Italy/CNMCA for precipitation, Austria/ZAMG and ECMWF for soil moisture, Finland/FMI and Turkey/TSMS for snow.

The User area is split in two Clusters, one for the Hydrological programme coordinated by Poland/IMWM, and one for the Products validation programme, coordinated by Italy/DPC.

The list of participating Countries and Units in the Countries is provided in next table:

No. Acronym Units in the Country Country Role in the Project Responsible to

01 ZAMG Zentral Anstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik

Austria Leader for soil moisture

Leading Institute

02 IRM Institut Royal Météorologique Belgium Partner Leading Institute

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03 NIMH National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology

Bulgaria Partner Leading Institute

04 ECMWF European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts

ECMWF Contributor for “core” soil moisture

Leading Institute

05 FMI Finnish Meteorological Institute Finland Leader for snow Leading Institute

06 Météo-France

Météo-France France Partner Leading Institute

07 BfG Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde

Germany Partner Leading Institute

08 OMSZ Hungarian Meteorological Service Hungary Partner Leading Institute

09 USAM /CNMCA

Servizio Meteorologico dell’Aeronautica

Italy Leading Institute + Leader for precipitation

EUMETSAT

10 DPC Dipartimento Protezione Civile, Presidenza Consiglio Ministri

Italy Leader for Product Validation Programme

Leading Institute

11 INWM Institute of Meteorology and Water Management

Poland Leader for Hydrology Programme

Leading Institute

12 SHMÚ Slovenský Hydrometeorologický Ústav

Slovakia Partner Leading Institute

13 TSMS Turkish State Meteorological Service

Turkey Contributor for “core” snow

Leading Institute

Table 1 Composition of the H-SAF Consortium

Following table shows the second level participants, which act as subcontractors; all of them have fundamental WP assigned, mostly Engineering support or R&D activities in the Continuous Development field.

Acronym Institute Country Role in the Project Responsible to

TU-Wien Technische Univ. Wien, Inst. Photogrammetrie & Fernerkundung

Austria Contributor to Soil Moisture

ZAMG

TKK Helsinki University of Technology Finland Contributor to Snow FMI

TPZ Telespazio Italy Industrial Firm, contributor to Engineering, Project

USAM/CNMCA

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Acronym Institute Country Role in the Project Responsible to

Management and Project Control

CNR-ISAC

CNR Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima

Italy Contributor to Precipitation

USAM/CNMCA

UNIFe Ferrara University, Department of Physics Italy Contributor to Precipitation

USAM/CNMCA

METU Middle East Technical University, Civil Engineering Department

Turkey Contributor to Snow TSMS

ITU Istanbul Technical University, Meteorological Department

Turkey Contributor to Snow TSMS

AU Anadolu University Turkey Contributor to Snow TSMS

Table 2 Second-level participants

1.3.2 Operating Units and Countries

1.3.2.1 Austria

The Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG) (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics) is one of the Austrian meteorological authorities. Within the H-SAF, its Vienna headquarters provide the coordination of the soil moisture theme (Cluster-2), the basic structure for the technical activities with respect to the surface soil moisture sub-topic; and ultimately have the task of running the chain to generate the regional surface soil moisture product, as well as distributing all three H-SAF soil moisture products.

The Technische Universität Wien (TU-Wien), by mean of the Institut für

Photogrammetrie und Fernerkundung (IPF) (Institute for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), is responsible for the development of the surface soil moisture product and quality control criteria. As the scientific leaders of the surface soil moisture topic, they function as consultants to ZAMG's administrative tasks, where appropriate, and support ZAMG in the implementation of IPF software in the operational processing chains.

The Austrian activity in H-SAF covers:

- coordination of Cluster-2 (soil moisture);

- continuing development of algorithms and software for surface soil moisture products;

- continuing generation of the small-scale surface soil moisture products;

- continuing distribution of all H-SAF soil moisture products;

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- continuing surface soil moisture products calibration, characterisation and validation;

- re-training on the use of satellite-derived soil moisture products in Hydrology;

- bridging with Land-SAF for the use of H-SAF soil moisture products in Land-SAF;

- support to products monitoring and NRT feedback.

1.3.2.2 Belgium

The Institut Royal Météorologique (IRM) of Belgium, specifically its Meteorological Research and Development Department, is responsible of the Belgium participation to H-SAF. IMR will also foster a dialogue with the local users such as the different Regional Authorities in charge of water management both in Belgium and in the neighbouring countries sharing the transboundary river basins of Yser, Scheldt, Meuse and Moselle. This link can result in specific projects funded externally.

The Belgium activity in H-SAF covers:

- contribution to validation of precipitation products;

- contribution to validation of soil moisture products;

- contribution to validation of snow products;

- participation to the Hydrological programme;

- support to products monitoring and NRT feedback;

- provision of certain ground data sets not available on the GTS.

1.3.2.3 Bulgaria

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology is a new entry for H-SAF, to extend data validation and utilisation in south-eastern Europe.

The Bulgarian activity in H-SAF covers:

- contribution to validation of several H-SAF products;

- participation to the Hydrological programme.

1.3.2.4 ECMWF

The ECMWF activities are centred around the continuing development of a root zone soil moisture product based on the forecast from the Numerical Weather Prediction model, satellite derived surface soil moisture, and an advanced data assimilation system. Extension to the assimilation of H-SAF snow products and precipitation-related MW brightness temperatures is foreseen.

The ECMWF activity in H-SAF covers:

- continuing development of algorithms and software for the volumetric soil moisture product;

- generation and monitoring of the volumetric soil moisture product;

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- volumetric soil moisture product calibration, characterisation and validation;

- synergistic use of more H-SAF products

1.3.2.5 Finland

The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) provides the coordination of the snow products theme (Cluster-3). FMI will continue generating and developing the Snow detection, snow status, fractional snow cover and snow water equivalent products on flat areas and forests. It collects the products generated from Turkey on mountainous areas and merge them with the products for flat/forested areas.

The Finish activity in H-SAF covers:

- coordination of Cluster-3 (Snow parameters);

- continuing development of algorithms and software for snow products on flat areas and forests;

- continuing generation of snow products on flat areas and forests;

- continuing merging products for flat/forested and mountainous areas;

- continuing snow products calibration, characterisation and validation;

- re-training on the use of satellite-derived snow products in Hydrology;

- bridging with Land-SAF for the use of Land-SAF snow products in H-SAF;



1.3.2.6 France

Météo-France will participate to CDOP with two Units:

- the Department of Operational Hydro-meteorology (DP/DCLIM/HYDRO), in charge of operational hydro-meteorology at Météo-France, and representing France in the Commission for Hydrology of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO/CHy); and responsible, i.a., of the national rainfall database;

- the Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM) with its Groupe de Météorologie à Moyenne Echelle (GMME) entering H-SAF in the occasion of CDOP.

The Laboratoire ATmospheres, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS, formerly CETP), belonging to CNRS (Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique), will participate in association with the University of Versailles-St Quentin (UVSQ). The LATMOS team has two main research activities:

- the use of multi-frequency satellite remote sensing data to infer soil and vegetation parameters,

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- the assimilation of satellite remote sensed surface variables (surface temperature and/or soil moisture) in hydrological and surface models.

- The French activity in H-SAF covers:

- development of small-scale soil moisture information by assimilation in high-resolution NWP;

- contribution to validation of soil moisture products;



1.3.2.7 Germany

The Federal Institute of Hydrology (Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, BfG), founded in 1948 but with precursors in Germany since 1851, has wide expertise in hydrological modelling, possible use of satellite products for that purpose and the usage of meteorological data and forecasts from the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD).

The following partners are envisaged to support BfG within the H-SAF Project:

- The University of Koblenz, Institute of Integrated Natural Resources (IfIN) did conduct research at two catchments providing hydrological modelling in support of Geographic Information System (GIS). A broad set of hydrological as well geo-referenced data will be made available for the H-SAF Project.

- The University of Giessen, Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management (ILR), has tested the Modular Modeling System (MMS), provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on the Dill catchments, which is a sub-basin of the river Lahn. Therefore, it is intended to start cooperation with the relevant persons.

- The University of Bonn, Institute of Geography, has run several projects using MMS, thus cooperation with them is envisaged.

The German activity in H-SAF covers:



- participation to the Hydrological validation programme;



1.3.2.8 Hungary

The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) is responsible of the participation in H-SAF. In Hungary, about 90 automatic stations work, where 10-min precipitation is measured by tipping bucket rain gauges. There are three C-band dual polarized Doppler

Project Plan


weather radars operated routinely by the HMS. The radars are corrected with rain gauge data. Accumulated rain is calculated for 12 h or more.

At HMS the SAFNWC/MSG program package runs operationally. It derives cloud type product and precipitation products (convective rain rate and probability of precipitation) also.

MSG composite images are created operationally. Mainly the night time or daytime microphysical RGB and the storm RGB are the most interesting for precipitation validation. They contain information on the cloud top microphysical parameters (particle size, optical depth, phase).

The Hungarian activity in H-SAF covers:

- contribution to validation of H-SAF precipitation products, focusing manly on SEVIRI-based PR-OBS-3, PR-OBS-4, PR-OBS-5;



1.3.2.9 Italy

The Italian Meteorological Service has served as Leading Institute for the H-SAF Development Phase, and will act as Leading Entity for H-SAF in CDOP.

The Italian Meteorological Service is represented in H-SAF by the Headquarters, Ufficio Generale Spazio Aereo e Meteorologia (USAM), and the National Meteorological Centre, Centro Nazionale di Meteorologia e Climatologia Aeronautica (CNMCA). The Headquarters provide H-SAF coordination, the National Meteorological Centre provides the basic structure for the technical activity, both in support of the Coordination function, and for running the task of generating precipitation products (Cluster-1). The use of the CNMCA facilities is not charged to the official H-SAF budget.

The Dipartimento Protezione Civile (DPC) of the Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri supports the Italian Meteorological Service in financial matters (coverage of the imbalance of the EUMETSAT contribution for operational and developmental activities), participates to the Hydrological programme (Cluster-4) and leads the new Products validation programme (Cluster-5). In addition, leads the new module on User coordination and promotion (WP-1200).

The Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC) of the Consiglio Nazionale

delle Ricerche (CNR) is responsible of the development backing precipitation product generation and quality control criteria under Cluster-1. It is supported by the Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Ferrara for precipitation cal/val activities.

The Italian activity in H-SAF covers:

- the Coordination task and the associated centralised functions/facilities

Project Plan


- coordination of Cluster-2 (precipitation);

- continuing development of algorithms and software for precipitation products;

- continuing generation of precipitation products;

- continuing precipitation products calibration, characterisation and validation;

- retraining on the use of satellite-derived precipitation products in Hydrology;


- coordination of the new Cluster-5 (WP-6000);



1.3.2.10 Poland

The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMWM) is responsible for the coordination of the Hydrological validation programme (Cluster-4). IMWM has been performing meteorological and hydrological services as well as research and development activities in this field continuously for 85 years. The hydrological and meteorological services are provided at the same institution in close cooperation. They use the same data, including satellite information. The IMWM tasks in this field are:

- research and development in the fields of atmospheric physics and chemistry; climatology; agrometeorology; hydrology; oceanography; water chemistry and biology; water hydrodynamics; water resources management; water engineering and safety of water technical structures; economy, planning and forecasting in water management and engineering; analysis of processes and factors influencing water resources quality and sewage treatment;

- performing the systematic meteorological and hydrological observations and measurements;

- collection, archiving and processing of observations and measurements;

- preparation and distribution of forecasts and warnings for protection of citizens, national economy and state safety.

The Polish activity in H-SAF covers:

- coordination of Cluster-4 (Hydrological programme);





Project Plan



1.3.2.11 Slovakia

The Slovenský Hydrometeorologický Ústav (SHMÚ) (Slovakia Hydro-Meteorological

Institute) has broad experience in hydrological modelling. The operational hydrological and meteorological services are at the same institution, closely cooperating. The operationally used models are ready for assimilation of data from different sources: conventional, radar, satellite. Methods used currently in operational hydrology of SHMÚ are:

- antecedent precipitation index, empirical-regression model;

- hydrodynamic model MIKE-11 being used in pre-operational testing mode;

- HVB model and rainfall-runoff model of non-linear reservoir cascade being used for simulation.

The Slovak rainfall-runoff model of the river Hron is currently in developing stage. Increasing of performance and precision of the model is expected by using satellite products of rainfall and snow as inputs. The MIKE-11 and HVB models are already adaptable for inputs of products like radar and satellite rainfall intensities and cumulative precipitation. An SHMÚ rainfall-runoff model is also being developed.

The Slovakian activity in H-SAF covers:





1.3.2.12 Turkey

The Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) is in charge of overall coordination and management of H-SAF activities. It provides the basic infrastructure for the technical activities, including satellite data acquisition and meteorological data, both for running the task of generating snow products (Cluster-3) in mountainous regions, and in support of the other undertakings of Turkey in H-SAF.

The Middle East Technical University (METU) is responsible for the developmental activities related to generating snow products in mountainous regions METU is also responsible of the Turkey participation to the Hydrological validation programme (Cluster-4), in cooperation with ITU and the Anadolu University.

The Istanbul Technical University (ITU) is responsible for the contribution to the activity on precipitation (Cluster-1), and will take part in the Hydrological validation programme in cooperation with METU.

Project Plan


The Anadolu University (AU) will perform impact studies in a number of test sites in the framework of the Hydrological validation programme, in cooperation with METU.

The Turkish activity in H-SAF covers:

- development of algorithms and software for snow products in mountainous areas;

- generation of snow products in mountainous areas;

- snow products calibration and contribution to validation;





2 Project Management

2.1 Management Structure

The management structure of H-SAF in CDOP, somewhat strengthened in respect of that one of the Development Phase, is depicted in the OBS shown in next figure:

Director of the Leading Entity and

Chairman of the Steering Group

Italy (USAM)

Project Manager and

Chairman of the Project Team

Italy (CNMCA)

Cluster-1 coordinator

Precipitation

Italy (CNMCA)


Soil Moisture

Austria (ZAMG)


Snow parameters

Finland (FMI)


Product Validation

Italy (DPC)


Hydrology

Poland (IMWM)

Science Manager

Figure 2 Management structure (OBS) of H-SAF in CDOP

The H-SAF Steering Group is the programmatic authority that may decide on changes of the project planning as well as the corresponding adjustment of the payment plan.

Project Plan


The Steering Group supervises the progress of the SAF Operations and Development and provides guidelines to ensure that the SAF objectives are met, and that a proper coordination of technical, financial and scientific/meteorological/hydrological aspects is performed.

The composition of the Steering Group is recorded in the next table:

Name Institute Role

Costante De Simone USAM member, Director of Leading Entity

(SG Chairperson)

Lorenzo Sarlo EUMETSAT member, EUMETSAT SAF Network Manager

(SG Co-chairperson)

Luigi De Leonibus CNMCA Project Manager, Secretary

Flavio Gattari Telespazio SG Secretariat, Project Management Team

Volker Gärtner EUMETSAT member, EUMETSAT OPS Representative

Jochen Grandell EUMETSAT member, EUMETSAT MET Representative

Stefan Nilsson SHMI member, STG/AFG Representative

Alexander Jann ZAMG member, ZAMG Representative

Lars Isaksen ECMWF member, ECMWF Representative

Jouni Pullianien FMI member, FMI Representative

Fatih Demýr TSMS member, TSMS Representative

Piotr Struzik IMWM member, IMWM Representative

Paola Pagliara DPC member, DPC Representative

Table 3 Composition of the H-SAF Steering Group

It is noted that, for efficiency reasons, only the members of the Consortium covering responsibility of WP’s 1000 to 6000, plus ECMWF and Turkey (which share the task of generating “core” products), are directly represented at Steering Group meetings, whereas the other Countries are represented through the leader(s) of the Cluster(s) in which they take part. It is noted that, according to Steering Group Terms of Reference, the members of the Steering Group must not be involved in the technical activities.

Financial aspects are also managed by the H-SAF Accounting Officer, who is Enrico Conte, belonging to the institution CNMCA (Italy).

The SAF Project Team is the executive body of the Steering Group. It is chaired by the Project Manager, who also serves as Executive Secretary of the Steering Group. The composition of the Project Team includes the responsible of operations and development and scientific experts. However, attendance to Project Team meetings is open to supporting experts from both inside and outside the Consortium, as appropriate.

Project Plan


Next table list members and roles of the Project Team.

Country Name Institute Role

Italy Luigi De Leonibus CNMCA Project Manager (Chairperson)

Italy Flavio Gattari Telespazio Head Engineer / Project Management and Control Support

Italy Emiliano Agosta Telespazio Engineering Coordinator / Project Management and Control Support

Italy Paolo Rosci USAM Science Manager

Italy Silvia Puca DPC DPC Representative

Validation Cluster Leader (WP-6000)

Italy Francesco Zauli CNMCA CNMCA Representative

Precipitation Cluster Leader (WP-2000)

Italy Alberto Mugnai CNR-ISAC CNR-ISAC Representative

Science Expert for precipitation

Austria Barbara Zeiner ZAMG ZAMG Representative

Soil Moisture Cluster Leader (WP-3000)

ECMWF Patricia de Rosnay ECMWF ECMWF Representative

Austria Stefan Hasenauer TU-Wien TU-Wien Representative

Science Expert for Soil Moisture

Finland Matias Takala FMI FMI Representative

Snow Cluster Leader (WP-4000)

Finland Panu Lahtinen FMI Science Expert for Snow

Turkey Ali Umran Komuscu TSMS TSMS Representative

Poland Bozena Lapeta IMWM IMWM Representative

Hydrovalidation Cluster Leader (WP-5000)

Belgium Emmanuel Roulin IRM IRM Representative

Bulgaria Gergana Kozinarova

NIMH NIMH Representative

France Jean-Cristophe Calvet

Météo-France Météo-France Representative

Germany Thomas Maurer BfG BfG Representative

OMSZ Eszter Lábó OMSZ OMSZ Representative

Slovakia Jan Kanak SHMÚ SHMÚ Representative

Table 4 Composition of the H-SAF Project Team

Project Plan


Possible conflicts that could arise in the course of the Development Phase will be solved, in priority level of attempt:

- by the Cluster leader, if internal to one Cluster;

- by the Project Team if the conflict is across Clusters or it was not possible to solve it at Cluster level;

- by the Steering Group in case of lack of solution at lower level.

2.1.1 H-SAF Organisational structure in CDOP

In order to highlight the differences that has been decided to apply in CDOP with respect to Development Phase in terms of organization, to better comply to CDOP main objective end perspectives, a sketch of the top-level WBS of H-SAF envisaged in CDOP is anticipated in the next figure (it is fully depicted in further section of PP).

Figure 3 Top-level WBS of H-SAF in CDOP

It is noted that:

- WP-1000 includes all centralised activities, both for coordination and services, as in the Development Phase. New specific modules for Operations Management and User Support have been added.

- The three “Clusters” developing and generating the products, WP-2000, WP-3000 and WP-4000, are essentially structured in Operations and Continuous Development activities; moreover, now the Product validation activity is reduced to the essential tasks of calibration and characterisation and included in the product development modules.

Project Plan


- WP-5000 (Hydrological programme) maintains the previous structure, except that places more care on products evaluation and interfacing with models, and aims at extending participation, possibly at full European scale, making preparation for long-terms follow-on.

- A new WP-6000 (Product validation programme) is added, primarily to better structure the product validation activities by assigning responsibility to operational users. In addition, the capability of operational users to provide NRT feedback for mission monitoring, and their facilitated access to local observing network, will be exploited.

The CDOP structure establishes the equilibrium between production/services and validation with the corresponding resources sharing of 66% versus 34%.

2.2 Review logic

CDOP will start with the end of the Development Phase, on 31 August 2010, and end on 29 February 2012, with the start of CDOP-2.

CDOP schedule and review milestones are depicted in the next figure:

Figure 4 CDOP schedule

It should be noted that the exact timing of the PCR / ORR for each product can be adjusted depending on the actual availability of the product for the review. In consideration of the short timeframe of the CDOP, only one OR for minor improvements/changes of the existing product is envisaged; appropriate review events will be scheduled to assess those issues in the subsequent CDOP-2.

Project Plan


Three levels of reviews are planned:

- for the operational activities: the Operations Readiness Review (ORR-1 close-out and ORR-2) aiming at assessing operational readiness of any new or improved products to go into pre-operational or Operational status, or carried-forward from Development Phase/ORR-1, in term of:

o Algorithm Theoretical Baseline Definition;

o status of the validation results for a complete lifetime cycle;

o readiness of the User Support service (tool, resources and procedure) for reviewed product;

o final engineering assessment of the readiness of the operational chains; The above tasks shall be accomplished on the basis of Validation Reports made on prototype products to be assessed against the PRD, before the start of operations.

- for the developmental activities: the Products Consolidation Review (PCR) to assess:

o quality and adequacy of new algorithms applied to new planned products, reported in a new version of Algorithm Theoretical Baseline Definition Document;

o the adequacy of the plans to implement the generation of the products in the operational chains.

Each product reviewed in a PCR will be then submitted to an ORR in the subsequent phases of the project.

- for the operational activities: the Operations Reviews (OR)

o analysing how operations were performed during the previous period, on the basis of Operations Reports which is about to described the performance of the distribution system ("Operational features") and also the quality of the product, which can be assessed regularly / routinely (e.g. automated monitoring results), assessed against Service Specifications;

o identifying needs for operational improvements in line with planned tasks for the next period;

o continuous scientific validation, which is referred to as "product validation" should be part of the separated product validation report. Both reports should be assessed at OR

The above tasks shall be accomplished on the basis of Operation Reports made on pre-operational products distributed to beta-users to be assessed against the Service Specifications, and again of Validation report assessed against PRD.

Above documentation is related to the product status as follow:

- Prototype product, the Product and Hydrological Validation Reports assess the products quality against the Product Requirement Document according to statistic along the minimum acceptable period (6 months). These documents are presented at

Project Plan


ORR to demonstrate the maturity of the prototype product and then its readiness to Operations.

- Pre-operational product, the VR and HVR include also validation against Service Specifications as the pre-operational product is run with operational continuity and it is distributed among selected users. These documents are presented at the Operation Reviews.

- Operational Products, for these product it will be delivered the Operations Reports in additions to HRV and PRV describing their operational performances with analysis of failures.

The Operation Reports will be issued at regular intervals, phased with the meetings of the EUMETSAT Operations Working Group, i.e. at 6-month intervals. A single Operations Review is foreseen, approximately mid-term of CDOP.

The operational status and validity of the baseline products emerging from the Development Phase will be reassessed at the Operational Readiness Review 1 close-out (ORR-1 close-out). The products that pass this review will begin processing with operational status.

The Product Consolidation Review (PCD), organised rather early in CDOP, is indicated for following new products:

- SM-ASS-2 – Soil Wetness Index in the roots region;

- PR-OBS-6 - Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation. Specific documents for CDOP will be issued, and all the documents generated during the Development Phase and still applicable during CDOP will be maintained. Particularly relevant are:

- OICD/JOP (Operational Interface Control Document and Joint Operations Procedures), to be drafted by EUMETSAT and established by 3 months after the start of CDOP;

- H-SAF Operations procedures (internal to the Consortium, for each operational node), prepared following local standards of partners.

