Updated 19 May 2004

17th N. AMERICA/EUROPE DATA EXCHANGE MEETING - 2004
NORTH AMERICAN REQUIREMENTS

This document presents the combined status of and requirements for data and products from Europe for operational NWP and related activities in North America. Unless otherwise specified, the stated requirement represents a common requirement of NOAA and CMC. 
A key requirement common to all the products listed below is the reliable exchange of information on any changes impacting any of the transmitted products. Timely exchange of information will help in explaining anomalies in the monitoring and if assimilated in forecast trends. 

1.	POLAR SATELLITES: ORBIT‑BY‑ORBIT DATA/PRODUCTS

1.1		ENVISAT-1

1.1.1		Radar Altimeter 2 (RA-2)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Maps ocean topography, sea ice, polar ice sheets, and most land surfaces.  Also wind speed and significant wave height at sea.  Data to be used for assimilation into meteorological and oceanographic models.

Requirements: 	Yes, for real-time data, when available.

1.1.2		Advance Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Identification of frontal features and estimation of wave spectra.

		MSC: Data useful for detection of ice features and used by Canadian Ice Services (local reception).

Requirements: 	Yes.

1.1.3		MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) Instrument

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Estimation of ocean optical properties.  Also, cloud top height, total water vapor column, and aerosol load over land.

Requirement:	Yes, when available.

1.1.4		Advance Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR)

Status:	 	Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Sea surface temperature.  Data to be used for assimilation into oceanographic models and identification of frontal features.

		MSC: To be used in SST analyses, data obtained from ftp site in Frascati.

Requirement:	Yes, for real-time data, when available.

1.1.5		Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars (GOMOS)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Measurement of profiles of ozone, NO2, NO3, OClO, temperature, and water vapor.  Data to be used for climate modeling, ozone assimilation, model validation.

Requirements: 	Yes, when available.

1.1.6		MicroWave Radiometer (MWR)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Integrated atmospheric water vapor column and cloud liquid water content.  Also surface emissivity, soil moisture over land, and ice characterization.

Requirement:	No, but possibly useful for water vapor and cloud liquid water initialization.

1.1.7	Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Monitor glaciers, landslides and volcanoes.  Improve the modeling of the Earth gravity field and of the ionosphere.

Requirement:	No current requirement.

1.1.8	Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Simultaneous and global measurements of geophysical parameters in the middle atmosphere;           Stratospheric chemistry: O3, H2O, CH4, N2O, and HNO3; and Climatology: Temperature, CH4, N2O, O3 ; Study of chemical composition, dynamics, and radiation budget of the middle atmosphere;      Monitoring of stratospheric O3 and CFC's. 

		MSC: Interested in data for chemical data assimilation.

Requirement:	Yes (MSC).

1.1.9	SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Perform global measurements of trace gases in the troposphere and in the stratosphere.

		MSC: Interested in data for chemical data assimilation.

Requirement:	Yes (MSC).

1.1.10	Laser Retroreflector (LRR)

Status:		Launched 1 March 2002.  Not received.

Comments:	Passive device which is used as a reflector by ground-based SLR stations using high-power pulsed lasers.

Requirement:	No current requirement.

1.2		METeorological OPerational/EUMETSAT Polar System (METOP/EPS)

Status:		A separate agreement with EUMETSAT is in place for the receipt of all European acquired data from all instruments.

Comments:	Launch date for METOP-1 is 2005, followed by METOP-2 and –3 in successive years.  Not received. Radiances, temperatures of the land and ocean surface on a global basis, ozone monitoring, ocean wind flow.  METOP will become NOAA's morning mission.
		Availability of full spectral resolution data in addition to any ‘channel subset’ data sets is required.

		MSC: Data will be assimilated operationally when available. Data required as soon as possible after launch.

Requirement:	Yes, immediately after launch and available.

