The SSMIS Pre-processing Package (SSMIS_PP)

The SSMIS Pre-processing Package (SSMIS_PP) is supplied and maintained by the NWP SAF. This package processes data from the SSMIS instrument on board the US Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) series of satellites. The first SSMIS was launched in October 2003.

As its main output, SSMIS_PP produces BUFR files of brightness temperature from the SSMIS instrument on DMSP F16. These brightness temperatures are corrected for a number of systematic effects in the SSMIS data stream. The primary application foreseen for this data is direct assimilation in NWP assimilation systems.

The SSMIS_PP has been developed at the Met Office as part of the NWP SAF program with the co-operation of the SSMIS Cal/Val team based at the Navy Research Laboratory (NRL) in Monterey, US.

Since 2009, The functionality of the SSMIS_PP has been incorporated into a 'unified pre-processor' (UPP) package developed and maintained at NRL. UPP is currently running operationally at FNMOC (Monterey) and is delivering data via NESDIS to the Met Office via the fast Washington-Exeter link. New users interested in this stream should contact the NWP SAF Helpdesk.

The UPP stream comprises unaveraged data, with all channels provided on the sampling grid of the lower atmospheric sounding channels. A separate averaging module is available for this data stream, based on the original SSMIS_PP averaging function. See the technical documentation (below) for more information.

• Version 1.0: 01 Sep 2006
• Version 1.1: 25 Nov 2010, addition of averaging module for UPP data

• SSMIS_PP documentation (pdf files)
  • NWPSAF_MO_UD_014: Scientific description
  • NWPSAF_MO_UD_024: Technical description
  • NWPSAF_MO_UD_025: SSMIS UPP Averaging Module Technical description

• How to get a copy of the SSMIS_PP Software System
• To request further information on SSMIS_PP please use the NWP SAF Feedback Form or use the link above to find out how to obtain the software.

As stated in the introduction, pre-processing of data from current and future SSMIS instruments is now carried out via the UPP, which is maintained by NRL. Also, NASA and NOAA are developing a version of the code called the UPP-CP (Climate and Precipitation), which will provide corrected brightness temperatures at native resolutions for all channels. Current plans are to run the UPP-CP and UPP codes operationally at FNMOC, for general distribution. Co-operation will be maintained between the NWP SAF, NOAA, NASA and NRL in order to maximise the benefits of SSMIS to users.