- the PRD (Product Requirements Document) and the attached PRT (Product Requirements Table)

- the ATBD (Algorithms Theoretical Basis Document), one for each product group, written by continuous development and further algorithm assessment groups and approved and delivered by Development coordinators;

- the PUM (Product User Manual);

- VR (Validation Reports, also called Quality Assessment Reports) one document for each product group, written by Validation groups and approved and delivered by Validation Coordinator assessment against PRD requirements;

Project Plan


- PSR (Project Status Report) a report on the status of the project;

- Still applicable documentation available after Development Phase.

2.3 Milestones and deliverables

The next table summarises the events to take place in CDOP and the relevant supporting documentation to be delivered.

Please Note:

*: One document for each Product Group

(a): deliverable of WP5000

(b): deliverable of WP6000

Event Time Date Document Title Status/comments

KOM & SG-1, Start of CDOP

Kick Off Meeting + 1st Steering Group Meeting

T0+00 Sep-2010

PP Project Plan Draft for approval

PRD Product Requirements Document Draft for approval

ORR-1 close-out

Operation Readness Review, for products carried-forward from Development Phase (ORR-1).

T0+08) June 2011

PRD Product Requirements Document Reference

JOP/OICD Operational Interface Control Document

Reference

SeSp Service Specification Updated

PUM* User Manual (for each product group)

Updated

ATBD* Algorithms Theoretical Basis Document (for each product group)

Updated as necessary

VR(b) H-SAF Products Validation Report versus PRD (for each product group)

Updated/New

HVR(a) H-SAF Hydrological Validation Report

Updated/New

ENG Engineering documents Only if updates proposed

PCR Products Consolidation Review, for new product/s

T0+012 Sep 2011


New

ENG Engineering documents Reference


SG-2 2st Steering Group meeting

T0+06 Mar-2011

OR Operations Report For information

PSR Project Status Report Reference

PRD Product Requirements Document Only if updates proposed

PP Project Plan Only if updates

Project Plan


Event Time Date Document Title Status/comments

proposed


Only if updates proposed

SeSp Service Specification Only if updates proposed

OR Operations Review

T0+18 Feb 2012

OR Operations Reports Last versions available

HVR(a) H-SAF Hydrological Validation Report (for each product group)

Updated

SeSp Service Specification reference


For information

PUM User Manuals Latest version

WS Workshop + Training Sessions

TBD 2012 N/A N/A N/A

ORR-2 Operation Readness Review, for new products (PCR) any improved product (new version) or carry-forward from ORR-1 close-out

T0+18 Feb-2012



Updated as necessary

VR(b) H-SAF Products Validation Report (for each product group)

Updated/New


Updated/New

SeSp Service Specification Updated

PUM User Manual Updated/New

ENG Engineering documents Only if updates proposed

FM + SG-3 / End of CDOP

Final meeting + 3rd Steering Group Meeting

T0+18 Feb-2012

OR 2nd Operations Report For information

PRD Product Requirements Document Only if updates proposed

PSR Project Status Report Updated

QAR(b) H-SAF Products Quality Assessment Report (for each product group)

For information


For information

SeSp Service Specification Only if updates proposed

PUM User Manual For information

ENG engineering documents For information

Table 5 Milestones and deliverables for CDOP

Project Plan


Following table shows the planned readiness for the products during CDOP, in accordance to the milestones schedule depicted in the previous table, taking into account that products carried forward from ORR-1 close out shall be submitted to ORR-2.

Event Time Date Product Readiness

Id Acronym Notes on Readiness Condition

KOM & SG-1, Start of CDOP

Kick Off Meeting + 1st Steering Group Meeting

T0+00 Sep-2010

N.A.

ORR-1 close-out

Operation Readness Review, for products carried-forward from Development Phase (ORR-1).

T0+08) June 2011

H-01 PR-OBS-1

H-02 PR-OBS-2

H-04 PR-OBS-4

H-05 PR-OBS-5

H-10 SN-OBS-1

H-11 SN-OBS-2

H-12 SN-OBS-3

H-13 SN-OBS-4

PCR Products Consolidation Review, for new product/s

T0+12 Sep 2011

H-14 SM-ASS-2

H-15 PR-OBS-6

OR Operations Review T0+18 Feb 2012

H-01 PR-OBS-1

H-02 PR-OBS-2

H-03 PR-OBS-3

H-05 PR-OBS-5

H-06 PR-ASS-1

H-08 SM-OBS-2

H-10 SN-OBS-1

H-11 SN-OBS-2

H-12 SN-OBS-2

H-13 SN-OBS-4

ORR-2 Operation Readness Review, for new products (PCR), any improved product (new version) or carry-forward from ORR-1 close-out

T0+18 Feb-2012

H-01 PR-OBS-1 if carried forward from ORR-1 close out




H-10 SN-OBS-1 if carried forward from ORR-1 close out



Project Plan


Event Time Date Product Readiness

Id Acronym Notes on Readiness Condition


H-14 SM-ASS-2

H-15 PR-OBS-6

Table 6 Planned product readiness timetable

2.3.1 Risk analysis

CDOP is a short-time undertaking (18 months). It has to be considered that:

- the operational activity will be based on products already online at the end of the Development Phase. Also the products validation and preliminary utilisation are already active;

- the activity of updating the satellite acquisition systems and the product generation algorithms and methods are mostly preparatory for CDOP-2. It is unlikely that the operational product generation chains will be replaced by updated/improved ones in the course of CDOP.

Consequently, the only risks might be the unavailability of the new satellite data due to delays of the relevant programmes (e.g. NPP, Sentinel-1, GCOM-W), that case would force to adjust the schedule of the activities for CDOP-2 accordingly.

2.4 Coordination and Central Functions (WP-1000)

WP-1000 includes the activities which provide coordination on the overall H-SAF project, and manage the Central data service and the User coordination activities. The diagram shows that the Unit in charge of the H-SAF project in CDOP, the “Leading Entity”, is the Italian USAM (Ufficio Generale Spazio Aereo e Meteorologia, the Headquarters of the Italian Meteorological Service).

Project Plan


WP 1000Coordination and Central Functions

USAM

WP 1110Program Management and Control

CNMCA

WP 1120Engineering and Technical

CoordinationCNMCA

WP 1130Scientific Coordination

CNMCA

WP 1220Operations Monitoring

CNMCA

WP 1230Centralized Data Services

CNMCA

WP 1240Dissemination

CNMCA

WP 1310Web PortalCNMCA

WP 1320Help DeskCNMCA

WP 1420User Communities Interaction

DPC

WP 1430Linkage with GMES

DPC

WP 1200 OperationsCNMCA

WP 1300 User Support

CNMCA

WP 1100 Coordination

CNMCA

WP 1400User Communities

DPC

WP 1210Operations Coordination

CNMCA

WP 1210User Communities Coordination

DPC

WP 1140Quality Assurance

Figure 5 WBS of WP-1000 (Coordination and Central Functions)

Short descriptions of the activities in the WP’s follow. Work package descriptions (WPD) are in appendix.

2.4.1 WP-1100 (Coordination)

WP-1100 is composed of WP-1110 (Project Management and Control), WP-1120 (Engineering and Technical Coordination) and WP-1130 (Scientific Coordination), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

Responsibility of named WPs is in charge of CNMCA; the activities will be performed also with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.1.1 WP-1110 (Project Management and Control)

It provides general management and coordination of the project, with particular emphasis on the product operations (WP’s 2000 to 4000). It includes secretariat services for administrative tasks and events organisation. Main tasks are:

- Organization of Steering Group, Project Team;

- Management of the Visiting Scientist activities;

- Reporting and communication according SAF network requirements;

- Documentation control;

- Configuration management;

- Coordination of deliverables according to agreements;

Project Plan


- Coordination of web portal and help desk;

- Engineering and technical task coordination;

- Scientific tasks coordination;

- Secretariat services for administrative tasks and events organisation.

The responsible of this WP acts as Focal Point of the Leading Entity in respect of EUMETSAT

This task addresses in general all functional aspects of H-SAF. In particular, it is responsible of the coordination of the Product development, generation and dissemination areas (WP’s 2000 to 4000 and WP-1200), and of the secretariat service to the Steering Group.

The responsible of this WP, the Project manager, coincides with the Focal Point of the Leading Entity mentioned under WP-1100, thus is in charge of conveying any official documentation to EUMETSAT and represents the Project in the occasion of the Review meetings. The Project manager (and Focal Point) is provided by CNMCA.

All activities will be performed with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.1.2 WP-1120 (Engineering and Technical Coordination)

This WP provides general coordination of the engineering activities that take place at the various product generation centres. It provides guidance aiming at harmonising the engineering procedures applied by the product generation centres, with special emphasis on the implementation of user-friendly standard codes and formats. It includes, moreover, the activities of verification and regression testing necessary to ensure correct integration of new or improved algorithms into the operational chains.

This WP provides the engineering documentation needed for the Review meetings. The WP is responsibility of CNMCA; activity will be performed with industrial support of Telespazio.

Configuration management is also coordinated by this WP.

2.4.1.3 WP-1130 (Scientific Coordination)

WP-1130 is responsible for the coordination of scientific aspects of H-SAF during CDOP. It is in charge of supervision of scientific tasks related to continuous development, hydrovalidation and product validation.

It takes care of the revision of all scientific documents delivered and/or maintained during CDOP and is responsible of the contacts with all participants as far as scientific matters are concerned.

This WP controls the product requirements verifying the compliance with the user requirements.

Project Plan


Visiting Scientist activities coordination and management is also prerogative task of this WP.

The Scientific Coordination is in charge of the Science Manager, who attends to relevant meetings when the case, at SAF Network level; activity will be performed with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.1.4 WP-1140 (Quality Assurance)

WP-1140 covers the activities aimed at guaranteeing the compliance to quality standards related both to the engineering aspects of the operational chains ant to the documentation provided. The activity will include following tasks:

- Internal reviews;

- Baseline and version control;

- Documentation management and control;

- Risk management and risk register.

The activity will be performed with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.2 WP-1200 (Operations)

WP-1200 is composed of WP-1210 (Operations Coordination), WP-1220 (Operations Monitoring) and WP-1230 (Centralized Data Service) whose activities are described in the following paragraphs. The activities will be performed also with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.2.1 WP-1210 (Operations Coordination)

Objective of this WP is control and coordination of the overall operations. Specifically:

- Monitoring the operations at system level, controlling the regular generation of products;

- Assessing the results of monitoring activity of performance of products availability and timeliness coming from WP6200;

- Maintenance of the generation chains;

- Maintenance of the internal and external interfaces for products generation and validation;

- Maintenance of the centralized data services (e.g. central archive);

- Responsibility of product dissemination.

2.4.2.2 WP-1220 (Operations Monitoring)

This task will monitor the service performances and carry out statistics of products availability and timeliness. In addition to monitoring H-SAF output, it will take care of

Project Plan


service performances as they appear to the end-users (availability at reception, timeliness, intelligibility) by collecting reports from the operational users, specifically those operating in NRT (WP-6200).

Product quality will be also object of constant monitoring and control; WP-1210 will be responsible for these tasks.

2.4.2.3 WP-1230 (Centralized Data Service)

This WP will collect and store all H-SAF products. Satellite input data will not be archive, except in special cases. Certain products particularly dense (e.g., the disaggregate soil moisture product, SM-OBS-2) might in reality be physically stored at the production centre. It will preserve data integrity and, in case of discovered gaps, will cooperate with the operational chains for attempting data recovery so that data records for, e.g., climate studies, are complete as much as possible.

In any case H-SAF products will be available to users at the central archive.

The Central archive will manage the client system connecting with EUMETSAT Data Centre. All off-line products will be available from the EUMETSAT Data Centre via their Metadata Catalogue update in line with the above Data Policy for operational SAF Deliverables.

The Data service started development only in the second part of the Development Phase. During CDOP most activity will be of routine nature, but improvements are foreseen. However, since the requirements for Data service may become explosive, the effort will be adaptive, to follow actual demands from the users, specifically Hydrology.

The Data service is envisaged to continue being provided by Italy (CNMCA).

Central Archive will be exposed to users also for downloading past products making them available on historical basis (by specifying date and type of product requested).

Next figure illustrates the Central Archive and distribution facilities with an engineering view, that sketches the main entities involved and their deployment within the H-SAF system context.

Project Plan


cmp H-SAF Central Archiv e and Distribution Facilities

EUMETSAT area

H-SAF Central Area

H-SAF Validation CentresH-SAF Product Generation Centres

«subsystem»Soil Moisture

«subsystem»Offline Monitoring

«subsystem»Snow Parameters

«subsystem»Precipitation

«subsystem»Hydro Validation

«subsystem»Product Validation

UMARF ClientCentral Archive

EUMETCast UMARF

Figure 6 H-SAF Central Archive and distribution facilities (engineering view)

2.4.2.4 WP-1240 (Dissemination)

This WP is responsible of collecting all H-SAF products and disseminate them through the various links. Main link will be EUMETCast, where products will be uploaded as they will be generated. All H-SAF NRT products will be disseminated via EUMETCast in line with the agreed Data Policy for Operational SAF Deliverables (EUM/C/53/04/DOC/58 and EUMETSAT Basic Documents, Volume 1).

A central archive will be maintained at CNMCA as well as a product catalogue available to users through the EUMETSAT Data Centre client interface. All off-line products will be available from the EUMETSAT Data Centre via their Metadata Catalogue update in line with the above Data Policy for operational SAF Deliverables.

Dissemination will be made available also on hystorical basis, through facilities implemented at CNMCA aimed at the off-line/on-line transfer of archived products.

Users will be able to request products and download them via FTP in case they are not equipped for EUMETCast reception or simply as alternative path.

Development will continue, aiming at minimising delays in all areas, from products acquisition to delivery to the user.

Project Plan


2.4.3 WP-1300 (User Support)

This WP has the responsibility of taking care of the user support making available and continuously updated the H-SAF web portal and making operative the Help-desk. It is composed of the activities described in the following WPs. The activities will be performed also with industrial support of Telespazio.

2.4.3.1 WP-1310 (Web portal)

The H-SAF web-site will continue to be an important reference for the users. It is now migrated to the following, new URL: http://hsaf.meteoam.it

It will contain information on the products and their operational status, documentation, information on Visiting scientist, overview about SAF and the H-SAF partners.

A restricted area will be maintained for internal communications,

During CDOP the web portal will continue to be updated and expanded as needed. Convergence towards EUMETSAT standards related to SAF’s will be pursued.

A contact area will be managed for any kind of requests. Moreover, an access control and monitoring of the H-SAF web portal will be achieved in order to trace users.

2.4.3.2 WP-1320 (Help-desk)

The Help desk service is going to be provided in the CDOP.

The concept is to let users needs be punctually addressed and managed at both sides, technical and management.

A local helpdesk at CNMCA will be available, having as front-end an email address continuously checked by personnel in charge.

Each request will be addressed to the most suitable operator depending on the kind of requests (help request on specific products, on product groups e.g. “precipitation products”, on product availability, on project follow on, etc.).

2.4.4 WP-1400 (User Communities)

WP-1400 is composed of WP-1410 (User Communities Coordination), WP-1420 (User Communities Interaction) and WP-1430 (Linkage with GMES), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.4.4.1 WP-1410 (User Communities Coordination)

This new WP is specifically responsible of interactions with the User area and promotion of its extension, also in the framework of GMES. The WP will be coordinated by the Italian Dipartimento Protezione Civile (DPC), a user entity participant to the H-SAF Development Phase and well interfaced with similar units in European countries and with GMES activities, specifically the “Fast Track” with its Emergency Response Core Service (ERCS).

Project Plan


2.4.4.2 WP-1420 (User Communities Interaction)

This WP has an important role for the provision of results of the validation activities, intended as Hydrological validation (WP 5000) and Product validation (WP 6000).

It is a coordination package in charge of making available result reports coming from validation to EUMETSAT and Review Boards, coherently with objectives and results exposed in the documents REP-3 (see [AD 17]) for the Product validation programme) and REP-4 (see [AD 17]) for the Hydrological programme.

It is also responsible of the availability of:

- the results of validation for calibration and characterisation of the products;

- the NRT feedback for mission control and implementation of the OR’s (Operation Reports);

- ground data supporting products generation operations.

WP-1410 is also in charge of managing relationship with new users:

- attempts to extend participation to WP’s 5000 and 6000 to cover the whole European area with test sites for product validation (WP-6100) and hydrological applications (WP-5000), to provide NRT feedback for mission control (WP-6200), and to provide WP’s 2000, 3000 and 4000 with access to local observing networks (WP-6300). Extension to Africa is considered;

- cooperates with WP-5300 in the preparation of new, sustainable, utilisation programmes.

2.4.4.3 WP-1430 (Linkage with GMES)

The main tasks of this WP are:

- To keep and update records of the involvement of H-SAF members in GMES projects;

- To favour the access of H-SAF members in GMES projects being defined;

- To promote new GMES projects aimed at extending and sustain the utilisation of H-SAF products in accordance with EUMETSAT GMES strategy.

2.5 Precipitation Products (WP-2000)

The next figure shows the WBS of WP-2000 up to WP’s of the 3rd level.

Project Plan


Figure 7 WBS of first three levels of WP-2000 (Precipitation)

2.5.1 WP-2100 (Observed Products Operations)

WP-2100 is composed of WP-2110 (Observed Products Operations Coordination), WP-2120 (Input Data Maintenance), WP-2130 (Product Generation), WP-2140 (Algorithm Integration), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.5.1.1 WP-2110 (Observed Products Operations Coordination)

This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating products PR-OBS-1 to PR-OBS-5 during CDOP and progressively updating products/system in view of CDOP-2.

For the PR-OBS-4 product a transition from “in development” to “pre-operational” status is planned during CDOP; until this transition will not be completed, a development activity is expected, considered no cost since it has been already planned and quoted for the Development Phase. After the transition to pre-operational status, the operations activities will be fully performed as for the others observed products.

2.5.1.2 WP-2120 (Input Data Maintenance)

This WP is in charge of monitoring the availability of the input data (satellite and auxiliary data) necessary for the correct operations of the precipitation generation chains, related to the observed products PR-OBS-1, PR-OBS-2, PR-OBS-3, PR-OBS-4, PR-OBS-5.

Satellite data whose correct ingestion is responsible this WP, are:

- SSMI/SSMIS on DMSP for PR-OBS-1 generation

Project Plan


- AMSU-A/B (NOAA 15/16) / MHS (Metop, NOAA 18/19) for PR-OBS-2 and PR-OBS-4 generation

- SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9 for PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 Whereas multiple satellite data source are needed for a single product generation, it is intended that input data are merged into one product file. The Work Package is also responsible for the maintenance of these multiple sources into the same generation chains.

For PR-OBS-5 generation, data on SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9 spacecraft is necessary; in this case ingestion is not directly performed but through the output coming from PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 generation chains. This WP is also responsible for maintenance of this indirect ingestion.

2.5.1.3 WP-2130 (Product Generation)

Through the whole CDOP, most activities of WP-2130 will continue to be focused on the products currently on line. Major updates or introduction of new products are unlikely to occur before the last part of the CDOP period since the development work being considered (see WP-2300) and build-up of the new satellite acquisition structures will require considerable effort and time. The following activities are foreseen:

- optimise operations so as to reduce computing time and improve timeliness of product outputting;

- extend online quality control of products to be outputted (something only partially implemented in the Developing Phase); this activity may draw benefit from the new WP-6200 (Product monitoring & NRT feedback) and WP-6300 (Provision of ground data);

- recover computer resources to gradually extend products coverage to Africa. Initial objective: to cover the Sahel region focused by the AGRHYMET project.

2.5.1.4 WP-2140 (Algorithm Integration)

This WP will cover a number of activities such as:

- install and test the instrument processors for MWRI and the ingestion interfaces for AMSR-E and ATMS (assuming that these data are acquired already pre-processed);

- ingesting additional ground-based auxiliary data to be used in support of products generation (see previous point on the expectation from WP-6300);

- maintain the software of the currently operational products (continue de-bugging, implement updates, etc.);

- integrate and test new software resulting from the activity of WP-2300 (Development).

These activities will be implemented by CNMCA with the support of CNR-ISAC as regards products maintenance and additions. Industrial assistance also is foreseen.

Project Plan


2.5.2 WP-2200 (Assimilated Products Operations)

WP-2200 is composed of WP-2210 (Assimilated Products Operations Coordination), WP-2220 (Input Data Maintenance), WP-2230 (Product Generation), WP-2240 (Algorithm Integration), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.5.2.1 WP-2210 (Assimilated Products Operations Coordination)

This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating product PR-ASS-1 and possibly to introduce further extensions. The purpose of the computed products is to support other H-SAF products, e.g. by providing first guess fields or filling occasional gaps in the operational chains for satellite products generation.

Since the NWP model utilised (COSMO) is continuously being improved by the COSMO, this WP is responsible also for integration of the algorithm.


This WP is in charge of guarantee the maintenance of any kind of input data necessary for the correct generation of the precipitation assimilated product: satellite data, auxiliary data etc..

It is envisaged to extend the number of products from COSMO-ME beyond the current precipitation rate and accumulated precipitation. Candidate products are:

- volumetric soil moisture (in the roots region). This product differs from SM-ASS-1 because in this case it is simply a diagnostic output of the model, not the result of assimilating surface soil moisture;

- snow water equivalent: also in this case, simply a diagnostic output of the model.

2.5.2.3 WP-2230 (Product Generation)

Product PR-ASS-1 consists of accumulated precipitation over 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours, and instantaneous precipitation.

This WP is responsible for the generation of this product as well as of any activity related to the operations of the generation chain.

During CDOP the following improvements are foreseen:

- extending the cover to the full H-SAF area. In order not to upset the operational NWP activity at CNMCA, this will probably be implemented by sectorising the area in more frames (that would be an appropriate approach if extension over fractions of Africa is considered);

- increase the number of runs/day. Currently, although the set of products (integrated over 3. 6. 12 and 24 h, as well as zero, i.e. precipitation rate) is disseminated every 3 hours, at synoptic times, they are generated by only two distinct runs/day. It is envisaged to move to 4 runs/day, in order to improve timeliness. Further

Project Plan


intensification to 3 runs/day will be assessed for cost/benefit, but might not be affordable;

- improve the model resolution from the current 7 km to an extent to be assessed for cost/benefit, the maximum conceivable being around 3 km (very unlikely to be affordable).


The generation chain of the precipitation assimilated product is based on the NWP model COSMO.

Since this model is continuously being improved by the COSMO Consortium, this WP is in responsible for the integration of the new version whenever released, into the generation chain. The operational implementation used (COSMO-ME) gets benefit from the ingestion of an increasing number of satellite observations by the data assimilation system developed and implemented at CNMCA. The consequent improvements will automatically be reflected over the quality of H-SAF products.

2.5.3 WP-2300 (Products Continuous Development)

In parallel with operating/maintaining/updating the current products (PR-OBS 1 to 5 and PR-ASS-1), the activity in CDOP will develop what is needed for entering CDOP-2 with more performing processing methods, and products aligned to the availability of new instrument. It is important to note that, in the new H-SAF structure for CDOP, the product validation activity intended as routine comparison of satellite measurements with ground truth is moved under WP-6100, whereas calibration and characterisation is considered an integral part of product development. In fact, calibration and characterisation give rise to requirements specific to each product, thus their definition must be kept flexible and their implementation must remains under the responsibility of the product developer.

