The TES data validation activities are integrated into the Aura validation program. An Aura validation plan can be downloaded from the Aura Validation web page. The Aura Validation Data Center (AVDC) will provide the data accesses for TES validations. Here we list some specific activities planed for TES post launch data validations. We also list the correlative data sources for each TES data product.

List of TES special observation targets and their locations on the global map.

Post-Launch Minimal || Post-Launch Core || Correlative Data for TES Products

Post-Launch Minimal (Before Data Beta Release)   [Return to top]

1. Onboard internal instrument calibration.

2. Level 1B spectral radiance, e.g., observed spectra vs. forward model spectra at places with known profiles and other parameters, and vs. coincident satellite / aircraft spectra.

3. Cloud identification, e.g., comparing with MODIS, and OMI cloud cover.

4. Retrieval, e.g., comparing retrieval results via independent algorithms.

5. Check for general feature / pattern (1st order sanity check), e.g., comparing global daily / weekly / monthly maps and zonal mean maps with model and those maps from other satellite instruments (e.g., MOPITT, MIPAS) / sonde maps.

6. Quick inter-comparison with Level 2 data from other Aura instruments.

7. Quick comparison with other validated data set, e.g., ozone sonde, in situ, and meteorological data.

Post-Launch Core / Long Term   [Return to top]

1. More Level 1B spectra validations.

2. Detailed inter-comparison with other Aura instruments.

3. Obtain as many as possible correlative measurements from other satellite, ground-based, and aircraft / balloon instruments.

4. Support the aircraft / field campaigns and use those data for comparison.

Correlative Data Sources for TES Data Validation   [Return to top]

Level 1B Spectra

• Candidate locations: Gulf of Mexico and Lake Tahoe in California / Nevada. AERI and AERI_X located at the ARM CART site in northern Oklahoma.
• Aircraft-borne instruments: S-HIS and NAST-I
• Satellite instruments: AIRS, MIPAS, HIRDLS.
• Sonde locations providing "ground truth" profiles.

Level 1B Cloud Flags

• MODIS cloud mask. OMI cloud coverage. Operational metrological satellites.
• HIRDLS cloud height at limb.

Limb / Nadir Pointing

• Known ground targets.
• HIRDLS cloud top.

Nadir Surface Temperature and Emissivity

• Aircraft-borne instruments: S-HIS and NAST-I
• Satellite instruments: TERRA ASTER, AQUA AIRS

Cloud / Aerosol

• Limb: inter-compare with HIRDLS radiance & non-standard products.
• Aerosol-extinction comparison: POAM III, HALOE, SAGE III, ILAS II, GOMES, SCIAMACHY. in situ tropospheric aerosol-composition and size-distribution measurements.
• Sulfate aerosol / PSCs: balloon-borne, lidar (NDSC) particle-size-distribution measurements.
• Tropospheric cloud: MODIS, HALOE, MIPAS, ESSP3, SAGE III, AIRS/AMSU, WAM.

Atmospheric Temperature

• Operational meteorological data, e.g., DAO, NCEP, ECMWF and UKMO.
• Radiosondes, G-lidar, ARM data.
• Aura instruments: MLS, HIRDLS.
• Other satellite data, e.g., AIRS, POAM III, MIPAS, SCIAMACHY, ILAS-II, UARS; GPS temperature profiles.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS/TRACE B, TC3, AVE & WAM

H₂O

• Radiosonde network (>1300 sites), ARM site, OM-data.
• Aura instruments: MLS, HIRDL.
• Satellite profiles: AIRS, SAGE-III, MIPAS, POAM-III, SCIAMACHY, SABER, ILAS-II, UARS, GPS, Weather satellites.
• Operational meteorological data, e.g., DAO, NCEP, ECMWF and UKMO.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS / TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.

Ozone

• WOUDC (50-100 ozonesonde sites); SHADOZ (11 ozonesonde locations in tropics / southern hemisphere); Brewer-Dobson and Umkehr ozone networks; column from SAOZ.
• Stratosphere: NDSC (sondes, stratospheric lidars, microwave sensors).
• Aura instruments: MLS, HIRDLS, OMI.
• Satellite profiles: GOME, SAGE-III, MIPAS, SABER, ODIN, SCIAMACHY, ILAS-II, ACE, UARS.
• Satellite column: TOMS, GOME, AIRS, SCIAMACHY.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS / TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.

• Aura instrument: MLS.
• Satellite profiles: MOPITT, MIPAS, SCIAMACHY, ACE.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS / TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.
• MOPITT validation program (ground-based, aircraft, in situ), MOZAIC aircraft data.

CH₄

• Aura instrument: HIRDLS
• Satellite profiles: HALOE, SCIAMACHY, MIPAS, ILAS-II, ACE.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS/TRACE-B, TC3, & AVE.
• MOPITT validation program (ground-based, aircraft, in situ), MOZAIC aircraft data.

HNO₃

• Aura instruments: HIRDLS, MLS.
• Satellite profiles: UARS MLS, ODIN, SCIAMACHY, MIPAS, ILAS-II, ACE.
• Stratosphere: NDSC (sondes, stratospheric lidars, microwave sensors).
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS/TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.

NO

• Satellite profiles: HALOE, ACE, MIPAS.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS/TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.

NO₂

• Aura instruments: HIRDLS, OMI.
• Satellite profiles: SCIAMACHY, GOME, SAGE-III, HALOE, POAM-III, ODIN, MIPAS, ILAS-II, ACE.
• Aircraft (balloon) campaigns: INTEX, LARS/TRACE-B, TC3, WAM, & AVE.

Post-Launch Minimal || Post-Launch Core || Correlative Data for TES Products