Exploration of a Future NOAA Infrared Sounder in Geostationary Earth Orbit

A geostationary (GEO) hyperspectral infrared sounder (HyIRS) is capable of providing high spectral (0.625 cm
⁻¹
), temporal (every 30 min) and spatial (4 km) resolution observations over the continental U.S. (CONUS). Frequent observations from a GEO-HyIRS at high spatial resolution are expected to contribute to the generation of three-dimensional structures of atmospheric temperature and humidity, and wind. These new observations will provide valuable information for timely forecasts of severe storms over the CONUS and the overall Western Hemisphere. Infrared (IR) sounder observations from a geostationary orbit open a new set of possibilities, including the capability of monitoring the diurnal cycle of atmospheric patterns, which is difficult from Low Earth Orbit IR sounders and the capability of timely and accurate retrievals of several trace gases. In this article, the feasibility of adding a HyIRS into the next generation of U.S. geostationary environmental satellites is studied. The configuration of a notional U.S. GEO-HyIRS sensor and its ground data processing system are discussed. A hyperspectral IR data simulator is developed and reported as part of this engineering study, where proxy data is used to model the end-to-end ground processing system. Various considerations for the configuration and the calibration and validation of the instrument are addressed.