Example of calibration activities are:

- instrument: each development team will care that the input satellite data are properly calibrated (in the engineering sense) and, in case, enter in touch with the space agency responsible of the instrument management;

- algorithm: each development team will identify the requirements for algorithm calibration, and procure the necessary information (special data sets, focused campaigns, data from research radar, etc.). Providers of the information could be the Units operating in WP-6100 (Product validation), or others to be identified and contacted by the product developer (starting point: WP-6300 (Provision of ground data).

Example of characterisation activities are:

- error structure: notwithstanding the accuracy of calibration, because of the instrument characteristics and the nature of the adopted method each product will perform better in certain situations, less well in other ones, badly in some ones. This information is basic for the end-user, and must accompany the description of the distributed

Project Plan


product in the User Manual. Each development team will care that the error structure is well characterised and made known. The information stems from the analysis of the residual problems left from the calibration activity, and of the results of the Product validation activity (WP-6100);

- quality flags: the main features of the error structure must be recorded online with the distributed product, e.g. in form of flags. The optimal way of online flagging data quality must be defined by the product developer.

WP-2300 is composed of WP-2310 (Continuous Development Coordination), WP-2320 (PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2 Development), WP-2330 (PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 Development) and WP-2340 (Assimilated Products Development), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.5.3.1 WP-2310 (Continuous Development Coordination)

This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to implement further development on algorithms/software and to all the effort aimed at harmonising the activities carried on by the different involved institutes, mainly CNR-ISAC and CNMCA.

2.5.3.2 WP-2320 (PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2 Development)

In CDOP there will be considerable need for development of products PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2, i.e. those providing the most accurate precipitation rate measurements by exploiting MW images from LEO satellites. A list of envisaged development activities follows.

As concerns PR-OBS-1:

- First of all, we remind that to generate the CRD / CDRD databases for the European region that are used by the CDRD Bayesian retrieval algorithm utilized within the H-SAF project, sixty simulations of different precipitation events over the European area for the March 2006 – February 2007 one-year period were performed by means of the cloud resolving model UW-NMS. While this approach has generated an a priori information that is (by far) more representative of the precipitation regimes over the European region than any previous attempt, further analysis, development and expansion of these databases is proposed in order to properly take into account the various climatic regions, types of precipitation and seasonal variations.

- As a consequence, however, the two databases may become too large to be used in an efficient fashion. Thus, a fine categorization of them will be performed so as to speed up the retrieval procedures.

- One shortcoming of the CRD-based Bayesian approach is that the retrieval of cloud structure and precipitation from a set of multi-frequency MW brightness

Project Plan


temperatures (TBs) measured by a satellite-borne radiometer, is not a unique solution problem. We thus plan to implement the new version of the algorithm that uses further constraints [the so-called Cloud Dynamics and Radiation Database (CDRD) approach] so as to reduce the retrieval uncertainties.

- For the very same reason, preventive classification of clouds obtained within PR-OBS-3 will be implemented in the algorithm – e.g., by fully exploiting the SEVIRI channels that are sensitive to cloud microphysical properties at the cloud top in conjunction with the scattering index that is derived from the water vapour channels at 183-GHz of AMSU-B, MHS and SSMIS.

- While advanced screening procedures have been developed during H-SAF Development Phase, further developments will be carried out on this issue – especially, over particularly unfavourable backgrounds (e.g., snow cover, coastlines, etc.).

As concerns PR-OBS-2:

- Even in this case, improvement of the screening procedures over particularly unfavourable backgrounds (e.g., snow cover, coastlines, etc.) will be achieved.

- In H-SAF development phase, the retrieval from AMSU/MHS radiometers was based on a neural network algorithm that was trained by a dataset of cloud and precipitation microphysics / TBs relationships that were derived by a large set of MM5 simulations over the entire globe. Along CDOP, we propose to generate a new version of the algorithm that will be trained by the same dataset of model simulations and resulting TBs, which will be developed for PR-OBS-1. We emphasize that this is important for two reasons: first, these simulations are more representative of the precipitation regimes over the European region w.r.t those that have been used so far; second, this approach will help harmonizing the various products by cross-track and conical MW scanners.

- In this regard, we mention that a particular effort will be devoted to blending the PR-OBS-1 & PR-OBS-2 products so that to provide the users with a single product and to harmonize the input MW data to be entered into PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4. This work, already initiated with SSM/I-SSMIS and AMSU-MHS, it will attempt to merge data from all instruments, each one contributing with different weights depending on the results of the characterisation activity (different resolution, different error structure). It is noted that, to the effect of minimising biases, it is important to contextually utilise data from different sources. Also it is noted that, eventually, PR-OBS-4 (Morphing) could provide the framework for blending all MW-derived measurements.

Responsible of WP-2320 is CNR-ISAC.

Project Plan


2.5.3.3 WP-2330 (PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 Development)

Since PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 are the closest products to end-users for Nowcasting and Hydrology, because of their frequency and resolution, maximum development effort is planned for their improvement, although the unfavourable error structure. A list of envisaged development activities follows.

The completion of PR-OBS-3 will include merging of PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2 input data with an account of different resolutions, error structures and other characteristics of the two MW products.

Product PR-OBS-4 enters the CDOP phase in “in development” status, thus will continue to be developed in order to fully assess relevant requirements; as previously stated, this development activity is considered a zero cost activity for CDOP. After the fulfilment of the “pre-operational” status the continuous development will be pursued, aiming at improving timeliness and product quality. A compromise could consist of generating the products over limited areas (floating in the H-SAF area) in a more timely manner (i.e. trading-off timeliness with completeness of the field). The accuracy of the product will depend on the success of blending (that implies forcing to consistency) all MW-derived measurements from all the various sources, as mentioned above.

Responsible of the development of PR-OBS-4 is CNR-ISAC.

The roadmap to improving PR-OBS-3 (and possibly PR-OBS-4 as well) passes through preventive classification of clouds into precipitating and non-precipitating. Two developments are envisaged, one already being pursued, the second (in two versions) about to start:

1. The first approach is based on the use of products from NWC-SAF (e.g., Cloud-type) and CNMCA (Nefodina), and statistical analysis of SEVIRI data, to distinguish convective and non-convective, precipitating and non-precipitating, and cirrus clouds (to be removed). The histograms to calibrate SEVIRI IR by MW-derived precipitation will be applied separately for the different classes.

2. The second approach is based on full exploitation of SEVIRI channels sensitive to cloud microphysical properties at the cloud top to derive precipitation indexes. This is possible at 15-min intervals, to support PR-OBS-3. In addition, for images taken at times of LEO passes, a scattering index derived from quasi-window channels of the 183-GHz band of AMSU-B, MHS, SSMIS can be extracted. The combination of indexes from SEVIRI and 183-GHz channels enables building a “precipitation mask” to support PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2 processing by limiting the search area and enabling bias mitigation.

Responsible of continuing the development of PR-OBS-3 is CNR-ISAC, in collaboration with CNMCA.

Project Plan


2.5.3.4 WP-2340 (Assimilated Products Development)

Product PR-OBS-5 represents a problematic area since it is the most useful product for operational Hydrology, but unfortunately the less accurate because the error is mostly controlled by the sampling interval, that implies the need for using PR-OBS-3 (large errors and bias) or PR-OBS-4 (more accurate but missing timeliness).

A list of envisaged development activities is:

- strong augmentation of ancillary ground observations (from WP-6300) for forcing solutions to match the ground truth (introduces bias due to irregular rain gauge network distribution, and scaling problems);

- forcing to the output of the NWP model (product PR-ASS-1) (expected new bias proper of the product from NWP);

- merging satellite observations, ground observations and model output, hoping that the biases can be well characterised and possibly compensate each other.

Additional objective for developing PR-ASS-1 is to support WP-2200, i.e.:

- extending coverage, number of run/days and resolution of COSMO-ME;

- extending the number of products to include volumetric soil moisture and snow water equivalent.

Responsible of continuing the development of PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1 is CNMCA (with possible collaboration with CNR-ISAC as concerns PR-OBS-5)

2.6 Soil Moisture Products (WP-3000)

The current asset for the generation of the soil moisture products is well consolidated, and does not seem to require relevant changes. The top-level WBS will continue to be as at present, except that the validation activity is moved to WP-6100 whilst calibration and characterisation are considered internal to the development activity.

Project Plan


WP 3000Soil Moisture products

ZAMG

WP 3120ASCAT Soil Moisture Product Support

TU Wien

WP 3130Product Generation

ZAMG

WP 3140SW and Data Integration

ZAMG

WP 3220Input Data Maintenance and Extension

ECMWF

WP 3230Product Generation

ECMWF

WP 3320Surface Soil Moisture Development

TU Wien

WP 3330Soil Wetness Index Development

ECMWF

WP 3200 Soil Wetness Index Product Generation

ECMWF

WP 3100 Surface Soil Moisture Product Operations

ZAMG

WP 3300Products Continuous Development

TU Wien

WP 3110Surface Soil Moisture Operations Coordination

ZAMG

WP 3210Soil Wetness Index Generation Coordination

ECMWF

WP 3310Continuous Development Coordination

TU Wien

Figure 8 WBS of first three levels of WP-3000 (Soil moisture)

2.6.1 WP-3100 (Surface Soil Moisture Products Operations)

WP-3100 is composed of WP-3110 (Surface Soil Moisture Operations Coordination), WP-3120 (ASCAT Soil Moisture Product Support), WP-3130 (Products generation) and WP-3140 (Software and Data Integration), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.6.1.1 WP-3110 (Surface Soil Moisture Operations Coordination)

This WP is in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating product SM-OBS-2, SM-OBS-3, possibly introducing further extensions, as well as to disseminate product SM-ASS-2.

2.6.1.2 WP-3120 (ASCAT Soil Moisture Product Support)

This WP is split in two major parts:

Firstly, it shall ensure the scientific anomaly investigations and evolution of the global ASCAT surface soil moisture product as produced by EUMETSAT CAF. This work package initiates these activities as part of CDOP and liaises with EUMETSAT CAF for maintenance and operational aspects. In detail this WP is in charge of updating the model parameters for the near real-time processor at EUMETSAT CAF and updates of the NRT processing software. This task will be taken up in steps within CDOP, and properly

Project Plan


implemented at later phases to ensure a long-term perspective. This first activity will be supported by a specific Federated Activity with EUMETSAT CAF.

Secondly, this WP is in charge of monitoring the availability of the input data necessary for the correct operations of the soil moisture generation chains for SM-OBS-2, namely the European downscaling parameter database, auxiliary data and any kind of other input.

2.6.1.3 WP-3130 (Products generation)

Through the whole CDOP, most activities of WP-3130 will continue to be focused on the products currently on line. Major updates are unlikely to occur before the last part of the CDOP period since the development work being considered (see WP-3300) will require considerable effort and time. The following activities are foreseen:

- continuation of segmenting the EUMETSAT global product to extract SM-OBS-3;

- adapt data formats and service specifications to the evolving user requirements;

- optimise operations so as to reduce computing time and improve timeliness of product outputting;

- extend online quality control of products to be outputted (something only partially implemented in the Developing Phase); this activity may draw benefit from the new WP-6200 (Product monitoring & NRT feedback) and WP-6300 (Provision of ground data);

- recover computer resources to gradually extend the SM-OBS-2 coverage to Africa (see WP-3320).

WP-3130 is run by ZAMG. It is noted that connections exist, or are being established, between H-SAF and Land-SAF on the use of soil moisture products (pre-cursor works assessing the potential of scatterometer data performed well). Land-SAF will generate an Evapotranspiration product using the H-SAF high-resolution SM-OBS-2 product or the EUMETSAT coarse resolution global product of the ECMWF coarse resolution volumetric product. The EUMETSAT coarse resolution product is also used in the GMES project Geoland-2 to generate the Soil Wetness Index, a proxy of volumetric soil moisture.

2.6.1.4 WP-3140 (Software and Data Integration)

Objective of this WP is the maintenance and updating of the surface soil moisture generation chains by performing any necessary adaptation and optimisation expected to maintain and improve the performance and the quality of the products.

This includes:

- adaptation of data formats and service specification to the evolving user requirements;

- optimisation of operations to improve timeliness;

- assess software modifications proposed by TU-Wien developers ad implement them in the operational ZAMG generation chains;

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- extension of the online quality control of products.

2.6.2 WP-3200 (Soil Wetness Index Products Generation)

Regarding the SM-ASS-2 (Soil Wetness Index in the root zone) ASCAT soil moisture monitoring is now part of the operational chain and during the H-SAF development phase a volumetric prototype of SM-ASS-1 has been produced routinely in an offline production suite based on the IFS cycle 35r2. For the CDOP it is envisaged to implement SM-ASS-1 in the operational NWP system in order to disseminate it in demonstrational status, and to continue the development in view of both improving the product quality, and extend the purpose. The major change compared to the development phase is that SM-ASS-2 will be a Soil Wetness Index normalized between 0 and 1 according to saturated soil moisture values of each ECMWF grid point. Hence SM-ASS-2 product as a SWI will be much more flexible to use than any volumetric product. The SM-ASS-2 product will thus be of high interest for the hydrological community since it will contain purely dynamic information of soil moisture, without any systematic bias that could be present in the ECMWF volumetric soil moisture product. For instance hydrological modellers will be able to assimilate SM-ASS-2 soil wetness index without any a priori knowledge of the ECMWF production system.

The SM-ASS-2 production cycle is recently changed to be a Soil Wetness Index and consistent with the operational IFS version (cycle 37r1 is expected at this time, subject to modification according to the ECMWF calendar of cycle changes).

WP-3200 is composed of WP-3210 (Soil Wetness Index Generation Coordination), WP-3220 (Input Data Maintenance and Extension) and WP-3230 (Products generation); whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.6.2.1 WP-3210 (Soil Wetness Index Generation Coordination)

This WP is in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating product SM-ASS-1, possibly introducing further extensions, and to perform the development of the product SM-ASS-2.

2.6.2.2 WP-3220 (Input Data Maintenance and Extension)

This WP is in charge of monitor the availability of the input data (satellite data, auxiliary data and any kind of input) necessary for the correct operations of the precipitation generation chains, related to the soil wetness index product SM-ASS-1.

As in the case of surface soil moisture, satellite data source to be maintained is ASCAT on Metop indirectly received through the processed global surface soil moisture generated by EUMETSAT.

The WP is in also charge of maintained the link and the interface with EUMETSAT with this aim.

Project Plan


In order to improve SM-ASS-1 and possibly extend its scope, more data will be input in the assimilation scheme, e.g.:

- other land surface data available at ECMWF (e.g., SYNOP screen level data, SMOS brightness temperatures when available and if they have a positive impact on the forecast);

- technical developments to investigate H-SAF snow cover and water equivalent to be co-assimilated with ASCAT surface soil moisture;

- brightness temperatures of SSMIS channels sensitive to precipitation to check/force consistency between precipitation and soil moisture.

2.6.2.3 WP-3230 (Products generation)

The SM-ASS-2 product will be generated through CDOP and its quality constantly monitored. Monitoring of observation data has been a core activity at ECMWF for many years. It provides a Near Real Time validation of satellite products. ECMWF will perform continuous operational monitoring of the ASCAT surface soil moisture, and compare it to the surface component of SM-ASS-2. In addition, intercomparison between SM-ASS-2 products with SMOS Level 2 and ASCAT soil moisture products is proposed to be performed by CESBIO in continuity of the development phase activities. H-SAF CDOP is the crucial period for which ASCAT and SMOS will be in orbit, making their inter-validation feasible.

Furthermore, it is envisaged to add new outputs from the SM-ASS-2 processing chain (see WP-3320).


The definition and generic description of the activities on calibration (instrument and algorithm) and characterisation (error structure, quality flags) apply to precipitation as well as to soil moisture. It is iterated that calibration and characterisation are considered integral part of the product development, thus lie under the responsibility of product developers, whereas validation, intended as systematic comparison between satellite measurement and ground truth, is performed by Users (WP-6100). Validation results constitute a major information source for product calibration and characterisations, but not the only one.

WP-3300 is composed of WP-3310 (Continuous Development Coordination), WP-3320 (Surface Soil Moisture Products Development), WP-3330 (Volumetric Soil Moisture Product Development) and WP-3340 (Assessment of added value of H-SAF Soil moisture information for high resolution assimilation), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

Project Plan



This WP is in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to implement further development on algorithms/software.

Developments are carried out by TU-Wien for surface soil moisture, by ECMWF for Soil Wetness Index in the root zone and, in addition, Météo-France will carry out a few data assimilation experiments, a significant effort will be aimed at harmonising all the activities carried out by the different involved institutes.

2.6.3.2 WP-3320 (Surface Soil Moisture Products Development)

The activities for SM-OBS-3 will consist of developing an improved version of the model parameter database. Possible feedback to EUMETSAT will descend from the validation programme (WP-6100). Also, the experience gained from working on SM-OBS-2 might result in some feedback to be addressed to EUMETSAT.

The main activity of WP-3320 will consist of improving the method for disaggregating the ASCAT surface soil moisture product. The disaggregation is currently based upon Envisat ASAR in the Global Monitoring mode, but coverage and radiometric accuracy are not optimum. By using Sentinel-1 data, it is expected that the quality of the scaling coefficients can be much enhanced. Also, alternative scaling techniques will be investigated to identifying means for improving the product.

The possible extension of SM-OBS-2 over Africa would require important resources: intensive pre-processing steps of auxiliary datasets, database building, operational generation (demanding computer resources), data transmission (intensive data rate). For the database, one resource could be the ESA project SHARE. For the hardware resources, certain reductions could be considered for instance:

- coarser resolution/sampling (e.g. 5 km instead of 0.5);

- strategic selection of a limited number of areas.

2.6.3.3 WP-3330 (Soil Wetness Index Development)

Foreseen developments at ECMWF include a number of areas:

- combination of ASCAT data with other land surface data used at ECMWF such as SYNOP screen level data and SMOS brightness temperatures. ASCAT continuous operation activities will be conducted at ECMWF in synergy with the SMOS project, to be run by exploiting financial resources external to H-SAF;

- extension of the ECMWF surface analysis system to assimilate H-SAF snow products (cover and water equivalent) in order to improve the quality of the soil wetness index produced by the Integrated Forecasting System. Assimilation of cloud/precipitation-affected SSMIS data over land will be investigated in

Project Plan


combination with ASCAT soil moisture data assimilation in order to address the complementary benefit of indirect (through precipitation) and direct (through soil moisture) constraints in the analysis. For selected cases, this can be performed at a model resolution of 23 km that has been implemented in the ECMWF system in 2009;

Two activities are being envisaged to be carried out in the framework of the Visiting Scientist programme (subject to approval by the H-SAF VS programme): for the assimilation of cloud/precipitation-affected SSMIS data over land, and for the validation of the Global product over Sahel. The AMMA-CATCH ground measurements of soil moisture over Sahel are coordinated by CESBIO which is also coordinating the corresponding data base. CESBIO team members have been performing ground measurements of soil moisture over Sahel for many years, in relation with the local units (AGRHYMET, IER Mali, IRD Bamako).

2.6.3.4 WP-3340 (Assessment of added value of H-SAF Soil moisture information

for high resolution assimilation)

The activity of WP-3340 have been proposed by Météo-France, specifically the Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (CNRM). Main highlights are:

- the aim is to prepare the assimilation of ASCAT-derived surface soil moisture in the

limited-area models ALADIN (over Europe, resolution ∼ 9 km) and AROME (over

France, resolution ∼ 2.5 km), and in the hydrological model SIM (over France, resolution ~ 8 km), using the SURFEX modelling platform;

- the Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) is being developed to assimilate a variety of Earth Observation data including, e.g., Leaf Area Index, together with ground-based observations such as screen-level air temperature and humidity;

- the LDAS may also be used either online, or offline (i.e. driven by an atmospheric analysis). Spatial disaggregation of soil moisture products, in both online and offline systems, will allow their use in high resolution applications.

It is noted that in this proposal, Météo-France does not provide new products. At this stage, the preparation of future assimilation experiments is performed. This work will contribute to the assessment of the added value of the ASCAT products. Météo-France plays a "user" role in assessing the added value of the soil moisture products and in contributing to their verification.

2.7 Snow Products (WP-4000)

The current asset for the generation of the snow products is well consolidated, and does not seem to require relevant changes. The top-level WBS will continue to be as at present, except that the validation activity is moved to WP-6100 whilst calibration and

Project Plan


characterisation are considered internal to the development activity. Figure 9 shows the WBS of WP-4000 up to WP’s of the 3rd level.

WP 4000Snow Products

FMI

WP 4120Input Data Maintenance

FMI

WP 4130Intermediate Products Generation

FMI

WP 4140Algorithm Integration

FMI

WP 4220Input Data Maintenance

TSMS

WP 4230Intermediate Products Generation

TSMS

WP 4240Algorithm Integration

TSMS

WP 4320SN-OBS-1 Product Generation

(Merging)FMI

WP 4200 Mountainous Areas Intermediate

Products OperationsTSMS

WP 4300Products Operations

FMI

WP 4100 Flat and Forest Areas Intermediate

Products OperationsFMI

WP 4400Products Continuous Development

FMI


FMI


(Merging)FMI


(Merging)FMI

WP 4420Flat and Forest Products from Optical Bands Development

FMI

WP 4430Flat and Forest Products from MW

Bands DevelopmentFMI

WP 4440Mountainous Products from Optical

Bands DevelopmentTSMS

WP 4450Mountainous Products from MW

Bands DevelopmentTSMS

WP 4110Flat and Forest Intermediate

Products Operations CoordinationFMI

WP 4210Mountainous Intermediate

Products Operations CoordinationTSMS

WP 4310Product Operations Coordination

FMI

WP 4410Continuous Development

CoordinationFMI

Figure 9 WBS of first three levels of WP-4000 (Snow parameters)

2.7.1 WP-4100 (Flat and Forested Areas Intermediate Products Operations)

Snow products derive from merging of intermediate products of flat and forested areas with intermediate products of mountainous area into H-SAF snow products.

These WP’s constitute the structure to generate intermediate snow products for flat and forested areas that contribute to production of merged products SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4 during CDOP.

Responsibility for generation of SN-OBS-2 does not belongs to this WP but to WP-4300 since this product is not the output of merging of intermediate products.

WP-4100 is composed of WP-4110 (Flat and Forested Intermediate Products Operations Coordination), WP-4120 (Input Data Maintenance), WP-4130 (Intermediate Products Generation) and WP-4140 (Algorithm Integration), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

Project Plan


2.7.1.1 WP-4110 (Flat and Forested Intermediate Products Operations

Coordination)

This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating intermediate snow products for flat and forested areas that contribute to production of merged products SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4, possibly introducing further extensions.


This WP is in charge of monitoring the availability of the input data (satellite and auxiliary data) necessary for the correct operations of the snow generation chains, related to the flat and forested areas intermediate products.


- AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua;

- SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9;

- AVHRR on NOAA;

- AVHRR on Metop. Whereas multiple satellite data source are needed for a single product generation (case of SN-OBS-3), it is intended that input data are merged into one product file. The Work Package is also responsible for the maintenance of these multiple sources into the same generation chain.

2.7.1.3 WP-4130 (Intermediate Products Generation)

Objective of WP-4120 is the monitoring and management of the generation of intermediate snow products of flat and forested areas and all tasks relevant to these operations.

