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  NESDIS 2012 Annual Report

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  Foreward

  by Mary Kicza
  Assistant Administrator

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  Introduction
  to NESDIS

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  NESDIS:

  Who We Are, What We Do

• ▼ NESDIS Goals for 2012 ▼
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  GOAL 1:

  Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
  Understanding Drought Now and in the Future

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  GOAL 2:

  Weather-Ready Nation
  Suomi NPP: One Year Later

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  GOAL 3:

  Healthy Oceans
  Data Collection Systems

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  GOAL 4:

  Resilient Coastal Communities and Economies
  from Global to Local

• ▼ People ▼
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  Interview:

  Marlin Perkins

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  Employee Spotlight

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Dear Colleagues

Looking back at 2012, we are proud of and encouraged by the work the employees and partners of NOAA's Satellite and Information Service have accomplished. Weather has been a challenge for most of the country this past year; from an early start of the tornado season to extreme solar and atmospheric weather to the four seasons unquestionably finding a place in the record books, NOAA Satellite and Information Service's talented staff has prevailed with professionalism and dedication. We are committed to supporting a weather-ready nation and improving NOAA's satellite programs to achieve these goals.

This past year was the warmest and the second most extreme weather year on record for the contiguous U.S. and was witness to a number of unusual happenings. Extreme drought caused a summer of wildfires. Hurricane Sandy, a super storm caused widespread damage. And we had the additional challenge of an anomaly with our GOES-13 satellite, which we quickly resolved, all of which made for an enormously eventful year.

Our achievements are numerous but only an abbreviated list will be mentioned in this annual report: the GOES-R program successfully passing the critical design review; the Suomi NPP, launched one year ago, now providing data that is being used operationally by NOAA's National Weather Service; thirty years of SARSAT rescues; and the opening of the new NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction building in College Park, Maryland, which now houses the Center for Satellite Applications and Research, the Office of Satellite & Product Operations Satellite Analysis Branch and other NOAA Satellite and Information Service component offices. These are just some of our proudest accomplishments. One of NOAA's earliest satellites, GOES-7, was retired after 25 years of extraordinary service. In addition to providing critical weather satellite images, it also served as a communications satellite providing invaluable service to the Pacific Region.

A Message from Mary Kicza

We remain on track in addressing NOAA's next generation strategic goals including climate adaptation and mitigation, and building and sustaining a weather-ready nation with healthy oceans, and resilient coastal communities and economies. On a daily basis, NOAA employees work hard to improve environmental satellite data, products, and services. The services we provide may not always be visible to the public, but the benefits are far-reaching. Many thanks to a strong team of civil servants and contractors working in partnership with national and international partners like NASA, the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, and our partners in cooperative institutions, universities, and the private sector. I am confident that our hard working staff and our dedicated partners will continue this legacy of technical expertise, innovative products and services, and commitment to excellence.

For years, NOAA's Satellite and Information Service has been a key contributor to modernizing weather forecasting, improving Earth-observing satellites, and developing cutting edge satellite products. In the last year, we also became much more active in communication through social media. Our Facebook page had approximately 3,000 Facebook followers at our one year anniversary. Be sure to "Like" us to get regular updates about NOAA Satellites and Information activities.

In 2013, NOAA's Satellite and Information Service shall continue to be at the forefront of moving the Nation's environmental satellite program forward. Our contributions are foundational to NOAA and the Nation in helping to protect lives and livelihoods.

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2012 Annual Report Introduction

As the world enters 2013, it's a perfect time to reflect on last year's activities and accomplishments at the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), also known as NOAA Satellite and Information Service. In 2012, NOAA's satellites played a key role supporting the forecasting of each major weather or climate event that impacted the nation -- from the searing heat waves, wildfires and drought, to Superstorm Sandy. Also, through the international Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) program, NOAA satellites were prominent in saving 263 people in the U.S. from life-threatening situations in 2012. This annual report highlights these -- and other contributions -- the Satellite and Information Service made to NOAA's overall next-generation strategic goals and the finer points of its performance and progress made in 2012.

The next-generation strategic goals include: Climate Adaptation and Mitigation; building a Weather-Ready Nation; a commitment to healthy oceans and making resiliency a reality for all U.S. coastal communities and economies. From the NOAA satellite-based drought indicators that supply data for monitoring and predicting drought, to the continued success of the Suomi NPP satellite that bridges more than 50 years of space-based Earth observations, to the next generation of operational Earth-observing satellites, this report demonstrates how NOAA satellites and information are foundational to NOAA and the Nation.

