IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2014 - 96

RBSP A
RBSP B

* GEO
Figure 8. STK-SEET example rendering of magnetic field lines

along with the orbits of NASA's Van Allen Probe satellites in midEarth orbit as well as a representation of the geosynchronous belt.

for the AF-GEOSpace model and visualization suite, and
obtain commercialization rights through a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) with
AFRL. By integrating these capabilities seamlessly into
Analytical Graphics Inc's (AGI) world-class STK product,
we provide ease of access and usage of these environment
models by a class of professional engineering customers
that might otherwise be reluctant or restricted from using
free resources such as AF-GEOSpace or the European Space
Agency supported SPENVIS (Space Environment Information System). For more information on STK-SEET, please
see: https://www.aer.com/science-research/space/spaceweather/space-environment-and-effects-toolkit-seet
SeaSonal Weather ForecaSting (scast)
While a post-doc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AER's Dr. Judah Cohen discovered a statistically significant relationship between Siberian snow cover
extent in the fall and surface temperatures in the winter
across much of the Northern Hemisphere. The relationship was particularly strong in the heavily populated and
economically sensitive regions of the Eastern US, Europe
and East Asia. Given that at the time, seasonal forecasts
had no skill or accuracy in these regions, AER recognized
the potential economic value of accurate winter forecasts,
especially in the energy markets. AER hired Cohen to
develop seasonal forecasts for temperature and precipitation throughout the year for the Northern Hemisphere
with the Siberian snow cover as its cornerstone predictor.
Over the years, research for building and improving the
model has largely been funded through National Science
Foundation grants studying climate dynamics. Since then
continual upgrades have been made to the seasonal forecast or sCast product including additional predictors for
winter and improved accuracy and a different but complementary set of predictors for summer. The sCast continues
to enjoy recognition as the most accurate seasonal forecast
in the industry.
96

9. ConClusions
AER has achieved some remarkable milestones in its 35+
year history:
◗ Ozone depletion modeling IPCC studies cited by United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) contributing to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize
◗ First observed the relationship between the atmospheric angular momentum and the length of day
◗ Developed the Air Force Weather Agency's (AFWA)
operational Cloud Depiction and Forecast System II
(CDFS-II) cloud detection science algorithms; the
world's only operational, hourly, global cloud analysis
◗ Developed the world's "standard" atmospheric optical
properties code ensemble (LBLRTM, OSS, RRTM) used
by many researchers, NWP operational centers, space
agencies, climate modelers
◗ Designed and operate the Communications/Navigation Forecast Outage System (C/NOFS) for the Air Force
◗ Developed and quantified the concept of "controlling"
hurricanes (NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts)
◗ Developer of the government's key environmental
modeling and simulation (M&S) asset (EDCSS)
◗ Developer of the world's most accurate seasonal forecast model (sCast)
◗ Key National Academy of Science (NAS) study elucidating that methane emissions significantly exceed government estimates
◗ Performed the software engineering to develop and
implement the GOES-R ground-system operational
algorithms.
These and other accomplishments validate the efficacy
of its geoscience and remote sensing research paradigm
from within an industrial context. We look forward to
continuing that tradition and bringing new research based
insights to practical applications in the world of operations
for our customers.
About AtmospheriC And
environmentAl reseArCh
Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) provides science-based solutions to global environmental challenges. AER's internationally renowned scientists and software engineers collaborate to transform
state-of-the-art predictive science and analytical tools
into practical systems that address both civilian government and defense needs for geophysical understanding, computer simulation, and forecasting. AER
customers include government agencies and national
laboratories, aerospace and defense contractors, and
academia. Areas of expertise comprise atmospheric
and environmental science, remote sensing, meteorology, oceanography, space science, climate change,
and software engineering. A unit of the Verisk Climate
division at Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK), AER was
established in 1977 and is headquartered in Lexington,
Mass. Visit www.aer.com.
ieee Geoscience and remote sensing magazine

june 2014
https://www.aer.com/science-research/space/space http://www.aer.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2014