It is noted that there are interactions between operations in H-SAF and LandSAF as concerns the Snow detection product (SN-OBS-1), to the extent that, at present the part of product covering flat/forested areas is actually generated in LandSAF. This WP is responsible for maintenance of this inter-SAF link aimed at the relevant product generation.

Snow products monitored and controlled by this WP are: SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4.



- implement the developed algorithms to software;

- test the software;

- install the software to the operational processing environment;

Project Plan


- ingesting additional ground-based auxiliary data to be used in support of products generation;

All the tasks are related to the flat and forest area algorithms integration.

These activities will be implemented by FMI.

2.7.2 WP-4200 (Mountainous Areas Intermediate Products Operations)

Snow products derive from merging of intermediate products of flat and forested areas with intermediate products of mountainous area into H-SAF snow products.

These WP’s constitute the structure to generate intermediate snow products for mountainous areas that contribute to production of merged products SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4 during CDOP.

Responsibility for generation of SN-OBS-2, does not belongs to this WP but to WP-4300 since this product is not the output of merging of intermediate products.

WP-4200 is composed of WP-4210 (Mountainous Intermediate Products Operations Coordination), WP-4220 (Input Data Maintenance), WP-4230 (Intermediate Products Generation) and WP-4240 (Algorithm Integration), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.7.2.1 WP-4210 (Mountainous Intermediate Products Operations Coordination)

This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to continue in generating intermediate snow products for mountainous areas that contribute to production of merged products SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4, possibly introducing further extensions.


This WP is in charge of monitor the availability of the input data (satellite and auxiliary data) necessary for the correct operations of the snow generation chains, related to the mountainous areas intermediate products.


- AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua

- SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9

- AVHRR on NOAA

- AVHRR on Metop Whereas multiple satellite data source are needed for a single product generation (case of SN-OBS-3), it is intended that input data are merged into one product file. The Work Package is also responsible for the maintenance of these multiple sources into the same generation chain.

Project Plan


2.7.2.3 WP-4230 (Intermediate Products Generation)

Objective of WP-4220 is the monitoring and management of the generation of intermediate snow products of mountainous areas and all tasks relevant to these operations.

Snow products monitored and controlled by this WP are: SN-OBS-1, SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4.



- implement the developed algorithms to software;

- test the software;

- install the software to the operational processing environment;

- ingesting additional ground-based auxiliary data to be used in support of products generation;

All the tasks are related to the mountainous area algorithms integration.

These activities will be implemented by TSMS supported by METU.

2.7.3 WP-4300 (Products Operations)

The generation of H-SAF snow products is achieved by merging intermediate products obtained using different algorithms for flat/forested areas and mountainous areas.

For the SN-OBS-3 and SN.OBS-4 products a transition from “in development” to “pre-operational” status is planned during CDOP. After the transition to pre-operational status, the operations activities will be fully performed as for the others observed products.

Moreover, WP-4300 is also responsible for the generation of the SN-OBS-2 product generation operations, that is not achieved by merge intermediate products but entirely with a “one-shot” run at FMI.

WP-4300 is composed of WP-4310 (Product Operations Coordination), WP-4320 (SN-OBS-1 Product Generation – Merging), WP-4330 (SN-OBS-2 Product Generation), WP-4340 (SN-OBS-3 Product Generation – Merging) and WP-4350 (SN-OBS-4 Product Generation – Merging), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.

2.7.3.1 WP-4310 (Product Operations Coordination)

WP-4300 is in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to control the operations related to the merging tasks whose output are the snow products.

2.7.3.2 WP-4320 (SN-OBS-1 Product Generation – Merging)

This WP is responsible for generation of SN-OBS-1 product, obtained as result of merging of intermediate products for flat/forested areas and mountainous areas.

Project Plan


Critical task of the WP is to guarantee the correct and synchronized reception of the intermediate products, coming from distributed environment (Turkey and Finland), in order to produce the final snow product with performance and requirements compliant with the commitments.

2.7.3.3 WP-4330 (SN-OBS-2 Product Generation)

SN-OBS-2 is the only snow products not to be obtained by merging intermediate products.

It is generated at FMI and it represents the snow status (wet/dry discrimination). WP-4320 has the responsibility of this product’s generation.








Calibration (instrument and algorithm) and characterisation (error structure, quality flags) are considered integral part of the product development, thus lie under the responsibility of product developers, whereas validation, intended as systematic comparison between satellite measurement and ground truth, is performed by Users (WP-6100). Validation results constitute a major information source for product calibration and characterisations, but not the only one.

Products SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4 enter the CDOP phase in “in development” status, thus will continue to be developed in order to fully assess relevant requirements. After the fulfilment of the “pre-operational” status the continuous development will be pursued, aiming at improving timeliness and product quality.

Developments in WP-4400 are carried out by FMI and METU for improving the products from optical instruments and from MW radiometers.

Project Plan


WP-4400 is composed of WP-4410 (Continuous Development Coordination), WP-4420 (Flat and Forest Areas Products from Optical Bands Development), WP-4430 (Flat and Forest Areas Products from MW Bands Development), WP-4440 (Mountainous Areas Products from Optical Bands Development) and WP WP-4450 (Mountainous Areas Products from MW Bands Development), whose activities are described in the following paragraphs.


This WP in charge of the overall management and coordination of the operational infrastructure (in terms of HW, SW, engineering and human resources) dedicated to implement further development on algorithms/software.

Developments in WP-4400 are carried out by FMI for Flat and Forested Snow Products, by METU for Mountainous Snow products, and, in addition, also Italian IFAC will carry out a specific research within the Visiting Scientist Programme; so a significant effort will be aimed at harmonising all the activities carried on by the different involved institutes.

2.7.4.2 WP-4420 (Flat and Forest Areas Products from Optical Bands

Development)

Objective of the WP is to study possible improvements using new approaches and optical data not utilised in products using optical data, to calibrate and characterise these products, and to determine the error structures resulting from the use of optical data. The scope are the flat and forest products that rely on optical bands: SN-OBS-1 (Snow detection) and SN-OBS-3 (Snow fractional cover).

With these goals, the WP will perform:

- case-studies using optical data and approaches not already utilised in snow parameter retrievals;

- calibration of the products;

- determination of the error structures of the products where optical data are used.

- to define the solution for the snow detection product to make converging current LSASAF product and H-SAF product into one product generated by H-SAF to become operational along H-SAF CDOP-2.

2.7.4.3 WP-4430 (Flat and Forest Areas Products from MW Bands Development)

Objective of the WP is to study possible improvements using new approaches and MW bands data not utilised in products using optical data, to calibrate and characterise these products, and to determine the error structures resulting from the use of optical data. The scope are the flat and forest products that rely on MW bands: SN-OBS-2 (Snow status) and SN-OBS-4 (Snow water equivalent).

With these goals, the WP will perform:

Project Plan


- case-studies using optical data and approaches not already utilised in snow parameter retrievals;

- calibration of the products;

- determination of the error structures of the products where optical data are used.

2.7.4.4 WP-4440 (Mountainous Areas Products from Optical Bands Development)

Objective of the WP is to coordinate the development of the snow products from optical bands and to perform the tuning process of the algorithms, limiting the development to the mountainous areas snow products.

Calibration and characterization activities are considered as an integral part of product development. So, the products for SN-OBS-1 and 3 rely on optical bands. The SEVIRI with course but higher temporal resolution for cloud and snow detection will be used in snow recognition. AVHRR is also expected to provide a great improvement. The use of higher resolution instrument such as MSI on Sentinel will provide building the database. The snow products 1 and 3 will be merged to get better accuracy for the areal snow cover including fractional covered snow areas.

2.7.4.5 WP-4450 (Mountainous Areas Products from MW Bands Development)

Objective of the WP is to coordinate the development of the snow products from microwave bands, limiting the development to the mountainous areas snow products..

The development in the algorithm to produce SN-OBS-4 will continue by introducing more channels of AMSR-E.

It should be noted that the limitation of optical bands for cloudy conditions could be eliminated by merging the SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4 products. As far as this issue is concerned, in fact, it is worth mentioning that there is a need for continuous regional and global snow cover mapping for climate, hydrological and weather applications. The developed snow cover (SN_OBS3) and snow water equivalent (SN_OBS4) products within the H-SAF project do not use the multi-sensor data. The combination of snow cover products obtained from optic and microwave data can provide continuous regional and global snow cover maps. It is recommended to develop a blended snow cover product after producing the snow cover and snow water equivalent products in the future operational phases of H-SAF project for flat and mountainous regions. With this new product it would be possible to minimize the disadvantages of course spatial resolution of microwave data and cloud coverage limitation of optical data.

2.8 The Hydrological Programme (WP-5000)

The current asset for the hydrological programme is well defined in the part referring to impact studies, but the work programme needs to be extended in what concerns development aspects. The WP5000 will also serve as a bridge between validation and

Project Plan


development WPs, as well as the other H-SAF Clusters, by providing the facilities for information/data exchange.

Figure 10 shows the WBS of WP-5000 up to WP’s of the 3rd level.

Figure 10 WBS of first three levels of WP-5000 (Hydrological programme)

2.8.1 WP-5100 (Products evaluation & interfacing with hydrological models)

Current hydrological models are not designed for assimilating satellite data, and the noise introduced by the incompatibility of the input data with the model structure may have undermined the benefit of adding fresh information. It is now envisaged to develop new interfaces enabling satellite data to be assimilated in the model. A typical example may be a parameter that the model generates itself (e.g., volumetric soil moisture) to enter into conflict with a real measurement: the effect of the real measurement will be rapidly smoothed out or, in worst case, may de-stabilise the model. WP-5100 starts using the products validation results for a correct insert of the products into the hydrological models and cares that products are correctly interfaced with the hydrological model, developing

Project Plan


interface tools if needed. Each participant to the impact study programme implements this preparatory activity, and reports about possible complementary validation.

The hydrological validation results will be presented, as well as it has been done during Development Phase, collecting the contributions from the participating teams; their contents and structure have been discussed and agreed by the Cluster Leader and member, and will continue to be revised and updated; Also the validation algorithm and the reports structure, as well as the review of used hydrological models, are submitted to a continuous review process among all the participants, what is essential for the results analysis. Additionally, taking into account the experiences and knowledge gained during Development Phase, the validation algorithm will be further defined and broadened by adding hydrological models sensitivity studies that will allow for assessing quantitative effect of the input parameters errors.

Further, the hydrological validation management will also include consolidation of the contributions to H-SAF documents.

2.8.2 WP-5200 (Impact Studies Programme)

This WP continues the impact studies undertaken during the Development Phase. During the Development Phase 21 test sites were utilised for impact studies. It is possible that further European Units will join during CDOP, bringing further test sites into the impact studies. It is also possible that H-SAF and EUMETSAT establish connections with African Units if certain H-SAF products are extended to cover part or all of Africa. All results will be recorder in REP-4 (H-SAF Hydrological Validation Report), and summary analyses will be provided for submission to the official Reviews.

The list of test sites, is shown in the next table, that also records the hydrological model being used for the impact studies. Bulgaria has been added (two test sites).

Country Test site Hydrological model

Belgium Demer-Scheldt

SCHEME (SCHEldt and MEuse model) Ourthe-Meuse

Bulgaria

Sofia valley SB-Neuro-3 model

Maritza river Mike-11/NAM (Nedbør-Afstrømmings Model) and Isba-Modcou model

Finland Kemijoki HBV (Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdelning model)

Germany Rhine HBV (Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdelning model)

Italy Tanaro DRiFt (Rainfall Runoff model Discharge River Forecast)

Arno MOBIDIC (MOdello di Bilancio Idrologico DIstribuito e Continuo)

Project Plan


Country Test site Hydrological model

Basento NASH (Named after the mathematician who expressed it)

Poland

Soła

MP/MIKE-11 (Modelling Platform of the IMWM) Skawa

Czarna

Slovakia

Myjava

Hron-NAM

(Hron and Nedbør-Afstrømmings Model)

Nitra

Kysuca

Hron

Topl’a

Turkey

Susurluk HEC-HMS

(Hydrologic Engineering Center’s Hydrologic Modeling System) Western Black Sea

Upper Euphrates SRM (Snowmelt Runoff Model)

Upper Karasu

Kırkgöze HBV (Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdelning model)

Table 7 Impact Studies Programme: list of countries, test sites and hydrological models

2.8.3 WP-5300 (Preparation of long-term follow-on)

WP-5000 only represents a “core” utilization programme essential to provide user feedback for long-term mission control (NRT feedback for mission control is provided by WP-6200). In order to promote large-scale H-SAF products utilisation for operational hydrology and water management, WP-5300 will conduct preparatory work such as identification of inter-SAF activities, preparation of proposals for, e.g., GMES, research of opportunities for cooperation, etc.; it being understood that preparation of further user activities will include the identification of additional financial resources. This task is performed by IMWM in cooperation with DPC as leader of WP’s 1220 (Relationships with new users) and 1230 (Linkage with GMES projects).

2.9 The Product Validation Programme (WP-6000)

2.9.1 Introduction

2.9.1.1 Structure of WP-6000 (Product validation programme) in CDOP

This new Cluster is introduced primarily to better structure the product validation activities by assigning responsibility to operational users. In addition, the capability of operational users to provide NRT feedback for mission monitoring, and their facilitated access to local observing network, will be exploited.

Project Plan


Figure 11 shows the WBS of WP-6000 up to WP’s of the 3rd level. It is noted that the participation to WP-6100 is based on the one operating during the Development Phase, whereas the participation to the new WP’s 6200 and 6300 is only preliminarily outlined, and is expected to grow during CDOP. In effect, augmenting and strengthening the new WP’s 6200 and 6300 is one objective of CDOP, in order to prepare for a consolidated asset to be fully functional for CDOP-2. The WP is coordinated by the Italian Dipartimento Protezione Civile (DPC), the only Civil protection unit present in the H-SAF Development Phase.

WP 6000Product validation programme

DPC

WP 6200Product monitoring and NRT feedback

DPC

WP 6100Product validation and value assessment

DPC

WP 6300Provision of ground data

DPC

WP 6103Product validation and v.a. in Belgium

IRM

WP 6105Product validation and v.a. in ECMWF

ECMWF

WP 6107Product validation and v.a. in France - 1

Météo-France

WP 6109Product validation and v.a. in Germany

BfG

WP 6111Product validation and v.a. in Italy - 1

DPC

WP 6113Product validation and v.a. in Poland

IMWM

WP 6114Product validation and v.a. in Slovakia

SHMU

WP 6115Product validation and v.a. in Turkey - 1

TSMS

WP 6102Product validation and v.a. in Austria

TU-Wien

WP 6104Product validation and v.a. in Bulgaria

NIMH

WP 6106Product validation and v.a. in Finland

FMI

WP 6108Product validation and v.a. in France - 2

LATMOS

WP 6110Product validation and v.a. in Hungary

OMSZ

WP 6112Product validation and v.a. in Italy - 2

UniFerrara


METU


ITU

WP 6202Product monit. and NRT f. in Austria

ZAMG

WP 6203Product monit. and NRT f. in Belgium

IRM

WP 6204Product monit. and NRT f. in Finland

FMI

WP 6205Product monit. and NRT f. in France

Météo-France

WP 6206Product monit. and NRT f. in Germany

BfG

WP 6207Product monit. and NRT f. in Hungary

OMSZ

WP 6208Product monit. and NRT f. in Italy

DPC

WP 6209Product monit. and NRT f. in Poland

IMWM

WP 6210Product monit. and NRT f. in Slovakia

SHMU

WP 6211Product monit. and NRT f. in Turkey

TSMS

WP 6302Provision of ground data from Belgium

IRM

WP 6303Provision of ground data from Finland

FMI

WP 6304Provision of ground data from France

Métée-France

WP 6305Provision of ground data from Germany

BfG

WP 6306Provision of ground data from Hungary

OMSZ

WP 6307Provision of ground data from Italy

DPC

WP 6308Provision of ground data from Poland

IMWM

WP 6309Provision of ground data from Slovakia

SHMU

WP 6310Provision of ground data from Turkey

TSMS

WP 6101Product valididation and value

assessment CoordinationDPC

WP 6201Product monitoring and NRT feedback

CoordinationDPC

WP 6301Provision of ground data Coordination

DPC

Figure 11 WBS of WP-6000 (Product validation programme)

Project Plan


Figure above shows the WBS of WP-6000 up to WP’s of the 3rd level. It is noted that the participation to WP-6100 is based on the one operating during the Development Phase, whereas the participation to the new WP’s 6200 and 6300 is only preliminarily outlined, and is expected to grow during CDOP. In effect, augmenting and strengthening the new WP’s 6100 and 6200 is one objective of CDOP, to prepare for a consolidated asset to be fully functional for CDOP-2. The WP is coordinated by the Italian Dipartimento Protezione Civile (DPC), the only Civil protection unit present in the H-SAF Development Phase.

The different WPs included in WP 6000 are coordinated by the person responsible of the product validation programme through continuous contacts via e-mail and the verification of work methodology. A common strategy has been defined and two technical meetings per year will allow exchange of experiences, problems resolution and evaluation of validation scores.

The WP 6000 is composed of experts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Institutes of Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey. Hydrologists, meteorologists and radar and rain gauge experts are involved in this activity.

During the development phase a common validation activity has been designed and applied by all the institutes involved. This common methodology is based on comparison with rain gauges and radar data. The error is calculated on multi categorical and continuous statistics evaluated on monthly bases. The precipitation classes were defined following the hydrologist experiences. Each Institute in addition to the common validation methodology has developed a specific validation methodology based on its own knowledge and experience.

During the CDOP a product reliability index will be introduced. This index will indicate in NRT the reliability of the precipitation estimation on the base of the analysis of the sensitive parameters of the product.

2.9.2 WP-6100 (Product Validation and Value Assessment)

The Units participating to the product validation activities are listed in the next table:

Country Institute Precipitation Soil moisture Snow parameters

Austria TU-Wien X

Belgium IRM X X X

Bulgaria NIMH X X X

ECMWF - X

Finland FMI X

France Météo-France X

Project Plan


Country Institute Precipitation Soil moisture Snow parameters

CNRS-LATMOS X

Germany BfG X X

Hungary OMSZ X

Italy DPC X X X

UniFerrara X

Poland IMWM X X

Romania NMA X

Slovakia SHMÚ X

Turkey

TSMS X

METU, AU X

ITU X

Table 8 List of countries participating to the Products validation programme

The WP will:

- Develop the product validation programme

- collect the results from the various groups (H-SAF Products Validation Report), and performs summary analyses to be submitted to the official project Reviews; Validation reports will be produced any time the management and the scientific groups (or developers) will decide that a new validation campaign is requested, or anytime that the validation group decides that there is a need for further studies. It is envisaged that validation reports are issued before the Project Reviews and collected in the appropriate documentation.

- provide the validation results documentation to WP’s 2300, 3300 and 4400 to support calibration and characterisation activities of products being developed or updated.

In addition to the validation (i.e. comparison between satellite measurements and ground truth), the WG will assess the actual value of H-SAF products in application additional to Hydrology, specifically management of emergencies from heavy precipitation, forest fires, treats to transport and communication, hazards in coastal areas, etceteras.

2.9.3 WP-6200 (Products Monitoring and NRT feedback)

The activity consists of:

- receiving the H-SAF products in NRT, generally via EUMETCast, for operational use [Note: acquisition of products from other SAF’s, of interest for Hydrology and Civil protection, might be considered];

- recording operational features such as actual arrival, timeliness, intelligibility;

Project Plan


- providing end-user’s quality assessment;

- filling a bulletin and sending to CNMCA to contribute to operations monitoring (WP 1210); any template has been defined up to now for the specific bulletin. It will contain the main features of the product and preliminary quality assessment based upon the contribution given by the H-SAF product to the characterization of the situation under evaluation. The bulletin will act as a continuous monitoring of the operational effectiveness of the different operational chains and will inform almost in real time of the possible failures in the transmission of data.

The participation to WP-6200 will be evolutionary during CDOP. Table below shows the current envisaged participation in WP’s 6200 and 6300 and it is noted that, for each Country, the specific products to be monitored and the content of data provision will rely on pre-operational and (when available) on operational products, and may be initially of rather limited size, possible to grow in the course of CDOP.

Country Institute WP-6200 WP-6300

Austria ZAMG X

Belgium IRM X X

Finland FMI X X

France Météo-France X X

Germany BfG X X

Hungary OMSZ X X

Italy DPC X X

Poland IMWM X X

Slovakia SHMÚ X X

Turkey TSMS X X

Table 9 List of participants to WP-6200 and/or WP-6300

2.9.4 WP-6300 (Provision of Ground Data)

The most valuable ground observations to support H-SAF products generation or quality control are:

- rain gauge readings at frequent intervals (i.e. as close as possible to instantaneous measurement);

- meteorological radar;

- soil moisture profile from specially equipped sites;

- snow depth from specially equipped snow fields or courses.

Project Plan


The easiest way to implement this WP is to start with the datasets available to the units participating to the Product validation activity (WP-6100). Other units may join in future, e.g. Civil protection services connected to the Italian DPC.

3 Science Plan

3.1 H-SAF Products assessment

3.1.1 Products Status Table

The following table shows the list of the products and the expected evolution of their status, from the Initial Status (at the end of the Development Phase, entering CDOP) to the Final Status (at the end of the CDOP).

Product statuses here exposed are compliant with the Product Status Categories as defined by EUMETSAT in document [RD 5] taking into account the following notes:

(*) Status could be upgraded to “Operational”, conditioned to the outcome of the ORR-1

Acronym Identifier Product name Initial status Expected final status

PR-OBS-1 H-01 Precipitation rate at ground by MW conical scanners (with indication of phase)

In development Pre-operational (*)

PR-OBS-2 H-02 Precipitation rate at ground by MW cross-track scanners (with indication of phase)


PR-OBS-3 H-03 Precipitation rate at ground by GEO/IR supported by LEO/MW

Pre-operational Operational

PR-OBS-4 H-04 Precipitation rate at ground by LEO/MW supported by GEO/IR (with flag for phase)

In development Pre-operational

PR-OBS-5 H-05 Accumulated precipitation at ground by blended MW and IR

In-development Pre-operational (*)

PR-ASS-1 H-06

Instantaneous and accumulated precipitation at ground computed by a NWP model

Operational Operational

SM-OBS-2 H-08 Small-scale surface soil moisture by radar scatterometer

Pre-operational Operational

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Acronym Identifier Product name Initial status Expected final status

SN-OBS-1 H-10 Snow detection (snow mask) by VIS/IR radiometry


SN-OBS-2 H-11 Snow status (dry/wet) by MW radiometry


SN-OBS-3 H-12 Effective snow cover by VIS/IR radiometry


SN-OBS-4 H-13 Snow water equivalent by MW radiometry


SM-ASS-2 H-14 Soil Wetness Index in the roots region by scatterometer assimilation in NWP model

In development Demonstrational

PR-OBS-6 H-15 Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation

In development Demonstrational

SM-OBS-3 H-16 Large-scale surface soil moisture by radar scatterometer

In development In development

Table 10 Expected evolution of the Products Status during CDOP

The status of the various products at the end of the Development Phase is uneven in terms of consolidation of algorithms and methods, and particularly in terms of validation and characterisation.