However, listing accomplishments alone is not enough. NOAA Satellite and Information Service is foundational to NOAA due to the complex ways it touches all aspects of NOAA's mission. Our products and services are vital to NOAA's continual improvement of climate modeling, severe weather forecasts, tsunami detection, ecological forecasting and research -- all critical to America's economic progress and national security.

NOAA satellite data not only are the backbone of weather forecasts, they help drive NOAA's efforts in coral reef preservation, identifying marine habitats, monitoring sea level rise, and improving bathymetric mapping. Across the globe, coastal-zone managers are seeking to understand coastal areas' increasing vulnerability of rising sea levels and how to mitigate the consequences of inundation. Satellite-derived tools and methodologies help guide investments, and support decision-makers, locally, and globally in addressing and preparing for weather anomalies.

Unlike previous year-end reports, this year we showcase how the government and private sectors use NOAA Satellite and Information Service data, services, and products. For the first time, the entire report is electronic, except for the eye-catching postcard with a QR code, which provides instant access to the report for our readers choosing to read the report on their mobile devices. As you will see, several links to videos and news articles are included demonstrating how NESDIS is foundational to the nation.

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Who We Are,
What We Do

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is dedicated to providing timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life. To fulfill its responsibilities, NESDIS—informally known as the NOAA Satellite and Information Service—acquires and manages the Nation's operational environmental satellites, operates the NOAA National Data Centers, provides data and information services including Earth system monitoring, performs official assessments of the environment, and conducts related research.

Our vision is to be the world's most comprehensive source and recognized authority for operational satellite products, environmental information, and official assessments of the environment in support of societal and economic decisions. To achieve our vision, we collaborate with other agencies and organizations to describe changes to our climate and the implications of those changes. We continue to work with other agencies and countries in establishing a global observing system to meet the world's information needs for weather, climate, oceans, and disasters and developing a skilled, energetic, and dedicated workforce through training, motivation, and teamwork.

NOAA maintains two primary constellations of environmental satellites: polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites. These are part of NOAA's integrated observing system, which includes satellites, radars, surface automated weather stations, weather balloons, sounders, buoys, instrumented aircraft and ships, and other sensors, along with the data management infrastructure needed for this system. This integrated system is the foundation upon which NOAA works towards achieving our four main goals—a weather-ready Nation, climate adaptation and mitigation, healthy oceans, and resilient coastal communities and ecosystems.

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As the steward of the Nation's climate information, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is one of NOAA Satellite and Information Services' institutions that supports NOAA's overall climate goal. NCDC provides long-term preservation, stewardship, and access to the Nation's resource of global climate and historical weather data, and continuously monitors and assesses climate variation and change. NCDC's efforts support a wide-range of activities under the climate goal – from operating a Climate Reference Network providing the most pristine climate measurements, to leading an international yearly assessment of the global State of the Climate, to supporting the NOAA-wide Climate.gov portal. One specific area supporting all of NOAA is research and monitoring related to extreme weather and climate events.

In 2011 and 2012, NCDC hosted, with partners, a number of state-of-the-science meetings to determine what is known, as well as, what remains unresolved concerning extreme weather events and a changing climate. Understanding future trends in extreme weather for the purpose of predicting such events is of great benefit to society. Anticipating and reporting how the future may unfold in terms of natural disasters can aid governments, industries, and individuals as they decide how to make preparations themselves or alert their families or constituents. Extreme weather can cause injuries, casualties, and billions of dollars in damages. Recent scientific advances have made great strides in understanding and predicting these events. The weather events discussed include: coastal storms, cold waves, droughts, floods, heat waves and tornadoes. Each of these workshops resulted in peer-reviewed papers that are being published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Some weather/climate events are affected by multiple climate factors. Drought indicators, for instance, are based on temperature and precipitation data, stream discharge records, and soil moisture. Over a short period, drought conditions can have a significant impact on plant growth. Longer droughts can impact water stores needed for agriculture, recreation, navigation, home and business uses, power generation, and wildlife habitats. Research shows that drought episodes that cover 30% or more of the contiguous United States have occurred in each decade since detailed recordkeeping began in the late 19th century.

Exteme Weather Events of 2012

NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, along with other parts of NOAA, as well as other government and non-governmental partners, maintains a suite of products focusing on drought in an effort to expand our knowledge of the current and future drought impact. One such product is the U.S. Drought Monitor. This report provides timely drought assessments and is the result of hundreds of inputs from numerous government, private, and academic organizations. It is produced in cooperation with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), NOAA Satellite and Information Service and NOAA National Weather Service (NWS), along with a network of 350+ experts from around the country. The U.S. Drought report map is produced each week using raw data from NCDC, the NOAA NWS Cooperative Observer network, NWS Precipitation Analysis, and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) River Gauges. Another climate data product is the NOAA satellite derived Vegetation Health Index (VHI) that monitors the changing health of global vegetation, and can signal the effects of floods, drought, and potential food scarcity conditions. Users include state drought task forces, the USDA, energy producers, commodities brokers, banks, retail outlets, barge/ship operators, the media, as well as, the scientific user community among others.

