Town Hall: NASA's Earth System Observatory – Atmospheric Observing System
[16-Dec-2022]
The 2017 "Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space" recommended that NASA implement five high priority Designated Observables, including Aerosols (A) and Clouds, Convection and Precipitation (CCP). From late 2018 to early 2021, NASA conducted multi-center studies focused on developing implementable architectures for each of the DOs, with A and CCP studied in tandem given the highly synergistic nature of the two DOs. In 2021, NASA HQ announced the formation of the Earth System Observatory that implements the five DOs as part of a coordinated observing system. The A and CCP DOs are being implemented as two joint projects within the Earth System Observatory, known collectively as the Atmosphere Observing System (AOS), for which the overarching goal is to provide advanced coincident measurements of aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and in-cloud vertical air motion that will greatly enhance understanding of their interactions and roles in extreme weather and climate. The mission, which is expected to include significant international contributions, will complete its pre-formulation stage in 2022. In this Town Hall, the AOS team presents the results of the pre-formulation study and engages with the AGU science community.
The 2017 "Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space" recommended that NASA implement five high priority Designated Observables, including Aerosols (A) and Clouds, Convection and Precipitation (CCP). From late 2018 to early 2021, NASA conducted multi-center studies focused on developing implementable architectures for each of the DOs, with A and CCP studied in tandem given the highly synergistic nature of the two DOs. In 2021, NASA HQ announced the formation of the Earth System Observatory that implements the five DOs as part of a coordinated observing system. The A and CCP DOs are being implemented as two joint projects within the Earth System Observatory, known collectively as the Atmosphere Observing System (AOS), for which the overarching goal is to provide advanced coincident measurements of aerosols, clouds, precipitation, and in-cloud vertical air motion that will greatly enhance understanding of their interactions and roles in extreme weather and climate. The mission, which is expected to include significant international contributions, will complete its pre-formulation stage in 2022. In this Town Hall, the AOS team presents the results of the pre-formulation study and engages with the AGU science community.