During CDOP the transition from “Pre-operational” to “Operational” and from “In development” to “(Pre-)operational” will be gradual, as long as sufficient validation becomes available. Related milestones and processes (reviews) will be organised with the EUMETSAT Secretariat depending on the progress.

It is noted that the development of three new products is envisaged in the framework of CDOP: SM-ASS-2 (Soil Wetness Index in the roots region by scatterometer assimilation in NWP model), and PR-OBS-6 (Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation). Product SM-OBS-3 is formally a new product and its status is “in development” at the beginning of CDOP. Besides, in the framework of H-SAF CDOP it is involved in both validation and continuous development, by means of H-SAF effort and resources.

Product SM-ASS-1, as well, comes out from development phase as being operated by ECMWF and being part of ECMWF catalogue; so it has been removed from H-SAF product list.

Furthermore, an independent hydrological validation programme is assessing the impact of these products on hydrological applications. In this section we go through the various

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products and hydro/validation aiming at highlighting their status at the end of the Development Phase and the perspective evolution. The status of the service activities (data dissemination, archive, etc) also is reviewed.

3.1.2 Algorithm and Validation Fora

With the aim of discussing on the algorithms, their maturity, their potential evolution, and their associated validation, an Algorithm and Validation Forum for each production cluster shall be established. They will involve H-SAF, EUMETSAT and external scientists and will treat separately precipitation, snow and soil moisture themes.

In order to optimise related venue and costs, they will be eventually collocated within EUMETSAT 2011 international conference.

3.1.3 Satellite data sources

The following table shows the satellite data sources in terms of satellites, instruments and relevant products:

Satellite Instruments Relevant Products (identifiers)

Metop MHS H-02, H-04

Metop ASCAT H-08, H-09

Metop AVHRR H-12

MSG Meteosat-9 SEVIRI H-03, H-04, H-05, H-10

DMSP SSMI/SSMIS H-01

EOS-Aqua AMSR-E H-11, H-13

NOAA 15, NOAA 16 AMSU-A/B H-02, H-04

NOAA 18, NOAA 19 MHS H-02, H-04

NOAA AVHRR H-12

Table 11 Satellite data sources

3.1.4 Precipitation products

3.1.4.1 Precipitation products description

In the Development Phase six precipitation products have been developed:

- two precipitation rate measurements derived from MW (PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2);

- two precipitation rate observations by blending GEO IR images and MW-derived precipitation measurements (PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4);

- two accumulated precipitation products, one (PR-OBS-5) from observations, one from a NWP model (PR-ASS-1).

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At the end of the Development Phase, the status of precipitation products is going to be “Pre-operational” for PR-OBS-1, PR-OBS-2, PR-OBS-3, PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1; the status is going to be “in development” for PR-OBS-4.

A new product, PR-OBS-6 (Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation) is entering CDOP in “in development” status.

3.1.4.1.1 MW-derived precipitation products

During CDOP, precipitation rate from conical scanning instruments will be derived from SSMIS radiometers onboard DMSP satellites. Nevertheless, PR-OBS-1 will take advantage of SSM/I (on DMSP-15) and AMSR-E (on EOS-Aqua) measurements if and until available. Quite analogously, precipitation rate from cross-track scanning instruments will be derived from AMSU-A and MHS radiometers onboard NOAA and Metop operational satellites. Nevertheless, PR-OBS-2 will keep exploiting AMSU-A/B (on NOAA-15 & -16) measurements until available. Noteworthy, both the SSMIS radiometers and the AMSU-A/MHS radiometer couples operate at similar frequencies in the atmospheric windows and in the oxygen / water vapour absorption bands. This will help harmonizing the two different MW products – which is especially important when they are used as an input to PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4.

By considering only four satellites in sufficiently distinct orbital planes (actually there are more satellites, in orbits often too close each other) their comprehensive coverage, serves all Europe each 3 hours (average).

Figure 12 Coverage from two (left) or three (right) consecutive orbits of four satellites

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The products from conical scanners (PR-OBS-1) and cross-track scanners (PR-OBS-2) have slightly different performances. For end user requirements refer to the Product Requirement Table (Appendix 3) and to the Product Requirement Document [AD 21].

It is noted that end-user requirements are currently fulfilled for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP.

Next two figures show, respectively, examples of PR-OBS-1 product (satellite is DMSP-F15, day 4 November 2008, pass 6:19 - 6:25 UTC (southbound)) and examples PR-OBS-2 product; satellite is NOAA-16, day 28 October 2008, pass 16:03 – 16:06 UTC (northbound).

Figure 13 Example of precipitation map from SSM/I - Left: retrieved precipitation; right: brightness temperature in channel

85.5 GHz, V polarisation

Figure 14 Example of precipitation map from AMSU - Left: retrieved precipitation; right: brightness temperature in channel

89 GHz of AMSU-B, V polarisation

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3.1.4.1.2 Blended GEO/IR - LEO/MW precipitation products

It has been shown that MW instruments in LEO may provide precipitation measurements each 3 hours in average. With four satellites, time gaps may reach up to 5-hour duration. Sub-hourly observing cycles may only be achieved by GEO but, unfortunately, MW imagery from GEO will not be available in a foreseeable future. The relationship between optical measurements and precipitation is too loose, thus GEO imagery must be processed contextually with MW-derived precipitation data from LEO. In H-SAF two products have been developed: PR-OBS-3, based on frequent GEO imagery from SEVIRI “calibrated” by means of accurate LEO/MW measurements (“Rapid-update”), and PR-OBS-4, based on accurate LEO/MW measurements made frequent by interpolation exploiting the dynamical information stemming from SEVIRI (“Morphing”).

The products by Rapid-Update and Morphing have considerably different performances. For end user requirements refer to the Product Requirement Table (Appendix 3) and to the Product Requirement Document [AD 21].

It is noted that accuracy is favourable for Morphing, that performs retrieval always from MW (though interpolated) instead of relying on the disputable relationship between IR temperature and precipitation, to the extent that PR-OBS-3 is not applicable to light precipitation.

However, Morphing has unfavourable timeliness, due to the need to wait for a new MW determination before processing. As for PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4, it is noted that end-user requirements are currently fulfilled for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP.

Next two figures show, respectively, examples of PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4 products.

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Figure 15 Example of map of precipitation rate from SEVIRI + PR-OBS-1 + PR-OBS-2

PMW at 1000 UTC

Morph. at 1030 UTC

Morph. at 1100 UTC

Morph. at 1100 UTC

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Morph. at 1200 UTC

mm/h PMW at 1215 UTC

Figure 16 Morphing of passive microwave (PMW) rain products during a severe storm over Italy on 12 June 2007.

In Figure 16 morphing results, mapped on 8 km grid, are updated at 30-min intervals. Retrieved rain rates at 10:00 UTC (from AMSU-B) are “morphed” up to new PMW orbit at 12:15 UTC (from SSM/I).

3.1.4.1.3 Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation (new product

PR-OBS-6)

Direct end users of H-SAF need specific information about intense weather condition, in the last years the Italian civil protection asked more detail about the severe rainfalls. Therefore to meet the requirements of users to support the final decision during the time of crises, it has been decided to address the attention to extreme phenomena.

During the DP a new algorithm was developed within the VS project aimed at combining AMSU precipitation products with SEVIRI products in order to derive information on convective precipitation at spatial resolution useful for the hydrological models and Quality Precipitation Forecast (QPF). In spite of the pioneering stage of the algorithm, validation results obtained from radar and rain-gauge products indicated that considerable benefits could be achieved by an operational and refined implementation of the studied technique.

3.1.4.1.4 Accumulated precipitation products

Accumulated precipitation (PR-OBS-5) is computed by time-integration of products PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4.

Due to the strong bias of PR-OBS-3 towards convective precipitation, forcing to ground data (rain gauge networks) and output of the operational NWP model is performed. In addition, accumulated precipitation is generated by the COSMO-ME operational NWP model in use at CNMCA (PR-ASS-1). Both PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1 perform integration over 3, 6, 12 and 24 h, and the product is disseminated every 3 h, at synoptic times. However, PR-ASS-1 data are derived from computer runs starting at 12-h intervals, and include instantaneous precipitation as the limit for integration time zero.

The products PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1 have considerably different performances. For end user requirements refer to the Product Requirement Table (Appendix 3) and to the Product Requirement Document [AD 21].

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As for PR-OBS-1, PR-OBS-2, PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4, it is noted that end-user requirements are currently fulfilled for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP.

Figure 17 and Figure 18 show examples of PR-OBS-5 and PR-ASS-1 products, respectively.

Meteosat-9, channel 10.8 µm, day 14 Dec 2008, time 00 UTC.




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24-h accumulated precipitation, day 14 Dec 2008.

Figure 17 6-hourly products PR-OBS-3 by blending SEVIRI IR images with MW-derived precipitation (from SSM/I-SSMIS

and AMSU), at 00, 06, 12, 18 and 24 UTC; and map of accumulated precipitation over the 24 hours

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Figure 18 Upper panel: instantaneous precipitation from COSMO-ME for 5 Feb 2008, 00 UTC. Bottom panel: accumulated

precipitation in the preceding 24 h. Forecast run initialised at 00 UTC of 4 Feb 2008

3.1.4.2 Improvements of precipitation products during CDOP

3.1.4.2.1 Improvements of product PR-OBS-1

The product will be upgraded by:

- Further development and expansion of the Cloud-Radiation Database (CRD) that is used by the Bayesian retrieval algorithm;

- Consequent categorization of the CRD so as to speed up the retrieval procedures;

- Use of further constraints in the retrieval [the so-called Cloud Dynamics and Radiation Database (CDRD) approach] so as to reduce the retrieval uncertainties;

- Improvement of the screening procedures over particularly unfavourable backgrounds (e.g., snow cover, coastlines, etc.);

- Preventive classification of clouds obtained within PR-OBS-3 – e.g., by fully exploiting the SEVIRI channels that are sensitive to cloud microphysical properties at the cloud top in conjunction with the scattering index that is derived from the water vapour channels at 183-GHz of AMSU-B, MHS and SSMIS.

It is expected that all these activities will improve the retrievals, speed them up and reduce errors and uncertainties.


The product will be upgraded by:

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- Improvement of the screening procedures over particularly unfavourable backgrounds (e.g., snow cover, coastlines, etc.);

- Generation of a new version of the neural network algorithm, that will be trained by the same simulations and approach used for building the CRD of PR-OBS-1 – this is important because these simulations are more representative of the precipitation regimes over the European region w.r.t those that have been used so far for PR-OBS-2, and because of the need to harmonize the precipitation products by cross-track and conical MW scanners.

In this regard, it is worth noting here that a particular effort will be devoted to the blending of the PR-OBS-1 & PR-OBS-2 products so as to provide the users with a single product and harmonize the input MW data to be entered into PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4.


The product will be updated along with the changes of MW-derived precipitation products.

Foreseen improvements include discrimination of convective and non-convective precipitation.

The possibility of importing features from the “morphing” technique (PR-OBS-4) to better exploit sequences of MW precipitation measurements will be explored.

Data quality will improve by enhancing techniques for preventive cloud classification.


The product will be updated along with the changes of MW-derived precipitation products (PR-OBS-1 and PR-OBS-2).

As for this product a transition is planned from “in development” to “pre-operational” status during CDOP, the development activity is considered no cost since it has been already planned and quoted for the Development Phase.

Further development work is also necessary to optimise the operational chain so that the product, originally designed for climatic usage, complies with near-real-time operational requirements.


PR-OBS-5 is a priority product for operational hydrology, therefore maximum focus has to be placed to improve its quality.

The product will improve as long as the input MW-derived precipitation products will have better quality.

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Substantial product quality improvements will rely on augmenting the amount of external ancillary information necessary to reduce biases, as well as improving the methods for data fusion.

3.1.4.2.6 Development of product PR-OBS-6 (new product)

As far as the Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation product is concerned, which as previously stated is a new product in development, its algorithm will be improved during CDOP with respect to:

- three different classes of convective cells recognized from windows and absorption channels of SEVIRI ;

- the tuning of background value on H-SAF area;

- the presence of lightning discharge.

The frequency time of product is the same of NOAA and METOP passages. In the CDOP will be exploit the impact of new product in the OBS3 and the impact of lightning discharge network.

The results will be a good guide line to manage the LI data with short delay respect the end of commissioning phase of MTG and a strong impact of MTG-FCI should be expected.

3.1.4.2.7 Improvements of product PR-ASS-1

In the course of CDOP the COSMO-ME coverage will be gradually extended to the total H-SAF area, possibly segmented in more sub-areas

The grid mesh, currently 7 km, will be gradually reduced on the base of cost/benefit assessment.

Also the run cycle, currently 12 hours, will be gradually reduced according to plans.

The computed accumulated precipitation will be utilised to derive soil moisture in the roots region (similar to product SM-ASS-1, but at smaller scale and shorter timeliness) and snow water equivalent (similar to product SN-OBS-4, but more regular coverage in both spatial and timeliness terms).

Whilst PR-ASS-1 is currently used as a stand-alone product, during CDOP emphasis will be placed on enhancing its usage in support of other H-SAF products, e.g. to provide first-guess fields.

3.1.5 Soil moisture products

3.1.5.1 Soil moisture products description

In the Development Phase three soil moisture products have been developed:

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- small-scale surface soil moisture resulting from disaggregation of the EUMETSAT CAF global soil moisture from ASCAT (SM-OBS-2);

- large-scale surface soil moisture derived from ASCAT for the H-SAF area (SM-OBS-1);

- volumetric soil moisture (SM-ASS-1) for the H-SAF area.

The development of two new product is envisaged in the framework of CDOP:

- Soil Wetness Index in the root zone resulting from assimilation of CAF global ASCAT-Soil Moisture product in a NWP model (SM-ASS-2).

- Global large-scale surface soil moisture derived from ASCAT for the H-SAF area (SM-OBS-3) as the successor of the EUMETSAT CAF global soil moisture product;

SM-ASS-1 is now Operational within the ECMWF operational service and it is not considered as a H-SAF operational product anymore (removed from the H-SAF CDOP product list).

At the end of the Development Phase, and, consequently, at the beginning of CDOP the status of SM-OBS-2 is going to be “Operational” and “Pre-operational”; the status of SM-OBS-3 and SM-ASS-2 is “in-development”.

The basis for all soil moisture products in H-SAF is the ASCAT radar scatterometer on Metop. Figure 19 shows the ASCAT coverage in 24 hours, implemented by two parallel

swaths of ∼ 550 km each on left and right sides with a gap of ∼ 700 km along the sub-

satellite track. The net result is an observing cycle of ∼ 36 h global, ∼ 30 h over Europe.

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Figure 19 Coverage from ASCAT in 24 hours. The figure also shows ESA global surface soil moisture retrievals on certain

continental areas. Day 10 January 2008

3.1.5.1.1 Surface soil moisture

A large-scale global surface soil moisture product, with resolution 25 km, is currently generated by EUMETSAT CAF and openly distributed by EUMETCast. Using this CAF product as input, a small-scale product (SM-OBS-2) is generated at ZAMG by downscaling the European sector. This is performed by using a database of disaggregation parameters built by a series of high-resolution measurements from the Envisat ASAR instrument, that makes use of similar frequency (C-band). The large-scale and small-scale products have similar performances except for the horizontal sampling. As previously stated, the CAF Global ASCAT SM product will be superseded by the new H-SAF SM-OBS-3 product when become operational in CDOP-2.

For end user requirements refer to the Product Requirement Table (Appendix 3) and to the Product Requirement Document [AD 21].

It is noted that end-user requirements recorded in Errore. L'origine riferimento non è stata

trovata. are currently fulfilled for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP. Figure 20 and Figure 21 show examples of SM-OBS-3, SM-OBS-2, respectively.

Note, in Figure 20, the two side swaths (550 km each) and the 700 km gap in between.

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Figure 20 Example of large-scale surface soil moisture from ASCAT. Metop-A, 8 July 2008, 18:30-18:40 UTC

Figure 21 Example of small-scale surface soil moisture (SM-OBS-2) obtained by disaggregation of global product. Metop-

A, 5 June 2007, 17:51 UTC. Area of approx.880 x 650 km2 over central Europe

3.1.5.1.2 Root Zone Soil Wetness Index (new product SM-ASS-2)

The Global surface soil moisture distributed by EUMETSAT via EUMETCast is used at ECMWF for assimilation in its NWP model. As a result, the Soil Wetness Index profile in the roots regions (to a depth of 3 m) is generated (global product). and distributed by ZAMG.

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It is noted that end-user requirements recorded in Table 14 are currently fulfilled for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP. Figure 22 shows an example of the SM-ASS-2 products; In this figure both SWI and volumetric soil moisture are for the 1st February 2009 at 00 UTC for three layers (a) 0-7 cm, (b) 7-28 cm, (c) 28-100 cm. Volumetric values are normalised between 0 (dry soil) and 1 (saturated soil) according to the ECMWF IFS soil texture map.

Figure 22 Left: example of H-SAF CDOP SWI maps. Right: volumetric soil moisture from the H-SAF development phase.

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3.1.5.2 Improvements of soil moisture products during CDOP

3.1.5.2.1 Improvements of EUMETSAT CAF global ASCAT SM product (to become

operational as H-SAF SM-OBS-3 in CDOP-2)

ASCAT will continue to be available through the whole CDOP (successor satellites planned until 2020). H-SAF activities for this product include the further development (e.g. updating of model parameters) and its validation over Europe. It is planned to have these improvements implemented as the new H-SAF product SM-OBS-3, which will supersede the current EUMETSAT CAF product in CDOP-2.

3.1.5.2.2 Improvements of product SM-OBS-2

Maintenance and augmentation of the database for the disaggregation process is required. From about 2011 onwards it will be possible to use Sentinel-1 SAR data instead of the ENVISAT ASAR data for generating the downscaling parameter database. Due to the high temporal sampling rate of Sentinel-1 and its much improved radiometric resolution, the quality of the soil moisture scaling parameters is expected to improve significantly.

Extensive validation is required to better characterise and possibly improve the product.

3.1.5.2.3 Improvements of product SM-ASS-2 (new product)

The SM-ASS-2 product will be generated specifically for H-SAF and will only be available as an H-SAF product. It will not be an operational ECMWF product. To make the best possible SM-ASS-2 product it is produced during the operational data assimilation process by the Integrated Forecast System (IFS). The ECMWF multi-variate data assimilation system is able to combine information from the ASCAT surface soil moisture data with other observations (e.g. SYNOP screen level parameters, SMOS brightness temperatures, and others). Beside the technical development to ensure a consistent use of different types of data in the surface analysis, the combined use of several types of data within the IFS will require proper evaluation of the system performance and forecasts scores.

The ECMWF surface analysis system assimilation will be extended to H-SAF snow products in order to improve the quality of the soil moisture produced by the IFS. Similarly, subject to approval of the VS request, co-assimilation of cloud/precipitation-affected SSMIS data over land and ASCAT soil moisture will be investigated.

3.1.6 Snow products

3.1.6.1 Snow products description

In the Development Phase four precipitation products have been developed:

- snow detection intended as yes or not (SN-OBS-1);

- snow status intended as wet or dry (SN-OBS-2);

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- snow fractional cover (SN-OBS-3);

- snow water equivalent (SN-OBS-4).

SN-OBS-1 and SN-OBS-3 are processed from optical instruments, mostly using short-wave channel of SEVIRI and AVHRR, respectively. SN-OBS-2 and SN-OBS-4 are processed from MW radiometers, essentially the EOS-Aqua AMSR-E (SSM/I- SSMIS could be used in emergency).

At the end of the Development Phase, the status of the product is going to be “Pre-operational” for SN-OBS-1 and SN-OBS-2, while it is going to be “in development” for SN-OBS-3 and SN-OBS-4.

SEVIRI is all-time observing. Figure 23 shows the 3-hourly coverage from AVHRR on three satellites (Metop and two NOAA) and the daily coverage from AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua.

Two orbits each of Metop (red), NOAA-16 (green) and NOAA-18 (blue).

The European coverage in daylight is achieved ∼ 4 times/day.

EOS-Aqua orbits in 24 hours, providing full and all-weather

daily coverage from AMSR-E over Europe.

Figure 23 Coverage from AVHRR (left) and AMSR-E (right) for the purpose of snow products. SEVIRI all-time present

3.1.6.1.1 Products from optical instruments

Snow detection (SN-OBS-1) and Snow fractional cover (SN-OBS-3) are mostly derived from short-wave channels, with marginal support from TIR. Resolutions as close as

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possible to the pixel, or a very small pixel array, are required. The instantaneous observations are affected by cloudiness, but the persistence of snow enables searching for cloud-free pixels in image sequences (over 24 hours).


It is noted that end-user requirements recorded in Table 15 are currently fulfilled (sometimes at threshold level) for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP. Because of the dependence of accuracy from orography, different generation chains are applied, one in FMI for flat and forested areas, one in TSMS for mountainous areas. The two versions are thereafter merged at FMI.

Next figures show examples of merged SN-OBS-1 (Time-composite map from all observations in 24 hours from Meteosat-9, 3 April 2009) and SN-OBS-3 (Time-composite map from all observations in 24 hours from Metop and NOAA, 3 April 2009), respectively

Figure 24 Example of Snow mask from SEVIRI, blended from the FMI product in flat/forested areas, TSMS in mountains

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Figure 25 Example of Snow fractional cover from AVHRRI, blended from the FMI product in flat/forested areas, TSMS in

mountains

It is noted that, in spite of the 24-hour time composition, clouds (or, more correctly, uncertainty in the cloud removal process) still strongly affect the products coverage. For fractional cover, largest areas are recoded as “no data” because the algorithm makes use of a database of forest transmissivity coefficients, missing over large areas of central-western and southern Europe. See more under WP-4300.

3.1.6.2 Synergy with LSA SAF and way forward

During CDOP the product generation will be kept as it is by both H-SAF and LSA SAF and the performances over mountain areas of the two algorithms/products could be evaluated by product developers (LSA SAF and H-SAF).

Conditioned to validation results, the algorithms developed for mountainous areas will be further improved.

Besides product validation studies, depending on the ground observations where the spatial and temporal distribution of them are limited, both snow products (H-SAF and LSA SAF) will be subject to hydrological impact studies in the mountainous areas. Regarding to snow cover product, the results of that study will be used to find the solution to make the two generation chains converge into one.

Considering the aim of H-SAF, the snow recognition product in the hydrological impact studies will remain in the framework of H-SAF.

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Developer teams from LSA SAF and H-SAF are targeted to join together under a new work-package in CDOP2 for a unique generation chain.

