NPOESS preparatory project validation plans for the ozone mapping and profiler suite

NOAA, through the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program, in partnership with National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA), will launch the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite, a risk reduction and data continuity mission, prior to the first operational JPSS launch. The JPSS program will execute the NPP Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) program to ensure the data products comply with the requirements of the sponsoring agencies. The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) consists of two telescopes feeding three detectors measuring solar radiance scattered by the Earth´s atmosphere and solar irradiance by using diffusers. The measurements are used to generate estimates of total column ozone and vertical ozone profiles. The validation efforts will make use of external resources in the form of ground-based and satellite measurements for comparisons and internal consistency methods developed over the last thirty years. This paper provides information and references for the OMPS instrument, measurements, and products and some examples of components of the Cal/Val Plan with emphasis on the collaborative data and analysis techniques for the validation of the NPP OMPS environmental data products. Results for existing/proxy data sets are described to demonstrate the progress made in developing tools, creating and collecting test data, and expanding monitoring capabilities in preparation for the post-launch activities.