2.              	GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITES: DATA/PRODUCTS

2.1		METEOSAT

2.1.1		METEOSAT imagery (visible, IR, water vapor)

Status:		Received from METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7 by NESDIS and used operationally.

Comments:	Imagery is used for Atlantic and Indian Ocean forecasts, quality control of model output, synoptic analyses, tropical cyclone analyses, cloud-track wind generation.

Need status update on Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), including expected availability and product quality.  Also desire information about information compression methods being used for image transmission, including use of JPG-2000.

MSC: Receiving 3-hourly METEOSAT-7 imagery from METO. Also interested in imagery from METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-8 (MSG).		

Requirement:	Yes.

2.1.2		METEOSAT cloud-track winds from IR imagery

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received from METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7 and used operationally.

Comments:	Winds from the BUFR Expanded Low Resolution (ELW) template are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models.

Requirement:	Yes.

2.1.3		METEOSAT cloud-track winds from visible imagery

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Will be received from METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7 and will be used operationally once operational data feed is upgraded.

Comments:	Winds from the BUFR High Resolution Visible (HRV) template are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models. 
 
Requirement:	Yes.

2.1.4		METEOSAT cloud-track winds from water vapor imagery

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Will be received from METEOSAT-5 and METEOSAT-7 but not yet used operationally.

Comments:	Winds from the BUFR High Resolution Water vapor (HWW) template to be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models.

Requirement:	Yes.

2.1.5		METEOSAT clear sky water vapor winds

Status:		Will be received operationally once operational data feed is upgraded.

Comments:	Winds from the BUFR WVW template could possibly be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models.  

Requirement:	Yes.

2.1.6		METEOSAT clear sky (imager) radiances

Status:		Will be received operationally once operational data feed is upgraded

Comments:	Radiances from the BUFR CSR template could possibly be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models.  

		MSC – Interested in obtaining data for assimilation.

Requirement:	Yes 

2.1.7	Meteosat Second Generation (MSG)

Status:		Launched Aug 2002

Comments:	The following are being distributed in BUFR on GTS by EUMETSAT.  NWSTG is not receiving the bulletins but they can be routed to users once operational data feed is upgraded:
(1)	AMV: Atmospheric Motion Vectors
(2)	CLA: Cloud Analysis
(3)	CSR: Clear Sky Radiances
(4)	TH: Tropospheric Humidity
(5)	TOZ: Total Ozone 

Requirement:	Yes – Same as existing Meteosat

3.           	NON‑SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS

3.1		Upper‑air observations

3.1.1		RAWIN, radiosonde, PIBAL

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used operationally.

Comments:	Data are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for analysis and climate.

Requirement:	Yes

3.1.2		EUMETNET-ASAP (Automated Shipboard Aerological Program)

Status:		Operational and available on GTS.

Comments:	Provide vertical profiles of wind, temperature and humidity from ships in data‑sparse areas.  First on a route within the Mediterranean or between the Eastern Mediterranean and the Eastern Seaboard of North America, and later on a route between the English Channel or the Irish Sea
and the Eastern Seaboard of North America.  Data to be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for analysis and climate.  

Requirement:	Yes.

3.2		Surface observations

3.2.1       	Synoptic and METAR 

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used operationally.

Comments:	Highest time frequency required is hourly.  Data are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for analysis and climate. 

Requirement:	Yes.

3.2.2                      EUMETNET-AWS (Automated Weather Stations)

Status:		Available once communications are upgraded

Comments:	Real time transmission of relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, air temperature, and precipitation amount (plus more) from various meso-networks across Europe consisting of agricultural and climatological sites as well as airports.  Highest time frequency required is hourly.   Data to be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for analysis and climate. 

Requirement: 	Yes.

3.2.3		Rain, snowfall, snow depth observations, river flow data

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	River flow data may be available at gauging stations.  Data to be used for snow analysis, rainfall assimilation, Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS), and climate database.  Desired Format is BUFR, but will also accept SHEF (Standard Hydrological Encoded Format).  Progress by UK noted.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.2.4		Soil moisture and temperature observations

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Data to be used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models.