3.1.6.3 Comparison with Land-SAF Snow Detection product: differences and

added benefits

The Snow Detection product of Land-SAF is not defined work on mountainous regions. The added benefit from H-SAF to snow recognition is the specialised mountain-tuned algorithm, which is validated on mountainous areas and takes slope and aspect into account. Also, before taken into use in H-SAF the Land-SAF product has been routinely validated only against other snow products (namely the global NOAA/NESDIS IMS product) and output of NWP model outputs/analysis. In Land-SAF the use of data from synoptic weather stations on validation were found problematic due to missing year-round information of snow depths for the whole area. Large areas with missing validation data would lead to biased results in the accuracy. In H-SAF the validation is done independently on several different areas, thus the access to local data is better.>

3.1.6.4 Derivation of snow products over mountainous regions

The derivation of snow products over mountainous regions have been considered very challenging not because of inaccessibility and scarcity of the ground observations, the topographical variations within the footprint of satellite sensors and spatial and temporal variation of snow characteristics in the mountainous areas make the problem more difficult. Most of the global and regional operational snow products use generic algorithms for flat and mountainous areas. However the non-uniformity of the snow characteristics can only be modelled with different algorithms for mountain and flat areas. At the H-SAF 1st Workshop in Rome, the keynote speaker Dr. Dorothy Hall from NASA also stated the necessity of different algorithms for flat and mountainous areas. The algorithms developed for snow products in H-SAF (snow recognition, snow cover, SWE) developed for mountainous areas handle the topographic variations and snow characteristics particularly for the mountainous areas. The validation studies are still continuing and the improvement /tuning of the algorithms will be performed depending on the validation results. Within the validation activities the snow products for mountainous areas will be validated with the available ground observations and with other snow products derived from satellite images having better spatial resolution.

3.1.6.4.1 Products from MW instrument

Snow status (SN-OBS-2) and Snow water equivalent (SN-OBS-4) are derived from AMSR-E, thus with coarse resolution (but all-weather, thus with a single satellite full daily coverage of Europe is achieved).


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It is noted that end-user requirements recorded in Errore. L'origine riferimento non è

stata trovata. are currently fulfilled (sometimes at threshold level) for resolution, observing cycle and timeliness, whereas the accuracy is still subject of assessment, and so it will remain through CDOP. Figure 26 and Figure 27 show examples of SN-OBS-2 (only processed at FMI) and SN-OBS-4 (processed at FMI and TSMS and then blended at FMI). Time-composite map from all observations in 24 hours from EOS-Aqua, 1 March 2009

Figure 26 Example of maps of Snow status from AMSR-E on 3 March (left) and 3 April (right) 2009

Figure 27 Example of Snow water equivalent map from AMSR-E, blended from the FMI product in flat/forested areas, TSMS

in mountains

3.1.6.5 Comparison with Globsnow NRT product: differences and synergies

SN-OBS-4 employs the same satellite data inversion/assimilation approach as the ESA GlobSnow product. Thus, SN-OBS-4 benefits from the extensive development efforts of

Project Plan


GlobSnow. In practice, new developments achieved in the ESA project can be incorporated into the H-SAF product, in order to make it more robust. The secondary goal of ESA Globsnow is to demonstrate the NRT mapping of snow water equivalence (SWE) and snow detection mapping in a global scale. However, the main focus of the Globsnow is to produce long time series of SWE and Snow Cover (SC) for climate research. The possibilities for NRT delivery are only demonstrated, but not operationally implemented (actually, these demonstration activities in GlobSnow benefit from the work carried out in H-SAF).

As the scope of GlobSnow is the production of global FCDR/ECV time-series for climate research, the grid cell size for SWE product will be 25 km (spatial resolution of the product is ~40 km) and 1 km for SC, respectively. Further on, the SWE product does not cover mountainous areas. Therefore, the focus of GlobSnow is totally different from that of SN-OBS-4. In case of SN-OBS-4, the focus is in the operational NRT delivery of high resolution SWE map over Europe. Additionally, SN-OBS- 4 is aiming to produce SWE estimates for mountainous areas.

The target for the CDOP phase is:

- To use the enhancements obtained through GlobSnow project and run the updated algorithm operationally covering the H-SAF area of interest (Europe).

- To focus the research activities primarily to the enhancement of the spatial resolution by developing the assimilation procedure (also to consider supplementary data). The aim is to obtain values as good as 15 or even 10 km. Note that a prototype algorithm is currently run in Finland for 5 km grid cell size. In case of Finland, the resolution enhancement is obtained through the dense network of in situ measurements.

- To secondarily focus the research activities to the consideration of varying land cover types (including lakes) within the radiometer resolution footprint, in order to improve the algorithm (both in terms of accuracy and spatial resolution). Note that these important algorithm development aspects are not considered at all within the GlobSnow.

- The capability of microwave radiometry to map SWE in mountainous areas was strongly questioned by Prof. Rott (Austria) in the GlobSnow user consultation, January 2010. This is well known fact for alpine mountains with high topographical variation in a small horizontal scale. Therefore, the efforts in mountainous areas should focus to analyze the effect of topography to the total emission for different European mountain regions. Through this research effort, better understanding of the limitations and capabilities of microwave radiometry in mountain regions will be obtained.

Project Plan


Although SN-OBS-4 employs the same satellite data inversion/assimilation approach as the ESA GlobSnow product, the aims of these products are different. The scope of GlobSnow is the production of global SWE product time-series for climate research not needed to have on near-real time. The scope of H-SAF is the production of regional SWE product on near-real time for hydrological impact studies like for flood forecasting, runoff model simulations, etc.

It is important to note, moreover, that GlobeSnow product does not cover mountainous areas.

Although the semi-empirical snow emission model interpreting the passive microwave observations through model inversion to the corresponding SWE estimates for flat/forest areas and mountainous areas are similar, the extinction coefficient for different snow types (maritime, alpine, etc) is adopted in the algorithm for mountainous areas(FMI Technical Note, 2009). Therefore the topographic effects are also included within the semi-empirical model approach by considering the snow characteristics.

The algorithm developed for mountainous areas do not use any ancillary data like ground observations, but the algorithm developed for flat/forest areas need the ground observations and use the distributed snow depth with krieging approach in the assimilation approach.

The validation studies are still continuing and the improvement /tuning of the algorithms will be performed depending on the validation results.

3.1.6.6 Improvements of snow products during CDOP

3.1.6.6.1 Improvements of product SN-OBS-1

SEVIRI will continue to be the basis through the whole CDOP, but in the last stages preparation of the MTG FCI exploitation will start.

Data quality will improve by enhancing techniques for cloud screening (great improvement expected from MTG FCI).


Currently, use is made of the EOS-Aqua AMSR-E that, in the course of CDOP, will be replaced by the GCOM-W AMSR-2 and ultimately by the NPOESS MIS.

Improvement of product quality by applying scatterometer data as supplementary information will be investigated (from Metop ASCAT and/or QuikSCAT SeaWinds).

Operation updates will be dominated by the need to acquire data from new satellites and integrate software updates.

Project Plan


Possible service discontinuity in the sequence AMSR-E → AMSR-2 → MIS will be covered by DMSP/SSMIS.


Currently, use is made of the NOAA and Metop AVHRR that, in the course of CDOP, will be flanked by VIIRS on NPP and then NPOESS.

Forest transmissivity information will be developed for all European countries.


Product quality will sharply improve with VIIRS (better resolution and more channels).



Snow Water Equivalent is the most important snow parameter for hydrology and water management. Development will continue through the whole CDOP.

Currently, use is made of the EOS-Aqua AMSR-E that, in the course of CDOP, will be replaced by the GCOM-W AMSR-2 and ultimately by the NPOESS.

Use of scatterometer data as supplementary information will be investigated (from Metop ASCAT and/or QuikSCAT SeaWinds).


Possible service discontinuity in the sequence AMSR-E → AMSR-2 → MIS will be covered by DMSP/SSMIS.


3.2 Validation activities

Validation activities are moved to Continuous Operations and development considering the relevance that such services have towards end users of the products. End users requirements have been better focused during the development phase and it has been established that there are two main requirements according to the specific use of the products:

Project Plan


- the direct use by human operators monitoring in real time the Hydrological situation for taking decision as regard Operations by Civil protection Agencies and by various institutes which have in charge the real time Hydrological monitoring of the environment (power plants, basin authorities, etc..)

- the direct use by Hydrological numerical models to provide run off information for near real time monitoring and off line studies.

In order to accomplish such requirements, dedicated clusters were designed by adding to the Hydro validation Cluster (WP5000) the WP6000, tasked to elaborate the direct end user validation service.

It will be considered to open the H-SAF validation framework to other internatonal programmes where achievable and appropriate.

These activities will produce bulletins as internal documents. Bulletins will flow through proper WPs, which will process them like as atomized pieces of information for setting up the deliverable documents:

- Product Validation Reports;

- Hydrological Validation Reports;

- Operations Reports.

The Visiting Scientist Reports will be make available in addition to that documentation as well.

Above documentation is related to the product status as follow:

- Prototype product, the Product and Hydrological Validation Reports assess the products quality against the Product Requirement Document according to statistic along the minimum acceptable period (6 months). These documents are presented at ORR to demonstrate the maturity of the prototype product and then its readiness to Operations.

- Pre-operational product, the VR and HVR include also validation against Service Specifications as the pre-operational product is run with operational continuity and it is distributed among selected users. These documents are presented at the Operation Reviews.

- Operational Products, for these product it will be delivered the Operations Reports in additions to HRV and VR describing their operational performances with analysis of failures.

The specific services provided by the two validation clusters (WP5000 and WP6000) will be then the off line service and on line service .

The on line service will be constituted of statistical validation and characterization of the products.

Project Plan


The off line service will be constituted of on line characterization processing which will generate in real time the following information:

- QI, Quality index derived from the completeness and quality of the imput data used for the product generation. As example of quality, in products which make use of time and space integration of intermediate products quality is related to the distance in space and time.

- CI, Confidence Index derived from the combination of statistical error parameter computed off line for long products series and the one compute for the current product. That index is new. It was introduced into CDOP to support the real time use of precipitation products by human operators which needs to take decision relaying on these product.

3.2.1 Hydrovalidation activities

The experiments carried out during the Development Phase have used H-SAF products in the hydrological models as they are. Only downscaling-upscaling and area integration procedures have been applied. Adaptation of hydrological models to better exploit satellite data will be worth only when H-SAF products are guaranteed for long-term continuity, with CDOP.

During CDOP, series of impact studies on a number of test site (21, spread in 8 H-SAF countries) will be carried out. The studies intend to assess the benefit of using the various H-SAF products in hydrological applications.

Although participated by 8 countries for a total of 21 test sites, the Hydrological validation programme leaves many uncovered areas in Europe. Extension is desirable, especially in Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain, Scandinavia and the Balkans.

Different hydrological models will be used, for hydrological basins with dimensions ranging from very small to very large, and geo-morphological situations ranging from flat land to mountainous, associated to several types of hydrological regimes.

The activity includes E&T events and re-training by distant-learning tools.

Wide utilisation of H-SAF products for hydrological purposes requires development of a long-term vision that includes consideration of sustainability aspects.

3.2.2 Product validation activities

The algorithms for the statistical validation and characterization of the products and for the on line characterization processing will be developed and maintained by WP6000 and implemented by the product clusters (WP2000, WP3000 and WP4000) into their generation chains.

H-SAF validation philosophy is established with regard to the following aspects:

Project Plan


- tools to be used for validation (raingauges, radar, numerical models …) and relative merits;

- techniques to bring observations comparable (upscaling, filtering, …);

- structuring of the results of the validation activity.

Even if the philosophy remains unchanged, tools and approaches are different for different products. Hereafter a summary of validation philosophy for precipitation, soil moisture and snow products is reported.

3.2.2.1 Validation Philosophy for Precipitation

3.2.2.1.1 Tools used for validation

For the validation and calibration activity of the precipitation products a data set starting from the 1st of October 2006 is available at each institutes involved. The areas chosen for the validation task include the basins where the hydrological validation is performed. The data used for the validation of the Satellite Precipitations Products (SPP) are:

- Ground data:

- automatic rain gauges with different time resolution: 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min;

- meteorological radars with different time resolution: 5 min, 10 min, 30 min.

- Data for cloud types classification, containing information about water content in vertical column and for the discrimination of the synoptic situation are also foreseen. The main products used to derive these information are the following:

o NWC-SAF products;

o NWP models;

o MSG composite images.

o Validation from interaction with hydrologic pilot users.

In order to best exploit and best valorize the H-SAF validation framework, it is considered to open it to other internatonal programmes. Detaeild arrangements with GPM and IPWG will be put in place along CDOP for achieving cooperation on precipitation validation.

3.2.2.1.2 Techniques to bring observations comparable

Due to the time and space structure of precipitation and to the sampling characteristics of both the precipitation products and ground data used for validation, care has to be taken to bring data comparable. At a given place, precipitation occurs intermittently and at highly fluctuating rates. Over space, precipitation is distributed with a high variability, in cells of high intensity nested in larger area with lower rain rate. Aimed at observing this complex phenomenon, the satellite-based products are defined with a spatial resolution of several kilometres and with different sampling rate . On the other hand, reference ground data

Project Plan


used to validate SPP are also characterized by their own spatial resolution ranging from point information measured on rain-gauge networks to grids with cells of several hundreds of meters to several kilometers for weather radar. Furthermore, none of these reference observations are without error. For this reason it was decided to compare the SPP with ground data on the PP satellite native grid. All the institutes applied the same up-scaling method to compare the satellite precipitation estimations with ground data.

The simplest approach consists in comparing untransformed data e.g. comparing areal data to observations at a nearest gauge station, or instantaneous images with information available within a time window. Doing so, part of the error has to be attributed to the differences between sample volumes: this “representativeness error” may be estimated by using high spatial and temporal resolution gauge data (e.g. Kitchen and Blackall 1992) or may be simulated in numerical experiments (e.g. Tustison et al. 2001).

An alternative approach consists in upscaling reference observations to areal averages corresponding to the resolution of the precipitation products but in an equal-area map projection.

3.2.2.1.3 Structuring of the results of the validation activity

The Precipitation products validation will accompany all steps of the CDOP and also will be routinely carried out during the operational phase. The goals of the activity are to improve the accuracy and the applicability of the products delivered during the development phase, to monitor data quality and provide feedback for progressive quality improvement during the operational phase.

The validation results are summarised in reports on a scheduled basis throughout the project phase.

The validation activity is based on the Common Validation Methodology and Institute Specific Validation.

The definition of a common methodology for the validation of the H-SAF Precipitation Products is necessary in order to compare the results obtained by several institutes and to better understand their meanings.

The Common Validation Methodology is based on comparisons with rain gauges and radar data (see maps below).

3.2.2.2 Validation Philosophy for Soil Moisture

3.2.2.2.1 Tools to be used for validation

For the validation task, a wide range of datasets for comparison and validation of the soil moisture products can be used, e.g.:

- In-situ data:

Project Plan


- soil moisture station networks,

- Global Soil Moisture Data Bank,

- time domain reflectometry (TDR)

- Related space-based soil moisture missions:

- Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity Mission surface soil moisture products (SMOS)

- Precipitation datasets:

- Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC),

- National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP),

- precipitation maps being produced in H-SAF consortium

- Model data from climatological, vegetation or crop simulation models:

- Lund-Potsdam-Jena dynamic global vegetation model (LPJ),

- Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere scheme (ISBA)

- Data from international activities:

- International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP),

- Integrated GMES Project on Land Cover and Vegetation (geoland)

- Comparison with climate classification charts:

- Koeppen,

- Holdridge

- Global water datasets:

- Global Lakes and Wetlands Database (GLWD),

- Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Shoreline Database (GSHHS)

- Global snow datasets:

- Daily Northern Hemi-sphere Snow and Ice Analysis from United States National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC),

- MODIS Snow Cover Daily,

- SSM/I EASE-Grid Daily Global Ice Concentration and Snow Extent,

- AMSR-E Global Snow Water Equivalent,

- Snow maps being produced by H-SAF consortium

- Global topography datasets:

- United States Geological Survey Global Topographic Data (USGS GTOPO30),

Project Plan


- Global Land One-km Base Elevation project (GLOBE),

- Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

- Global freeze/thaw datasets:

- NCEP/NCAR Global Tropospheric Analyses,

- ECMWF’s 40-year Re-Analysis (ERA-40)

- Data from hydrological models:

- Validation form interaction with hydrologic pilot users:

- H-SAF pilot users

The acquisition of the datasets, as well as the selection of which datasets to use will depend very much on the data availability and the cooperation with the interested user community.


In order to bring soil moisture observations comparable with other datasets and modelled data, several strategies have to be investigated. The transferability of datasets has to be investigated, as has been done in Dirmeyer et al. 2004, where eight multiyear global soil wetness products have been compared. In this study, different ranges of soil moisture values and changing climatological conditions of the datasets had to be considered. When assimilating soil moisture data into hydrological models, the initialization of the model has to be performed and the model performance re-calibrated, as has been shown e.g. for Austrian simulations in both gauged and ungauged basins (Parajka et al. 2006). This also applies when assimilating soil moisture data into conceptual land surface models, where rescaling issues have to be taken into account (Reichle et al. 2004).


The results of validation activities have direct impact on improvements in algorithms and software updates. Therefore, validation activities should be summarised in reports on a scheduled basis throughout the project phase. Basic outcomes of activities are foreseen to be published in scientific literature. Furthermore, the definition of advanced targets has to be considered for algorithmic improvements of the soil moisture product generation chains. These improvements should be communicated via the dedicated H-SAF electronic algorithm forum.

3.2.2.3 Validation Philosophy for Snow

3.2.2.3.1 Tools to be used for validation

Snow products can be validated using data from different sources, leading to relatively varying results in terms of interpretation and evaluation. Still, due to the general short of

Project Plan


validation data, we should make the most of all available information. The data sources are:

- In-situ data:

- Synoptic weather station snow e-codes

- Snow e-codes from other weather stations

- Fractional SCA-observations made at Finnish Snow Courses

- Model data from hydrological simulation models:

- Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System of SYKE (Finland and cross-border watersheds) --> SCA for 3rd order drainage basins (average area 60 km2)

- Global snow datasets:

- MODIS Snow Cover Daily-product (MOD10_L2 500m).


For H-SAF, the Fractional snow cover will be calculated for 5km×5km grid cells over the application area. Since the validation data varies with spatial coverage, these should be processed to be compatible with each other. In case of snow course data, spatial averaging inside grid cells is appropriate, since the observed parameter is the same. Daily snow e-code data must be converted to equivalent SCA based on statistical analysis on correspondence between monthly snow course SCA and concurrent e-codes. In order to compare with the drainage basin SCA from hydrological model, the estimated SCA-values must be down-scaled to match the basin areas. The MODIS daily snow product (binary) needs to be fractionalized within H-SAF SCA unit-areas; after this, parameters are somewhat comparable.

Snow course observations provide data in spatial scale that is directly comparable with optical satellite data-based snow products that have a spatial resolution of around 5 km. In case of microwave radiometer data-based SWE, snow extent and snow status products the comparability reduces, as the spatial resolution of satellite data-derived product is in the order of 10 to 25 km. However, the direct comparison is still possible.

In order to improve the comparability of reference data and satellite data products, the spatial interpolation (e.g. kriging interpolation) of reference data is performed when ever the ground-based observation network is dense enough. Techniques to determine the statistical accuracy of interpolated reference data are systematically applied. The spatial interpolation is a necessity in case of point wise reference data (weather station observations).

The predictions based on distributed hydrological models provide data with a spatial resolution directly comparable with products derived form space-borne data. However, as model predictions are applied to provide snow reference data, the statistical accuracy

Project Plan


characteristics of the applied model have to known both spatially and temporally, which is the limiting factor in the general usability of models as reference data source.


To make the validation fluent and to assure the feedback from validation activities some procedures and tools have to be defined beforehand. The aim is to use the existing database and retrieval structures as far as possible. The H-SAF archive will be logically connected to the databases of the validation sites. Most advanced validation site, Helsinki Testbed (HTB, http://testbed.fmi.fi/), has a xml interface for scientific use, which can be simply combined with H-SAF snow products using map server technology. The validation results will be made available as reports via web interface with possibility to give feedback. Calibration methods and product characterization as well as quality indicators are part of the meta data content, but also available as web documents with time line showing the evolution of the products. The product validation is as iterative process throughout the project affecting the algorithm development work.

In H-SAF CDOP for each product family there is a set of Units scattered in different countries, coordinated by one specific Unit. They make the necessary agreements at the start of the project, apply the necessary corrections when needed, etc.

Each Unit performs an agreed set of tests following common procedures, and sends the results to the coordinating unit for overall analysis. In addition, each Unit performs case studies, according to their taste.

Their purpose is to help the product developers to calibrate/characterise their product. The Units meet at least once/year, in addition to regular reporting to the Project Team.

3.2.2.4 Common methods/techniques for upscaling

The radar and raingauge data were up-scaled taking into account the satellite scanning geometry and IFOV resolution of AMSU-B scan, SSMI and SEVIRI. Radar and raingauge instruments provide many measurements within a single satellite IFOV, those measurements were averaged following the satellite antenna pattern of AMSU-B, SSMI and SEVIRI. This activity was developed in collaboration with the precipitation product (PP) developers.

Two codes were developed by the validation group for upscaling ground data data vs AMSU-B and SSMI IFOV. All institutes involved in PP validation activity uses these two codes developed by University of Ferrara and RMI.

A publication on this activity is [RD 13] H. Van de Vyver and E. Roulin.

About the SEVIRI data was not developed a common code but all institutes involved in PP validation activity uses the same up-scaling technique which was indicated by CNR-ISAC. A common code will be developed in CDOP.

Project Plan


3.2.2.5 Common validation methodology

During the development phase a twofold validation strategy was applied: one based on large statistics (multi-categorical and continuous), and one on selected case studies. Both components were, and still are, considered complementary in assessing the accuracy of the implemented algorithms. Large statistics help in identifying existence of pathological behavior, selected case studies are useful in identifying the roots of such behavior where present.

1. To produce a large statistical analysis of the H-SAF Precipitation Products was necessary to define a ‘common validation methodology’ in order to make comparable the results obtained by several institutes and to better understand their meanings.

To achieve these goal it was necessary: standardization the up-scaling techniques of radar and rain gauge data vs AMSU, SSMI and SEVIRI data, introduction of quality filter,

development and sharing of software packages.

The Common Validation Methodology is based on comparisons with rain gauges and radar data to produce monthly Continuous verification and Multi-Categorical statistic scores for sea, land and coast area.

The main steps are:

- all the institutes compare the national radar and rain gauge data with the precipitation values estimated by satellite on the satellite native grid using the same up-scaling techniques;

- all the institutes evaluate the monthly continuous scores (below reported) and contingency tables for the precipitation classes (below reported) producing numerical files called ‘CS’ and ‘MC’ files;

- all the institutes evaluate PDF producing numerical files called ‘DIST’ files and plots;

- the PP validation leader collect all the validation files (MC, CS and DIST files), verify the consistency of the results and evaluate the monthly common statistical results.

The results obtained were:

- discussed inside the validation group and with product developers by email and two annual meetings;

- reported in the project document;

- published in the H-saf web page.

2. Each Institute, in addition to the common validation methodology, developed a more specific Validation Methodology based on the knowledge and experience of the Institute itself. This activity is focused on case studies analysis. Each institute decides

Project Plan


whether to use ancillary data such as lightning data, SEVIRI images, the output of numerical weather prediction and nowcasting products.

The main steps are:

- description of the meteorological event;

- comparison of ground data and satellite products;

- visualization of ancillary data deduced by nowcasting products or lightning network;

- discussion of the satellite product performances;

- Indications to Developers;

- making the ground data (if requested) available to satellite product developers:

- the results obtained were:

o discussed inside the validation group and with product developers by email and two annual meetings,

o reported in the project document,

o published in the H-saf web page.

Precipitation Classes

Since the accuracy of precipitation measurements depends on the type of precipitation or, to simplify matters, the intensity, the verification is carried out split in more classes. For intensity, user requirements have been expressed for three classes; however, for working purposes, finer subdivision in 11 sub-classes is used (see Fig. 06).

