Terra MODIS being put on hold Oct 2022

[rtodling]

This is to layout all the steps and changes needed by OPS to put any data we use from Terra MODIS on hold.

For GSI: what RC/TXT files need to be edited to turn off the data and KXs are we talking about (e.g., global_convinfo) ?

Please notice that handling this in 5.29.5 and GEOS-IT is a matter of editing the convinfo data base.

For GAAS: what needs to be edited to put a hold on the data (e.g., ana.rc.tmpl) ?

For emissions: any concerns about this?

Anything else anyone can think about?

The following is the original notification:

Topic: Terra MODIS data outage due to orbital maneuvers scheduled for October.

Date/Time Issued: September 27, 2022 1800Z

Product or Data Impacted: All MODIS products from the Terra satellite.

Date/Time of Initial Impact: October 12, 2022 1130Z

Date/Time of Expected End: October 21, 2022 2355Z

Length of the Outage/Event: 9 Days

Details/Specifics of Change: NASA plans to perform a series of orbital maneuvers with the Terra satellite. These maneuvers will take place between October 12 and October 19. There will be no observations from the MODIS instrument during these times. Following the final maneuver on October 19th, out-gassing operations will continue for an additional 48 hours. During these last two days, the instrument will be returned to service, but data quality can not be guaranteed.

The Aqua satellite will not be effected by these maneuvers, and MODIS data from Aqua will be available normally.

Contact information for further information: ESPC Operations at [email protected] or 301-817-3880 24x7 or [email protected] during normal business hours

This message was sent by [email protected]. You have been sent this and other notifications because you have opted in to receive it. If for any reason, you wish to unsubscribe, please contact ESPC Help Desk at [email protected] or (301) 817-3880. Please note: it may take up to two business days to process your unsubscribe request.

[rtodling]

I will layout the steps for GEOS-IT and 5.29.5 for how to handle this situation and edit the convinfo database. Be aware that the controlling the conventional observations in GEOS-IT and 5.29.5 in no longer done by directly editing the convinfo file that sits in the FVHOME/run

[gmao-yzhu]

I think the kx values of 257, 258, and 259 are for MODIS winds, but I’m not sure which one (783 or 784) is corresponding to Terra. I have asked Meta and Austin to confirm the satellite.

[gmao-yzhu]

Meta replied: Terra is 783 which makes sense since it is the earlier satellite. In the past we had typically just left the satellite winds turned on in the convinfo file and let the availability in the satwnd bufr files that we copy from NCEP determine whether the winds turned up in the assimilation or not. When the DAS adopts the convinfo database (as we are doing for R21C, but not available yet in FP) it will be easier to turn obs types/subtypes off and on as we please.

[gmao-yzhu]

Mark, For MODIS winds, I will leave it to you to decide whether you’d like to directly edit gmao_global_convinfo.rc in the FP to turn off kx 257, 258, 259 with subtype 783, or you’d like to depend on the availability of the satwnd bufr files.