Requirement:	Yes, if/when available.

3.2.5		Surface energy/water flux- observations

Status:		Not received.

Comments: 	Data to be used as validation of numerical models.  These type of observations will be taken at international "FLUXNET" stations being installed around the world to monitor the global carbon cycle.

Requireent:	Yes.

3.2.6		Additional surface observations (e.g., mesonets, surface rainfall measurements, offshore oil rig obs.)

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Mesonet data could become increasingly important with higher resolution forecast system.  Rainfall assimilation techniques are increasing the need for precipitation observations.  Observations on offshore oil rigs could be very useful in data space regions.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.3		Fixed and drifting buoy, ship, tidal data, and ocean/littoral currents

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used operationally.

Comments:	Highest time frequency required is hourly.  Data are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for analysis and climate.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.4		Aircraft observations

3.4.1		PIREPS, AIREPS, SIGMETS and AIRMETS

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used operationally.

Comments:	Wind and temperature data are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, for aviation support, and for filling gaps in coverage world-wide.  Data also support AWC=s international WAFS product requirements and backup requirements.
Note: There appears to be missing data east of 10 degrees west longitude

Requirement:	Yes.

3.4.2		AMDAR

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used operationally.

Comments:	In addition to reports currently received, request ASDAR and ACARS wind and temperature ascent/descent measurements over the territory of EUMETNET members, aiming at an average spacing of 250 km and a time spacing of every 3 hours.  For all reports, request humidity measurements as they become available.  Current wind and temperature data used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, for aviation support, and for filling gaps in coverage world-wide.  Data also support AWC=s international WAFS product requirements and backup requirements.

Request continued extension of the reporting of AMDAR data to the Caribbean, Central and South America from European carriers. {also Canada}  Would prefer BUFR format when possible.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.4.3		European AMDAR Data Aquisition System (E-ADAS)

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received, decoded and re-encoded into NCEP BUFR database, but not used operationally.

		MSC: E-AMDAR data in BUFR are used operationally.

Comments:	Same as AMDAR above.

Requirement:	Yes. 

3.4.4		Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) data

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Will be used operationally once operational data feed is upgraded  Awaiting METO update

Comments:	Data are currently available only on North Atlantic flights, but geographic coverage is expected to expand in near future.  Data are used as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, for aviation support, and for filling gaps in coverage world-wide.

		MSC: Known ADS data received in AIREP code, so data can easily be interpreted as being AIREP.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.5		Weather radar Data/Imagery

3.5.1		OPERA (Operational Program for the Exchange of Weather RAdar Information)

Status:		In planning stage.  Not received.

Comments:	EUMETNET program to harmonize and improve the operational exchange of weather radar information between national meteorological services in the European community.

Requirement:	No current requirement.

3.6		Sea, Lake, and Land Surface temperature and state observations

3.6.1		Lake Temperatures

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Higher resolution surface temperature analyses require lake temperature and state information (e.g., frozen, etc.).  These analyses have a significant impact on higher resolution forecast models.
		NCEP will be upgrading its SST analysis to 1/12 degree and including Lake temperatures.  Product may be available for testing on June 2005

		MSC – Interest for SST analyses.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.7		Lightning data from the UKMO

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used.

Comments:	Data are used for climate database, and products.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.8		Wind Profiler and Radio-Acoustic Sounding System (RASS) data

3.8.1		Profilers

Status:		Provide vertical profiles of wind with high frequency in time.  Some wind profiler data are transmitted on GTS as PILOT (PIBAL) reports.  These are received, converted to wind profiler report types, and used operationally.  We now have the list of headers for profiler data available in BUFR on the GTS.  Saturation of communication lines from NWS/TOC to NCEP currently precludes our using them until the delivery lines are replaced in summer 2004.  Other wind profiler and RASS data may be available but are not received.
                            