Class

1 2 3

< 1 mm/h (light

precipitation)

1 - 10 mm/h (medium

precipitation)

> 10 mm/h (intense

precipitation)

Subclass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

(mm/h) <

0.25

0.25-

0.5

0.5 -

1.0

1.0 -

2.0

2.0 -

4.0

4.0 -

8.0

8.0 -

10

10 -

16

16 -

32

32 -

64 > 64

Figure 28 Classes and sub-classes for evaluating Precipitation Rate products. Applicable to PR-OBS-1, PR-OBS-2, PR-

OBS-3, PR-OBS-4 and PR-ASS-1rate

For accumulated precipitation, user requirements are unclear in terms of dependence on amount. We have adopted a 5-class splitting for results presentation and a 10-subclass subdivision for working purpose (see Fig. 24).

Project Plan


Class

1 2 3 4 5

< 8 mm 8 - 32 mm 32-64

mm

64-128

mm

> 128 mm

Subclass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(mm) < 1 1 - 2 2 - 4 4 - 8 8 - 16 16 -

32 32 - 64

64 -

128

128 -

256 > 128

Figure 29 Classes and sub-classes for evaluating Accumulated Precipitation products. Applicable to PR-OBS-5 and PR-

ASS-1accumulated

The evaluation of the statistical scores split by precipitation classes allows to analyse the product performances not only for precipitation mean values (light precipitation being the more frequent) but also for higher value, the most interesting for Hydrology.

Continuous statistical scores evaluated

We indicate with :

sat1, sat2, … satk, … the precipitation values estimated by satellite products belonging class z in coast area;

true1, true2, … truek, … the precipitation values observed by radar/rain gauges inside class z in coast area;

N the number of radar/rain gauge derived precipitation cases belonging to precipitation class z in coast area;

M the number of satellite precipitation cases belonging to precipitation class z in coast area;

( )∑=

−==N

k

kk truesatN

MEerrorMean1

1

( )∑=

−−==N

k

kk MEtruesatN

SDdeviationdardtanS1

21

∑=

−=N

k

kk truesatN

teErrorMeanAbsolu1

1

Project Plan


Multiplicative

k

N

K

k

N

k

trueN

satN

Bias

∑

∑

=

==

1

1

1

1

( )( )

( ) ( )∑ ∑

∑

=

=

−−

−−

==N

k

N

kk

N

k

kk

truetruesatsat

truetruesatsat

tcoefficiennCorrelatio

1 1

22

1ρ

with ∑=

=N

k

ksatN

sat1

1 and ∑

=

=N

k

ktrueN

true1

1;

( )∑=

−==N

k

kk truesatN

uareErrorRootMeanSqRMSE1

21

( )∑

=

−=−

N

k k

kk

true

truesat

NRMSEURD

1

2

2

1

3.3 Other activities

3.3.1 Visiting Scientist Programme

Proposal for support from Visiting scientists can be put forward by:

- the development teams (WP’s 2300, 3300 and 4300) in support of specific short-duration tasks;

- the Hydrological programme in support of activities for product/model interfacing (WP-5100);

- the same Units and/or any Cluster (including WP-1000) for exploratory inter-SAF activities.

As in the Development Phase, the procedure will be started by a proposal from an H-SAF Unit, to be analysed by the Project Team and recommended to the Steering Group for approval.

VS already identified as candidate for CDOP are described as follows.

Project Plan


VS1: Feasibility of high-resolution (SAR) for Snow Water Equivalent

A VS is envisaged with the objective to evaluate the capability of the available satellite SAR systems in estimating Snow Water Equivalent at high spatial resolution. The activity will consist in reviewing the state of the Art of the satellite multifrequency SAR systems, presently available and planned in the near future, to retrieve snow water equivalent at high spatial resolution. The review will be carried out on the basis of theoretical models and literature and will contain an evaluation of the best observing configuration to perform the task.

A report containing the State of the Art of SAR systems in measuring high resolution and an evaluation of the potential of these systems in performing such a task as well as an evaluation of the best observing configuration

This activity will be performed by IFAC under the supervision and control of FMI; it is envisaged to have the possibility of visiting FMI in Finland for exchange of information and discussion of the achieved results.

VS2: Product Validation and value assessment in Romania

A VS is envisaged with the objective of performing validation activity on snow products in Romanian sites. Products will be compared with the data from manned/automatic station and radar data. Validation results (statistical scores, graphs, etc.) reports will be the outcome as contributions to Validation Programme.

This activity will be performed by the National Meteorological Administration of Romania (NMA).

3.3.2 Training programme and Workshops

3.3.2.1 Training

In the Development Phase an Education and Training programme was included in the Hydrological validation programme. Dedicated workshops were organised, aiming at illustrating how to use precipitation products, soil moisture products and snow products for hydrological purpose. Special emphasis was placed in explaining the nature of remote sensing observations, and the care to be applied when using them. After the initial workshops, re-training was performed by exploiting remote-learning systems. Teaching material is available from the H-SAF web site, and is progressively growing.

Training activity will be harmonized with EUMeTrain phase 2 programme. Harmonisation will be performed making available to EUMeTrain relevant training materials that H-SAF will produce from its products training workshops and from the training sessions which will be held during the H-SAF general WS. The mentioned materials will be constituted by DVD, CD on mini courses. The Topics will address the current core activities of EUMeTrain and the new ones (i.e Hydrology) as reported in the EUMeTrain proposal for Phase 2, item 5.4.2.1 (www.zamg.ac.at/eumetrain).

Project Plan


Training activities will continue during CDOP by exploiting the structures set in place. Special events are not foreseen at this stage. In general, it will be up to the development teams (WP’s 2300, 3300 and 4300) to trigger re-training sessions whenever a product is updated or improved or replaced by a new release. Alternatively, the management of WP-5000 could request re-training sessions, should it appear necessary.

3.3.2.2 Workshops

One large workshop will be organised, approximately one year after the start of CDOP (e.g., in September 2011). The aims will be:

- to review the status of algorithms in an international environment, and check whether new ideas and approaches have emerged, particularly in view of the advent of the GPM and NPOESS;

- to analyse the status of products validation and characterisation, and of the hydrological assessments (the envisaged date is determined by the need to consolidate the product validation activity and collect the results from a sufficient number of hydrological experiments);

- to review the status of techniques to interface H-SAF products and hydrological models, and of possible activities on model optimisation for assimilating H-SAF products at best;

- to promote the use of H-SAF products and attract interest for expanding the user community in the CDOP-2 phase to follow.

The workshop could last 4-5 days, and will involve nearly all Units operating in H-SAF, under the leadership of WP-1110 supported by the Project Scientist.

In addition to this large open workshop, the series of internal workshops jointly organised by the teams involved in Product validation (now WP-6100) and Hydrologists involved in impact studies (now WP-5200) will continue. It is envisaged that one 2-3 days workshop for each of the themes Precipitation, Soil moisture, Snow and Hydrovalidation will be organised in the period centred around 6 months after the start of CDOP, i.e. February 2011.

3.3.3 Interactions with other SAFs and entities

During CDOP attempts will be made to intensify the relationships with other SAF’s, either to reciprocate the use of products, or to define Federate activities. These efforts are understood to be important in view of the EUMETSAT policy of strengthening inter-SAF relationships in the framework of CDOP-2.

A few interactions with other SAF’s are already in place, others will be envisaged.

In the area of precipitation, use of Nowcasting-SAF products is expected, specifically:

Project Plan


- use of Cloud Mask (CMa) product for quality control tasks of accumulated precipitation (PR-OBS-5) generation will be achieved;

- use of Cloud Type (CT) product, Cloud Top Temperature and Height Mask (CTTH) product and Precipitation Clouds (PC) product is planned to improve product PR-OBS-3 by preventive cloud/precipitation classification before entering blending of GEO/IR and LEO/MW.

In the area of soil moisture, it is foreseen that H-SAF products or the originating EUMETSAT global product and/or the ECMWF global product are used in Land-SAF for mapping evapotranspiration.

In the area of snow, H-SAF makes use of the Land-SAF snow detection product for the flat/forested areas of the H-SAF product SN-OBS-1.

In WP-6200 (Products monitoring and NRT feedback) the possibility of acquiring products from other SAF’s, of interest for Hydrology and Civil protection, has been considered.

Moreover:

- a number of H-SAF products (Accurate precipitation rate from LEO, Surface soil moisture, Snow detection and effective cover) have Climate centres as main potential users. Potential synergy with Climate-SAF will be explored;

- certain products from the precipitation retrieval chains currently make use of American modules, e.g. for Cloud Resolving Models and Radiative Transfer Models: the possibility of using European modules developed or maintained by the NWP-SAF will be considered.

Interactions with EUMETNET on OPERA

H-SAF consortium is aware about the activity carried on by OPERA programme as regards European radars rainfall products. Potential cooperation on the use of SRI has been considered, noting that is worth that any formal cooperation with OPERA would be studied along the CDOP of H-SAF in such a way to be planned for the CDOP2 proposal. That is: first because the data policy on radar products adopted by OPERA is limited to OPERA members for official duty only; second, because EUMETNET has started to act as EIG since very short time and it is necessary to see how the financial matters for external cooperation will be established.

3.3.4 Federate Activities

Following Federate Activities with other entities/organizations are foreseen to be established in the framework of CDOP.

Project Plan


FA1: H-SAF Soil Moisture Cluster and EUMETSAT CAF on CAF ASCAT Soil

Moisture product Support (algorithm maintenance and validation)

This activity will be accomplished by WP3120 (in charge of TU-Wien, see 2.6.1.2) and EUMETSAT CAF. It shall ensure the scientific anomaly investigations and evolution of the global ASCAT surface soil moisture product as produced by EUMETSAT CAF. WP3120 initiates these activities as part of CDOP and liaises with EUMETSAT CAF for maintenance and operational aspects. In detail, WP3120 is in charge of updating the model parameters for the near real-time processor at EUMETSAT CAF and updates of the NRT processing software. This task will be taken up in steps within CDOP, and properly implemented at later phases to ensure a long-term perspective.

FA2: H-SAF Precipitation Cluster and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) on

Standardization of Precipitation Products Validation methods

In the framework of Precipitation Cluster, an activity will be performed in cooperation with the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) with the purpose of exploiting a study on standard methods and metrics for validation of satellite precipitation estimates (intensity and cumulated) versus ground observations.

A more detailed definition shall be finalized after the GPM Validation Workshop (June 2010, Helsinki).

3.3.5 Service Activities

All products generated in the products generation centres are concentrated into the Central Facility at CNMCA and addressed to EUMETCast for Near-Real-Time dissemination by mean of the dissemination facilities c/o CNMCA, as well as to the H-SAF Archive, which is connected to the EUMETSAT Data Centre at the disposal of the scientific community and other off-line users.

In this respect it is noted that:

- all H-SAF NRT products will be disseminated via EUMETCast in line with the agreed Data Policy for Operational SAF Deliverables (EUM/C/53/04/DOC/58) and EUMETSAST Basic Documents, Volume 1;

- all off-line products will be available from the EUMETSAT Data Centre via their Metadata Catalogue update in line with the above Data Policy for operational SAF Deliverables.

In parallel, the products are placed on ftp servers for near-real-time access.

Certain users can receive real-time products by dedicated links with the production centres.

A web site holds general information (including certain basic project documents) as well as near-real-time quick looks of H-SAF products.

Project Plan


A help desk service is provided.

3.3.5.1 Status ad the end of the Development Phase

Baseline versions of the various products where made available as soon as reasonably regularly generated, on ftp servers of the individual centres responsible of products generation, so as to facilitate product validation and build up of the Hydrological validation programme. Improved versions replaced the initial version at instances.

Products dissemination moved to using EUMETCast in the last year of the Development Phase.

The ftp dissemination mode is continued in parallel, for the benefit of users not equipped for EUMETCast.

The H-SAF archive is regularly loaded and connected to EUMETSAT Data Centre. The web site and the help desk are active.

3.3.5.2 Perspective evolution

Most of the service activities have been implemented late in the Development Phase, and still are being consolidated.

Special effort will be placed in minimising delays and preserving data integrity.

Monitoring of service performance will be implemented.

Harmonisation of the H-SAF data service within the overall CDOP concept will be pursued according to EUMETSAT instructions, also with regard to the EUMETSAT policy towards GMES.

Effort on the data service activity will be adaptive, having regard to the actual demands from the Hydrological validation programme and the envisaged intensification of undertakings in respect of Civil Protection.

Moreover, an important upgrade of the system architecture is planned to be initiated during CDOP as explained in next section.

3.3.6 Maintenance and evolution of the system

H-SAF system at the end of Development Phase reflects a distributed architecture comprising generation chains located in Italy (Precipitation subsystem), Turkey (Snow Parameters subsystem, mountainous areas products generation), Finland (Snow Parameters subsystem, flat areas products generation), Austria (Soil Moisture), ECMWF (Soil Moisture).

It also includes a subsystem relevant to the Hydrovalidation tasks located in Poland and a subsystem for central facilities in Italy (archive, dissemination, monitoring).

Project Plan


During CDOP-2 this distributed architecture is expected to be migrated towards a centralized architecture to be placed in Italy. In this scenario, the generation chains will be moved to CNMCA and the infrastructure of the Italian meteorological service will be upgraded in order to be capable of hosting processing tasks and maintaining and improving central facilities as a consequence.

This important upgrade will involve re-engineering activities as well as a scientific support for the switch-off of the subsystems and the start-up of the centralized H-SAF architecture, with the understood purpose of keeping this process transparent to users and with no effects in terms of degradation of the operations.

Part of the costs of this upgrade, related to studies and design, will be anticipated during the CDOP phase.

Improvement of the archiving capability and preparation of the infrastructure environment at CNMCA is also an effort located since CDOP, whose termination is expected for the beginning of CDOP-2.

Project Plan


Appendix 1 Glossary

AAPP AVHRR and ATOVS Processing Package

ADEOS Advanced Earth Observation Satellite (I and II)

ALOS Advanced Land Observing Satellite

AMIR Advanced Microwave Imaging Radiometer

AMSR Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (on ADEOS-II)

AMSR-E Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - E (on EOS-Aqua)

AMSU-A Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A (on NOAA satellites and EOS-Aqua)

AMSU-B Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - B (on NOAA satellites up to NOAA-17)

API Application Program(ming) Interface

ASAR Advanced SAR (on ENVISAT)

ASCAT Advanced Scatterometer (on MetOp)

ASI Agenzia Spaziale Italiana

ATBD Algorithms Theoretical Basis Document

ATDD Algorithms Theoretical Definition Document

ATMS Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (on NPP and NPOESS)

ATOVS Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder (on NOAA and MetOp)

AU Anatolian University

AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (on NOAA and MetOp)

BAMPR Bayesian Algorithm for Microwave Precipitation Retrieval

BfG Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde

BRDF Bi-directional Reflectance Distribution Function

BVA Boundary Value Analysis

CASE Computer Aided System Engineering

CBA Component-Based Architecture

CBSD Component-based Software Development

CDA Command and Data Acquisition (EUMETSAT station at Svalbard)

CDD Component Design Document

CDR Critical Design Review

CESBIO Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la BIOsphere (of CNRS)

CETP Centre d’études des Environnements Terrestres et Planétaires (of CNRS)

CI Configuration Item

CMIS Conical-scanning Microwave Imager/Sounder (on NPOESS)

CMP Configuration Management Plan

CNMCA Centro Nazionale di Meteorologia e Climatologia Aeronautica

CNR Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

CNRM Centre Nationale de la Recherche Météorologique (of Météo-France)

CNRS Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique

Project Plan


COM Component Object Model

CORBA Common Object Request Broker Architecture

COTS Commercial-off-the-shelf

CPU Central Processing Unit

CR Component Requirement

CRD Component Requirement Document

CVERF Component Verification File

CVS Concurrent Versions System

DCOM Distributed Component Object Model

DEM Digital Elevation Model

DFD Data Flow Diagram

DMSP Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

DOF Data Output Format

DPC Dipartimento della Protezione Civile

DWD Deutscher Wetterdienst

E&T Education and Training

EARS EUMETSAT Advanced Retransmission Service (station)

ECMWF European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts

ECSS European Cooperation on Space Standardization

EGPM European contribution to the GPM mission

EOS Earth Observing System

EPS EUMETSAT Polar System

ERS European Remote-sensing Satellite (1 and 2)

ESA European Space Agency

EUR End-User Requirements

FMI Finnish Meteorological Institute

FOC Full Operational Chain

FTP File Transfer Protocol

GEO Geostationary Earth Orbit

GIS Geographical Information System

GMES Global Monitoring for Environment and Security

GOMAS Geostationary Observatory for Microwave Atmospheric Sounding

GOS Global Observing System

GPM Global Precipitation Measurement mission

GPROF Goddard Profiling algorithm

GTS Global Telecommunication System

GUI Graphical User Interface

HMS Hungarian Meteorological Service

HRU Hydrological Response Unit

Project Plan


H-SAF SAF on support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management

HSB Humidity Sounder for Brazil (on EOS-Aqua)

HTML Hyper Text Markup Language

HTTP Hyper Text Transfer Protocol

HUT/LST Helsinki University of Technology / Laboratory of Space Technology

HV Hydrovalidation (referred to Hydro Validation Subsystem items, e.g.: reports, components etc.)

HVR Hydrological Validation Review

HYDRO Preliminary results of Hydrological validation

HYDROS Hydrosphere State Mission

HW Hardware

ICD Interface Control Document

ICT Information and Communication Technology

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IFS Integrated Forecast System

INF Progress reports in between meetings

INWM Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (of Poland)

IPF Institut für Photogrammetrie und Fernerkundung

ISAC Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima (of CNR)

ISO International Standards Organization

IT Information Technology

ITU Istanbul Technical University

JPS Joint Polar System (MetOp + NOAA/NPOESS)

J2EE Java 2 Enterprise Edition

KIDS Kestrel Interactive Development System

KLOC Thousand (Kilo) Lines Of Code

KOM Kick-Off Meeting

LAI Leaf Area Index

LAN Local Area Network

LEO Low Earth Orbit

LIS Lightning Imaging Sensor (on TRMM)

LLS Lower Level Specifications

LOC Lines Of Code

LST Solar Local Time (of a sun-synchronous satellite)

MARS Meteorological Archive and Retrieval System

MetOp Meteorological Operational satellite

METU Middle East Technical University (of Turkey)

MHS Microwave Humidity Sounder (on NOAA N/N’ and MetOp)

MIMR Multi-frequency Imaging Microwave Radiometer

MIN Minutes of Meetings/Reviews

Project Plan


MODIS Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (on EOS Terra and Aqua)

MSG Meteosat Second Generation

MTBF Mean Time Between Failure

MTG Meteosat Third Generation

MTTR Mean Time To Repair

MVIRI Meteosat Visible Infra-Red Imager (on Meteosat 1 to 7)

N/A Not Available

N.A. Not Applicable

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

NDI Non-developmental Items

NIMH National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (of Hungary)

NMS National Meteorological Service

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organisation (intended as a satellite series)

NPOESS National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System

NPP NPOESS Preparatory Programme

NRT Near-Real Time

NWP Numerical Weather Prediction

OAR Options Analysis for Reengineering

OFL Off-line

OM Offline Monitoring (referred to Offline Monitoring Subsystem items, e.g.: components)

OMG Object Management Group

OO Object Oriented

OP Proposal for H-SAF Operational phase

OPS Operational Product Segment

ORB Object Request Broker

ORR Operations Readiness Review

OWL Web Ontology Language

PAC Prototype Algorithm Code

PALSAR Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (on ALOS)

PAW Plant Available Water

PDR Preliminary Design Review

POP Precipitation Observation Production

PP Project Plan

PPR Products Prototyping Reports

PR Precipitation (referred to Precipitation Subsystem items, e.g.: products, components etc.)

PRB Problem Review Board

PUM Product User Manual

QoS Quality of Service

Project Plan


R&D Research and Development

RCS Revision Control System

REP Report

RMI Royal Meteorological Institute (of Belgium)

RR Requirements Review

RT Real Time

SAAM Simulation, Analysis and Modeling

SAF Satellite Application Facility

SAG Science Advisory Group

SAOCOM Argentinean Satellite for Observation and Communication

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SA/SD Structured Analysis / Structured Design

SCA Snow Covered Area

SCAT Scatterometer (on ERS-1 and 2)

SCM Source Configuration Management

SD Snow depth

SDAS Surface Data Assimilation System

SDD System Design Document

SDP Software Development Plan

SEI Software Engineering Institute

SEVIRI Spinning Enhanced Visible Infra-Red Imager (on MSG)

SHW State Hydraulic Works of Turkey

SHFWG SAF Hydrology Framework Working Group

SHMI Slovakian Hydrological and Meteorological Institute

SIRR System Integration Readiness Review

SIVVP System Integration, Verification & Validation Plan

SLAs Service-Level Agreements

SM Soil Moisture (referred to Soil Moisture Subsystem items, e.g.: products, components etc.)

SMART Service Migration and Reuse Technique

SMMR Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (on SeaSat and Nimbus VII)

SMOS Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity

SN Snow Parameters (referred to Snow Parameters Subsystem products)

SOA Service-Oriented Architecture

SoS System of Systems

SP Snow Parameters (referred to Snow Parameters Subsystem items, e.g.: components)

SQL Structured Query Language

SR System Requirement

SRD System Requirements Document

SSM/I Special Sensor Microwave / Imager (on DMSP up to F-15)

Project Plan


SSMIS Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (on DMSP starting with F-16)

SSVD System/Software Version Document

STRR System Test Results Review

SVALF System Validation File

SVERF System Verification File

SVRR System Validation Results Review

SW Software

SWE Snow Water Equivalent

SYKE Finnish Environment Institute

TBC To be confirmed

TBD To be defined

TC Test Case

TKK/LST Helsinki University of Technology / Laboratory of Space Technology

TLE Two-line-element (telemetry data format)

TMI TRMM Microwave Imager (on TRMM)

TP Test Procedure

TR Test Report

TRMM Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

TSMS Turkish State Meteorological Service

TU Wien Technische Universität Wien

UM User Manual

U-MARF Unified Meteorological Archive and Retrieval Facility

UML Unified Modelling Language

UR User Requirement

URD User Requirements Document

VIIRS Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (on NPP and NPOESS)

VS Visiting Scientist

WBS Work Breakdown Structure

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WP Work Package

WPD Work Package Description

WS Workshop

W3C World Wide Web Consortium

XMI XML (eXtensible Markup Language ) Metadata Interchange

XML eXtensible Markup Language

ZAMG Zentral Anstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik

Project Plan


Appendix 2 References

Applicable documents

[AD 1] H-SAF Development Proposal - Issue 2.1, 15 May 2005

[AD 2] H-SAF Project Plan (PP). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/PP/2.2

[AD 3] Appendix to the H-SAF Project Plan (PP) - Work Package Description (WPD) sheets. Ref.: H-SAF/CDR/Doc.2b

[AD 4] H-SAF Configuration Management Plan (CMP). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/CMP/1.0

[AD 5] H-SAF Users Requirement Document (URD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/URD/2.3

[AD 6] H-SAF System Requirements Document (SRD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/SRD/2.1

[AD 7] H-SAF System Design Document (SDD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/SDD/2.1

[AD 8] H-SAF Component Requirements Document (CRD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/CRD/1.1

[AD 9] H-SAF Component Design Document (CDD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/CDD/2.0

[AD 10] H-SAF Interface Control Document (ICD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/ICD/1.0

[AD 11] Algorithmic Software Development Guidelines Document (ASDGD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/ASDGD/0.1

[AD 12] System Integration, Verification & Validation Plan (SIVVP). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/SIVVP/1.0

[AD 13] H-SAF Component Verification File (CVERF). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/CVERF/2.0

[AD 14] Algorithms Theoretical Definition Document (ATBD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/ATBD/1.0

[AD 15] H-SAF System/Software Version Document (SSVD). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/SSVD/1.0

[AD 16] H-SAF Hydrological Validation Plan (REP-2). Ref.: SAF/HSAF/WS-1/Rep-2



[AD 19] H-SAF Product Requirement Document. Ref.: SAF/HSAF/PRD/1.0

[AD 20] H-SAF Product User Manual. Ref.: SAF/HSAF/PUM/2.0

[AD 21] H-SAF Product Requirement Document Ref.: SAF/HSAF/PRD

Reference documents

[RD 1] Soutter M, R. Caloz and A. Beney, 2001: “Potential Contribution of EUMETSAT Space Systems in the Fields of Hydrology and Water Management”. Final report to EUMETSAT dated 21 August 2001.