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According to statistics from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, the November nationally-averaged precipitation total of 1.19 inches was nearly an inch below the long-term average, making November the eighth driest on record. The mostly dry weather that prevailed across the month increased the area of the country experiencing drought and the intensity of drought in some locations. The map above show the percent of average precipitation across the United States in November 2012. The shades of brown indicate areas that received less than 100 percent of their average precipitation and shades of green indicate areas that received more than 100 percent of their average precipitation for the month..

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On October 28, 2011, the media was abuzz with reports about the successful launch of the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. True to its launch success, only seven months after blastoff, and three times faster than previous missions, the Suomi NPP data was being used in NOAA's operational long range weather forecasts. Suomi NPP's successful launch and operation represent years of exceptional effort by a joint NOAA-NASA team supported by partners in the private sector and academia. Collecting climate and operational weather data and maintaining key data records are critical to maintaining an effective weather forecast ability as well as strong global environmental monitoring.

Suomi NPP is the first satellite mission to address the challenge of acquiring a wide range of land, ocean, and atmospheric measurements for Earth system science while simultaneously preparing to address operational requirements for long range weather forecasting. Suomi NPP has enabled NOAA to continue issuing accurate forecasts and provide advance warning for severe weather, such as deadly tornado outbreaks, blistering heat waves, floods, snowfall, and wildfires. During the past year, Suomi NPP data have been used to generate dozens of products and have been demonstrated with key users from across NOAA for the detection and monitoring of fire and smoke, clouds, fog, dust, snow and ice, precipitation, ocean color (chlorophyll for harmful algal blooms and ocean nutrients), sea surface temperature, vegetation cover, and the ozone hole. NOAA meteorologists use these products, especially measurements of the distribution of moisture and heat in the atmosphere, to improve forecasts. "Along with the skill of our meteorologists, polar-orbiting satellites, like NPP, are critical to the success of our forecasts three days out and beyond," said Louis Uccellini, Director of the National Weather Service. "They [polar satellite observations] are the backbone of the global Earth observing system and global weather prediction capability."

NPP Launch

The Suomi NPP satellite remains healthy and its products have begun to show tremendous value to the wide-ranging NOAA missions. The Suomi NPP satellite will continue the 50+ year heritage of polar-orbiting environmental satellites as one of the important pillars for achieving a ‘Weather-Ready Nation.' Suomi NPP is a NOAA bridge between the NASA legacy Earth observing missions and NOAA's next-generation Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Suomi NPP flies for the first time the advanced new Earth observing instruments that JPSS will use operationally. JPSS-1 is targeted for launch in 2017.

Data from Suomi NPP infrared and microwave instruments assimilated into forecast models will enable these models to predict the intensity and location of severe weather events up to 5 days in advance, with high confidence. The capability to predict and warn the public of potential severe weather and disaster days in advance enables authorities to make decisions to mitigate impacts on the economy, public safety, and property.

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The unseasonably hot and dry weather in Central Washington produced extreme fire behavior, shown in this image taken by the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite on September 19, 2012 at 1:00 p.m.

How It Helps: Suomi NPP

Fire Weather Applications
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Fire Weather Team has worked to quickly bring the beta-version of the VIIRS Active Fires Product into operational evaluation by its major product users. This user community includes both US users (National Weather Service, US Forest Service, NESDIS, and NASA) and foreign users in Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe.
Tracking storms at Night
Another example of the rapid operational evaluation of Suomi NPP data is the use of the VIIRS Day/Night Band (DNB). NWS forecasters in Alaska, the Pacific Region, and the US coastal regions have used this DNB capability in response to a number of forecast challenges. The ability to track key severe storm features through daytime visible satellite imagery to the nighttime DNB imagery provides essential continuity of rapidly-changing storm structures. The DNB imagery has also been increasingly referenced in NWS forecast discussions, highlighting its ability to identify low cloud and fog areas critical to maritime and aviation support. Perhaps the most impressive initiative is the evaluation of the DNB for tropical storm forecasting.

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First, NOAA monitored and predicted the movement of this marine debris to assist with cleanup efforts, which further helped coastal communities prepare for debris landfall. Then, NOAA scientists used weather forecasting, visible imagery and sea level observations from NOAA satellites to model the movement of marine debris at sea. These observations provided a better understanding on how quickly tsunami-generated debris traveled across the Pacific. As the effort continued, NESDIS staff worked with various partners to evaluate and pursue the testing and application of additional sensor and analysis techniques.