Comments:	All wind profiler reports should be transmitted in BUFR under a wind profiler header on GTS.  Data to be used to augment upper‑air data (both surface and satellite based) as input to and validation of numerical meteorological models, and for aviation support.

Requirement:	Yes, for both wind profiler and RASS data.

3.8.2		VAD Radar Winds

Status:		None received.

Comments:	Are European VAD wind reports available?  If so, where are they found?  

Requirement:	Yes, when available in BUFR format.

3.9		Solar observations and forecasts

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Data to be used to support space operations and communications.

Requirement:	Yes.

3.10		Ground-based GPS-Integrated Precipitable Water (GPS-IPW)

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Data could potentially be used for validation of numerical meteorological models.

Requirement:	Yes, there is now a requirement – NCEP testing the FSL/US data.  We understand that there are also sites in Japan and Germany (and maybe others) and would like these data as well.  FSL may be looking into obtaining these data. 

		There is a requirement for CHAMP data in real time

4.		FORECAST AND ANALYSIS FIELDS

4.1		Meteorological model output fields

4.1.1		ECMWF

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used.

Comments:	Currently receive a small set of selected analyzed and forecast standard meteorological output fields at standard levels on 2.5 degree grid in forecast increments of 24 hours for forecasts to 6 days.   Would prefer to receive a more complete set of analyzed and forecast fields in forecast increments of 6 hours on 1x1 degree grid or in spectral coefficients for forecasts to 7 days, and at a lower resolution for forecasts to 10 days (with an extension to 16 days if it becomes available).  Requested fields include:
a) air temperature; vapor pressure; u, v, w components of the wind; and geopotential
     height at 1013.2, 1000, 975, 950, 925, 900, 850, 800, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 150,
     100, 70, 50, 30, 20, and 10 mb.
b)  u, v, components for the wind stress; latent heat flux; sensible heat flux; IR heat flux;
     solar heat flux; and 12‑hour accumulated total precipitation at the surface.
c)  air temperature; vapor pressure; and u, v components of the wind at 19.5 meters
     above the surface.
d)  atmospheric pressure at mean sea level.
Fields are used for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models, and for generating
analyzed and forecast tropical cyclone tracks.

Requirement:	Yes.

4.1.2		UKMO
 
Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used.

Comments:	Currently receive selected analyzed and forecast standard meteorological output fields at standard levels on 2.5 degree grid in forecast increments of 12 hours for forecasts to 6 days.  Would prefer to receive a more complete set of analyzed and forecast fields on 1x1 degree grid or in spectral coefficients in forecast increments of 6 hours for forecasts to 6 days.  Requested fields include:
a) air temperature; vapor pressure; u, v, w components of the wind; and geopotential
     height at 1013.2, 1000, 975, 950, 925, 900, 850, 800, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 150,
     100, 70, 50, 30, 20, and 10 mb.
b)  u, v, components for the wind stress; latent heat flux; sensible heat flux; IR heat flux;
     solar heat flux; and 12‑hour accumulated total precipitation at the surface.
c)  air temperature; vapor pressure; and u, v components of the wind at 19.5 meters
     above the surface.
d)  atmospheric pressure at mean sea level.
Fields are used for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models, and for generating
analyzed and forecast tropical cyclone tracks.   WAFS grids provide aviation backup.

 Requirement:	Yes.

4.1.3		DWD

Status:		Available on GTS and will be received once operational data feed is upgraded

Comments:	Requested fields include:
a) air temperature; vapor pressure; u, v, w components of the wind; and geopotential
     height at 1013.2, 1000, 975, 950, 925, 900, 850, 800, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 150,
     100, 70, 50, 30, 20, and 10 mb.
b)  u, v, components for the wind stress; latent heat flux; sensible heat flux; IR heat flux;
     solar heat flux; and 12‑hour accumulated total precipitation at the surface.
c)  air temperature; vapor pressure; and u, v components of the wind at 19.5 meters
     above the surface.
d)  atmospheric pressure at mean sea level.
Fields to be used for direct comparison with U.S. models, for validation, and for statistical study.