[RD 2] Conclusions from the Working Group on a Potential SAF on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management - Annex 1 to EUM/C/53/03/DOC/48, 2002.

Project Plan


[RD 3] Summary Report of the SAF Hydrology Framework Working Group - EUM/PPS/REP/04/0002.

[RD 4] Proposal for the development of a “Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management (H-SAF)”, submitted by the Italian Meteorological Service on behalf of the H-SAF Consortium - Issue 2.1 dated 15 May 2005

[RD 5] Definition of Product Status Categories for the SAF Network. EUM/PPS/TEN/07/0036 - Issue v1A dated 14 May 2007

Scientific References

[RD 6] Naeimi, V., Scipal, K., Bartalis, Z., Hasenauer, S., Wagner, W. (2009): An improved soil moisture retrieval algorithm for ERS and METOP scatterometer observations. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 47 (7), pp. 1999-2013

[RD 7] Wagner, W., G. Lemoine, H. Rott (1999): A Method for Estimating Soil Moisture from ERS Scatterometer and Soil Data, Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume 70, Issue 2, pp. 191-207

[RD 8] Wagner, W., C. Pathe, M. Doubkova, D. Sabel, A. Bartsch, S. Hasenauer, G. Blöschl, K. Scipal, J. Martínez-Fernández, A. Löw (2008): Temporal stability of soil moisture and radar backscatter observed by the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), Sensors, Volume 8, pp. 1174-1197

[RD 9] Mugnai, A., D. Casella, M. Formenton, P. Sanò, G.J. Tripoli, W.Y. Leung, E.A. Smith, and A. Mehta, 2009: Generation of an European Cloud-Radiation Database to be used for PR-OBS-1 (Precipitation Rate at Ground by MW Conical Scanners), H-SAF VS 310 Activity Report, 39 pp

[RD 10] Joyce, R.J., J.E. Janowiak, P.A. Arkin, and P. Xie, 2004: CMORPH: A method that produces global precipitation estimates from passive microwave and infrared data at high spatial and temporal resolution. J. Hydrometeor., 5, 487-503.

[RD 11] Turk, F.J., G. Rohaly, J. Hawkins, E.A. Smith, F.S. Marzano, A. Mugnai, and V. Levizzani, 2000: Meteorological applications of precipitation estimation from combined SSM/I, TRMM and geostationary satellite data. In: Microwave Radiometry and Remote Sensing of the Earth's Surface and Atmosphere, P. Pampaloni and S. Paloscia Eds., VSP Int. Sci. Publisher, Utrecht (The Netherlands), 353-363.

[RD 12] Surussavadee, C., and D.H. Staelin, 2006: Comparison of AMSU millimeterwave satellite observations, MM5/TBSCAT predicted radiances, and electromagnetic models for hydrometeors. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 44, 2667-2678.

[RD 13] H. Van de Vyver and E. Roulin: Scale-recursive estimation for merging precipitation data from radar and microwave cross-track scanners’.

Project Plan


Appendix 3 Product Requirements Table

Requirements of products are presented in this section, split into two tables.

The first table shows products characteristics, verification methods and comments.

The second table shows aspects related to products performances, such as:

- Input satellite data;

- Dissemination means;

- Format;

- Spatial coverage;

- Timeliness;

- Generation frequency;

- Spatial resolution;

- Threshold accuracy;

- Target accuracy.

Project Plan


Please note:

(*) H-SAF activities on this product involve validation and continuous development, NOT operations: product is operated by EUMESTAT Central Application Facilities.

Product identifier

Product name (acronym)

Product name Characteristics and methods Verification methods

Comments Planned product readiness

H-01 PR-OBS-1

Precipitation rate at ground by MW conical scanners (with indication of phase)

Instantaneous precipitation maps generated from MW images taken by conical scanners on operational satellites in sun-synchronous orbits processed soon after each satellite pass.

The retrieval algorithm is based on physical retrieval supported by a pre-computed cloud-radiation database built from meteorological situations simulated by a cloud resolving model followed by a radiative transfer model

The algorithm is the result of a combined effort between CNR-ISAC, the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland, USA) and the University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin, USA).

References:

- Mugnai, A., D. Casella, M. Formenton, P. Sanò, G.J. Tripoli, W.Y. Leung, E.A. Smith, and A. Mehta, 2009: Generation of an European Cloud-Radiation Database to be used for PR-OBS-1 (Precipitation Rate at Ground by MW Conical Scanners), H-SAF VS 310 Activity Report, 39 pp.

- H-SAF Algorithm Theoretical Definition Document (ATDD-2.0), 2008: Precipitation rate by conical scanning MW imagers, Section 2 of ATDD Part-2 “Algorithms for precipitation products generation”, pp. 19-38.

Meteorological radar and rain gauge

Precipitation rate from conical scanning instruments will be derived from SSMIS radiometers onboard DMSP satellites. Nevertheless, PR-OBS-1 will take advantage of SSM/I (on DMSP-15) and AMSR-E (on EOS-Aqua) measurements if and until available

Timeliness conditioned by limited access to DMSP (via NOAA and UKMO)

Foreseen 1h timeliness as a long term requirement - SSM/I on DMSP up to 15 - SSMIS on DMSP from 16 onward

T0+03

(ORR-1

close-out)

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-02 PR-OBS-2

Precipitation rate at ground by MW cross-track scanners (with indication of phase)

Instantaneous precipitation maps generated from MW images taken by cross-track scanners on operational satellites in sun-synchronous orbits processed soon after each satellite pass. Before undertaking retrieval the AMSU-A resolution is enhanced by blending with AMSU-B/MHS.

The retrieval algorithm is based on a neural network trained by means of a pre-computed cloud-radiation database built from meteorological situations simulated by a cloud resolving model followed by a radiative transfer model

The algorithm was originally developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) and successively modified by CNR-ISAC.

References:

- Surussavadee, C., and D.H. Staelin, 2006: Comparison of AMSU millimeterwave satellite observations, MM5/TBSCAT predicted radiances, and electromagnetic models for hydrometeors. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., 44, 2667-2678.

- H-SAF Algorithm Theoretical Definition Document (ATDD-2.0), 2008: Precipitation rate by cross-track scanning MW sounders, Section 3 of ATDD Part-2 “Algorithms for precipitation products generation”, pp. 39-64.


Precipitation rate from cross-track scanning instruments will be derived from AMSU-A and MHS radiometers onboard NOAA and Metop operational satellites. Nevertheless, PR-OBS-2 will keep exploiting AMSU-A/B (on NOAA-15 & -16) measurements until available

Timeliness refers to data in the acquisition range of Rome - Outside is ~ 1 h (EARS)

Input data are merged into one product file

T0+03

(ORR-1

close-out)

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-03 PR-OBS-3

Precipitation rate at ground by GEO/IR supported by LEO/MW

Instantaneous precipitation maps generated by IR images from operational geostationary satellites “calibrated” by precipitation measurements from MW images in sun-synchronous orbits, processed soon after each acquisition of a new image from GEO (“Rapid Update”).

The calibrating lookup tables are updated after each new pass of a MW-equipped satellite

The algorithm is the result of a combined effort between CNR-ISAC and the Naval Research Laboratory (Monterey, California, USA).

References:

- Turk, F.J., G. Rohaly, J. Hawkins, E.A. Smith, F.S. Marzano, A. Mugnai, and V. Levizzani, 2000: Meteorological applications of precipitation estimation from combined SSM/I, TRMM and geostationary satellite data. In: Microwave Radiometry and Remote Sensing of the Earth's Surface and Atmosphere, P. Pampaloni and S. Paloscia Eds., VSP Int. Sci. Publisher, Utrecht (The Netherlands), 353-363.

- H-SAF Algorithm Theoretical Definition Document (ATDD-2.0), 2008: Blending MW-derived products and SEVIRI images, Section 4 of ATDD Part-2 “Algorithms for precipitation products generation”, pp. 65-79.


Product mostly suitable for convective precipitation

T0

(Dev.

Phase ORR)

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-04 PR-OBS-4

Precipitation rate at ground by LEO/MW supported by GEO/IR (with flag for phase)

Instantaneous precipitation maps generated by MW images from operational satellites in sun-synchronous orbits, time-interpolated by exploiting the dynamical information observed on IR images from GEO.

The algorithm performs the interpolation soon after the acquisition of a new image from LEO. This method (“Morphing”) is particularly suited for computing accumulated precipitation of use in hydrology. It is also possible to extrapolate the precipitation field for a few steps ahead, with reduced accuracy but improved value for nowcasting

The algorithm was originally developed by the Climate Prediction Center of NOAA-NESDIS (Camp Springs, Maryland, USA) and successively modified by CNR-ISAC.

References:

- Joyce, R.J., J.E. Janowiak, P.A. Arkin, and P. Xie, 2004: CMORPH: A method that produces global precipitation estimates from passive microwave and infrared data at high spatial and temporal resolution. J. Hydrometeor., 5, 487-503.

- H-SAF Algorithm Theoretical Definition Document (ATDD-2.0), 2008: Blending MW-derived products and SEVIRI images, Section 4 of ATDD Part-2 “Algorithms for precipitation products generation”, pp. 65-79.


Product primarily designed for climatology.

Applicability in an operational framework to be assessed.


T0+03

(ORR-1 close-out)

H-05 PR-OBS-5

Accumulated precipitation at ground by blended MW+IR

Derived from precipitation maps generated by merging MW images from operational sun-synchronous satellites and IR images from geostationary satellites (i.e., products PR-OBS-3 and, later, PR-OBS-4).

Integration is performed over 3, 6, 12 and 24 h. In order to reduce biases, the satellite-derived field is forced to match raingauge observations and, in future, the accumulated precipitation field outputted from a NWP model


Accuracy improves (at the expense of timeliness) moving input from PR-OBS-3 to PR-OBS-4.

Timeliness longer when input PR-OBS-4

T0+03

(ORR-1 close-out

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-06 PR-ASS-1

Instantaneous and accumulated precipitation at ground computed by a NWP model

Fields of precipitation rate and accumulated precipitation generated by a non-hydrostatic operational NWP model (COSMO-ME) to provide spatial-temporal continuity to the observed fields otherwise affected by temporal and spatial gaps due to insufficient and inhomogeneous satellite cover.

The accumulated precipitation is integrated over 3, 6, 12 and 24 h


Forecast products with space-time regularity but error structure biased by the model scale characteristics.

Timeliness includes cut off for data collection, assimilation, initialisation, processing and stabilisation of the output

T0

(Dev. Phase ORR)

H-08 SM-OBS-2

Small-scale surface soil moisture by radar scatterometer

Derived from the CAF Global ASCAT SM product limited to the H-SAF area. Maps of the soil moisture content in the surface layer (0-2 cm) generated from the Metop scatterometer (ASCAT) processed shortly after each satellite orbit completion. It is generated by disaggregating the large-scale product (25 km resolution), to 0.5-km sampling with downscaling parameters derived from ENVISAT ASAR (C-band).

This product is scheduled to be released in ORR-2

References: Wagner et al. (2008) [RD 8], ATDD-2.0 (Part 3)[AD 14]

In-situ measurements (e.g. Time Domain Reflectometers (TDR))

Output of hydro-meteorological models

Satellite data (e.g. SMOS)

Processing implying heavy support from external data, including SAR imagery, for building the database.

T0

(Dev.

Phase ORR)

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-10 SN-OBS-1

Snow detection (snow mask) by VIS/IR radiometry

Binary map of snow / no-snow situation. VIS/IR images from GEO are used. The product may be processed in different ways and have different quality depending on the surface being flat, forested or mountainous.

The algorithm is based on thresholding of several channels of SEVIRI, the most important being those in short-wave, thus the product is generated in daylight. In order to search for cloud-free pixels, multi-temporal analysis is performed over all images available in 24 hours (in daylight)

Snow observing stations

Different methods used for flat/forested and mountainous regions.

Timeliness is intended as delay after acquisition of the last image utilised in the multi-temporal analysis

T0 OR T0+03

(Cond. To outcome of Dev. Phase ORR)

H-11 SN-OBS-2 Snow status (dry/wet) by MW radiometry

This product indicates the status of the snow mantle, whether it is wet or dry and, in time series, thawing or freezing.

Multi-channel MW observations are used (middle frequencies), and the algorithm is based on thresholding.

In order to remove ambiguity between wet snow and bare soil, use is made of product SN-OBS-1 for preventive snow recognition, and of exploitation of change detection


Timeliness controlled by the delay in accessing AMSR-E data from NASA by FTP, intended as delay after acquisition of the last image utilised in the multi-temporal analysis

T0 OR T0+03


Project Plan


Product identifier




H-12 SN-OBS-3 Effective snow cover by VIS/IR radiometry

The combined effect, within a product resolution element, of fractional snow cover and other reflective contributors is used to estimate the fractional cover at resolution element level.

The product may be processed in different ways and have different quality depending on the surface being flat, forested or mountainous.

The algorithm is based on multi-channel analysis of AVHRR, the most important being those in short-wave, thus the product is generated in daylight.

The “deficit” of brightness in respect of the maximum one is correlated to the lack of snow in the product resolution element. In the case of forests, the expected maximum brightness (or the “transmissivity”) is evaluated in advance by a high-resolution instrument (MODIS).

In order to search for cloud-free pixels, multi-temporal analysis is performed over all images available in 24 hours (in daylight)



Timeliness is intended as delay after acquisition of the last image utilised in the multi-temporal analysis

T0 OR T0+03


H-13 SN-OBS-4 Snow water equivalent by MW radiometry

Maps of snow water equivalent derived from MW measurements sensitive to snow thickness and density.

The product may be processed in different ways and have different quality depending on the surface being flat, forested or mountainous.

The algorithm is based on assimilating MW brightness temperatures of several channels at frequencies with different penetration in snow, into a first-guess field built by the (sparse) network of stations measuring snow depth



Timeliness controlled by the delay in accessing AMSR-E data from NASA by FTP, intended as delay after acquisition of the last image utilised in the assimilation process

T0 OR T0+03


Project Plan


Product identifier




H-14 SM-ASS-2

Soil Wetness Index in the roots region by scatterometer assimilation in a NWP model

Analysed soil wetness index for four different soil layers (covering the root zone from the surface to ~ 3 metres) generated by the ECMWF soil moisture assimilation system at 24 hour time steps.

The analysed soil moisture fields are based on a modelled first guess, the screen-level temperature and humidity analyses, and the ASCAT-derived surface soil moisture. They are then re-scaled to soil wetness index by normalising by the saturated soil moisture value as a function of soil type.

The Global product is generated starting from the Global surface soil moisture product (CAF product, SM-OBS-3 when becomes available); This product is scheduled to be released in demonstrational status at the end of CDOP.

Time Domain Reflectometers (TDR)

Comparison with SMOS

Product development initially based on ERS-1/2 AMI-SCAT.

T0+18

ORR-2

H-15 PR-OBS-6

Blended SEVIRI Convection area/ LEO MW Convective Precipitation

Instantaneous precipitation maps generated by IR images from operational geostationary satellites “calibrated” by precipitation measurements from MW images in sun-synchronous orbits, processed soon after each acquisition of a new image from GEO (“Rapid Update”).

The calibrating lookup tables are updated after each new pass of a MW-equipped satellite


Product mostly suitable for convective precipitation

T0+18

ORR-2

Project Plan


Product identifier




H-16 SM-OBS-3 ASCAT Large-scale surface soil moisture

It refers to the soil moisture content in the surface layer (0.5-2 cm) generated from the Metop scatterometer (ASCAT). It is a coarse-resolution product (25 km), controlled by the instrument IFOV.

At EUMETSAT Central Application Facilities, the Global product is generated soon after each satellite orbit completion on the base of algorithms and software developed by TU-Wien prior to the start of H-SAF.

This SM-OBS-3 product will supersede the CAF global ASCAT Soil Moisture in CDOP-2

References: Wagner et al. (1999), Naeimi et al. (2009)

In-situ measurements (e.g. Time Domain Reflectometers (TDR))

Output of hydro-meteorological models

Satellite data (e.g. SMOS)

The product development, generation and dissemination will be done in shared responsibilities (Federated Activiy) between the H-SAF consortium (development and validation) and the EUMETSAT CAF (product generation and dissemination).

CDOP-2

Table 12 Product Requirements Table (Part 1 - Characteristics and methods)

Please note:

(*) H-SAF activities on this product involve validation and continuous development, NOT operations: product is operated by EUMESTAT Central Application Facilities.

Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-01 SSMI on DMSP

FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of specified coordinates in the orbital projection (BUFR)

H-SAF area (25°N to 75°N latitude, 25°W to 45°E longitude)

2.5 h

Up to six passes/day in the intervals 06-12 and 18-24 UTC

Observing cycle over Europe: ~ 10 h

Resolution changing with precipitation type: 30 km in average

Sampling: 16 km

Changing with precipitation type:

90 % for > 10 mm/h, 120 % for 1-10 mm/h, 240 % for < 1 mm/h


80 % for > 10 mm/h,105 % for 1-10 mm/h, 45 % for < 1 mm/h



H-02

AMSU-A (NOAA 15/16)

MHS (Metop, NOAA 18/19)


FTP - EUMETCast



30 min

Up to six passes/day with somewhat irregular distribution across the day.

Observing cycle over Europe: ~ 5 h

Resolution changing with precipitation type: 40 km in average

Sampling: 16 km







Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-03 SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9

FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the Meteosat projection (GRIB-2)

H-SAF area (25°N to 75°N latitude, 25°W to 45°E longitude) (degradation expected at very high latitudes)

15 min

Every new SEVIRI image (at 15 min intervals)

Observing cycle over Europe: 15 min

Resolution changing cross Europe: 8 km in average

Sampling: 5 km in average







H-04

SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9; AMSU-A/B (NOAA 15/16)

MHS (Metop, NOAA 18/19)


FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the Meteosat projection (GRIB-2) (TBC)


4 hours (<4: extrapolation) (TBC)

12 times per day (TBC)

Resolution: 30 km in average








Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-05

SEVIRI on MSG Meteosat-9

(not direct: through PR-OBS-3 and PR-OBS-4)

FTP - EUMETCast



15 min

Four products (integrals over 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) every three hours (rolling)

Observing cycle over Europe: 3 h

Resolution: ~ 30 km


Changing with integration interval:

120 % for 3-h accumulation, 100 % for 24-h accumulation





H-06 Not direct FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the NWP model (GRIB-1)

Being progressively extended to the H-SAF area (25°N to 75°N latitude, 25°W to 45°E longitude)

4 h

Five products (rain rate and integrals over the preceding 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) every three hours (rolling)

Observing cycle 6 h (NWP model run four times/day)

Resolution: ~ 30 km

Sampling: 7 km (grid mesh of COSMO-ME)

Precipitation rate: 100 % - 24-h

Accumulated precipitation: 200 %





Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-08

ASCAT on Metop

(via CAF Global ASCAT Soil moisture and SM-OBS-3 in CDOP-2)

FTP - EUMETCast



130 min

On completion of each orbit at 100 min intervals, through the intervals 07-11 and 17-23 UTC


Resolution resulting from disaggregation starting from 25 km

Sampling: 0.5 km

0.10 m3· m-3 0.05 m3· m-3 0.04 m3· m-3

Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy


FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the Meteosat projection (HDF5)


30 min

Multi-temporal analysis updated every new SEVIRI image (at 15 min intervals)

Output result every 24 h



Probability Of Detection (POD): 80 % for Flat and Forested Areas, 60% for Mountaineous Areas

False Alarm Rate (FAR): 20 % for Flat and Forested Areas, 30% for Mountaineous Areas

Probability Of Detection (POD): 85 % for Flat and Forested Areas, 70% for Mountaineous Areas

False Alarm Rate (FAR): 15 % for Flat and Forested Areas, 20% for Mountaineous Areas

Probability Of Detection (POD): 99 %

False Alarm Rate (FAR): 5 %

H-11 AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua

FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the equal-latitude/longitude projection (HDF5)


6 h

After each EOS-Aqua orbit, but then merging with daily SN-OBS-1 maps;

therefore: output result every 24 h

Resolution: ~ 20 km

Sampling: 20 km

Hit Rate (HR): 60 %


Hit Rate (HR): 80 %


Hit Rate (HR): 90 %


Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-12 AVHRR (NOAA, Metop)

FTP - EUMETCast



30 min

After each AVHRR pass, then multi-temporal analysis for cloud-free pixels


Resolution: ~ 8 km

Sampling: ~ 5 km

40 % 20 % 10 %

H-13 AMSR-E on EOS-Aqua

FTP - EUMETCast



6 h

Assimilation of AMSR-E brightness temperatures in a background field


Resolution: ~ 25 km

Sampling: ~ 25 km

40 mm 20 mm 10 mm

Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-14

ASCAT on Metop

(via CAF Global ASCAT Soil moisture and SM-OBS-3 in CDOP-2)

FTP - EUMETCast

Values in grid points of the NWP model (GRIB-1)

global 36 h (TBC)

Model output at 24-h intervals

Observing cycle ~ 24 h (NWP model assimilation / stabilisation process)

Horizontal resolution: ~ 50 km

Sampling: ~ 16 km (model mesh grid)

Vertical resolution: 4 layers in the range surface to 2 m below

To be assessed

To be assessed

To be assessed


FTP - EUMETCast



15 min

Every new SEVIRI image (at 15 min intervals)

Observing cycle over Europe: 15 min




80 % for > 10 mm/h, 160 % for 1-10 mm/h, N/A for < 1 mm/h





Project Plan


Input

satellite data

Disseminati

on means Format

Spatial

coverage

Timelines

s

Generation

frequency

Spatial

resolution

Threshold

accuracy

Target

accuracy

Optimal

accuracy

H-16

ASCAT on Metop

FTP - EUMETCast


global 2 h

On completion of each orbit, at 100 min intervals, through the whole day


Resolution: 25 km

Sampling: 12.5 km

0.10 m3· m-3 0.05 m3· m-3 0.04 m3· m-3

Table 13 Product Requirements Table (Part 2 - Performances and requirements)

Project Plan


Appendix 4 Master Schedule

Project Plan


Project Plan


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