 Requirement:	Yes.

4.1.4		METEO-FRANCE

Status:		Available on GTS and will be received once operational data feed is upgraded

Comments:	Requested fields include:
a) air temperature; vapor pressure; u, v, w components of the wind; and geopotential
     height at 1013.2, 1000, 975, 950, 925, 900, 850, 800, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 150,
     100, 70, 50, 30, 20, and 10 mb.
b)  u, v, components for the wind stress; latent heat flux; sensible heat flux; IR heat flux;
     solar heat flux; and 12‑hour accumulated total precipitation at the surface.
c)  air temperature; vapor pressure; and u, v components of the wind at 19.5 meters
     above the surface.
d)  atmospheric pressure at mean sea level.
Fields to be used for direct comparison with U.S. models, for validation, and for statistical study.

Requirement:	Yes.

4.2 		Oceanographic model output fields from both the ECMWF operational global wave model, and from the UKMO operational Forecasting Ocean/Atmosphere Model (FOAM)

Status:		ECMWF wave data transmission under consideration by ECMWF Council.

Comments:	Selected analyzed and forecast standard oceanographic output fields.  Preferred at model resolution if available, otherwise grid spacing of  l x l degrees.

ECMWF global wave model: Fields to be made available in forecast increments of 6 hours for forecasts to 6 days.  Requested fields include significant wave height, primary wave period, primary wave direction, sea height/period/direction, and swell height/period/direction.  Fields to be used for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models.

UKMO FOAM model: Fields to be made available at standard depth levels in forecast increments
of 24 hours for forecasts to 5 days.  Requested fields include temperature; salinity; and u,v components of current at depths of 0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000, and 5000 meters.  Fields to be used for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models.

Requirement:	Yes.

4.3		Coupled model output fields from ECMWF and UKMO

Status:		ECMWF coupled model data transmission under consideration by ECMWF Council 

Comments:	Selected analyzed and forecast standard atmospheric, oceanographic, land surface and ice output fields.  Preferred at model resolution, if available, otherwise grid spacing of 1 x 1 degrees.  

For atmospheric and oceanographic fields see desired fields in 3.1 and 3.2.  For land surface would like soil moisture (frozen and unfrozen), soil temperature, snowpack density and water content, total runoff, surface runoff, surface evaporation, sen sible heat flux, ground heat flux, downward and upward longwave radiation, downward and upward shortwave radiation, vegetation class and soil class grids).

Requirement:	Yes.  Detailed requirements being assembled.  Need list of existing output fields.

4.4		Selected meteorological output fields from the ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System 

Status:		Routine ECMWF EPS data transmission under consideration by ECMWF Council.

Comments:	Selected meteorological output fields in forecast increments of 12 hours for forecasts to 10 days.  Requested fields include 12-hour accumulated total precipitation at the surface; air temperature at 2 meters above the surface and 850 mb; geopotential height at 1000 and 500 mb; u,v wind components at 19.5 meters above the surface and 200 mb; and atmospheric pressure at mean sea level.  Fields are used for research and evaluation as well as for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models.

Requirement:	Yes.

4.5		Forecast tropical cyclone tracks from the UKMO (and other Centers)

Status:		Transmitted on GTS.  Received and used.

Comments:	Request tropical cyclone positions to be made available in forecast increments of 6 hours for forecasts to 3 days.  Tracks are used for direct comparison and cross validation with U.S. models.

Requirement:	Yes.  Test the use of CREX.  Desire data from other Centers as well.

4.6		Sea surface temperature, wind direction/speed, wave height, sea ice analyses and forecast products

Status:		Not received.

Comments:	Data could potentially be used for forecasts, analyses, validation, and climate.

Requirement:	No.