NOAA uses visible and infrared data to monitor the ocean surface. These data are complemented with the Argos Data Collection Systems (DCS), which include ocean surface observation from remote platforms. Argos DCS also monitor the movement of marine and tsunami debris.

The 2011 tsunami released a mass of debris that eventually cluttered the coastline areas of Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Northwest (Washington and Oregon). In June of 2012, a 66 foot long, 19 foot wide, 7 foot tall, 165-ton concrete dock, one of four—carried away by the tsunami from the port of Misawa in Japan—washed ashore the beach in Yaquina Head, Oregon. The second of these docks was sighted off the Hawaii coast in September, with the third dock's arrival in December in Washington State. NOAA satellites were instrumental in detecting the movement of the tsunami objects in the open ocean and our scientists are leading the charge to help address the challenges of debris modeling.

Marine Debris

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The Japanese Consulate confirmed that a 65-foot, concrete-and-foam dock that washed ashore in Washington's Olympic National Park in late December 2012 is one of four docks from the fishing port of Misawa, Japan.

How it Helps:DCS

Satellite Tracking of Marine Debris
A primary tool in tracking marine debris is high resolution satellite imagery from platforms including Geoeye, Worldview and NASA Spot.

Pollution Tracking Historical trajectories of Argos drifting buoys deployed in the Surface Velocity Program and Global Drifter Program can help study the pathways of marine debris. Their method makes it possible to better understand the movement of marine debris and identify the probable locations of five marine Garbage Patches in the global oceans today. This is done by monitoring ocean current.

Healthy Oceans
Healthy oceans are important to communities, industry and ecosystems. NOAA Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS) supports healthy oceans by using satellites and land based observations and working in partnership with many organizations.

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The sea is closing in around many coastal cities. NOAA Satellite and Information Service environmental satellites and data give us the big picture on changing oceans and help communities to plan and respond to sea level rise. In the face of rising sea levels and as coastal communities prepare and plan for weather events like Hurricanes Sandy, Isaac, and Katrina, a detailed understanding of the topography of the land and where water will go in the event of flooding is vitally needed. Satellite data and information are a key input to improve coastal management and the tools that mitigate the impact of sea level rise.

The 20-year record of sea level data shows that since 1993, sea level has risen twice as fast (3 cm per decade) as it did during 1900 to 1990 (1.5 cm per decade). For the residents and businesses in these coastal communities, flooding caused by sea-level rise has become more frequent and fearsome. NOAA Satellite and Information Service environmental data products play a significant role in helping all sectors of society-federal, state, local, academic, non-governmental and private entities in their efforts to devise successful strategies for dealing with the impact of sea level rise. These products also give us the big picture on changing oceans and provide the tools that help coastal communities from Florida to California plan and respond to coastal inundation.

Sea Level On The Move

As many of us are still trying to grasp the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, which caused widespread damage to numerous communities along the Eastern Seaboard, city planners and decision-makers are using sea level data from the Jason satellite operated by NOAA to plan their coastal reconstruction and prepare for the next big storm. Sea level rise is increasingly becoming a complex issue facing city planners, decision-makers and residents of coastal communities.

Jason is an oceanography satellite mission that monitors global ocean circulation, discovers the tie between the oceans and atmosphere, improves global climate predictions, and monitors events such as El Niño conditions and ocean eddies. Data from Jason allows for more accurate measurements of local sea level changes. By virtue of the fact that the Jason altimeter instrument measures sea level over the entire global ocean, it provides a complete picture of sea level change locally, along all coastlines, as well as across all ocean basins. Satellite altimeters also have another advantage. While tide gauges measure sea level with a precision of a few millimeters, the fact that they are attached to land, which is subject to vertical motions as much as a few millimeters per year caused by geological or hydrological changes, makes it difficult to use them to monitor changes in absolute sea level. The instruments carried by Jason are designed to minimize potential variability in the measurement of sea level between tide gauges. More important, because the tide gauge network is sparse and land-based, only altimeters can provide nearly global coverage of local changes in sea level measurements. These global observations are crucial to monitoring and interpreting the processes that produce local changes in sea level.

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This NOAA GOES-13 satellite image taken on October 29, 2012 shows Hurricane Sandy which generated winds of 90 mph and heavy rains. Sandy created dangerous flooding conditions all along the Northeast U.S. from North Carolina to New England.

How it Helps: Jason-2

What it Does
Satellite radar altimetry provides sea level for determining ocean circulation, climate change and sea-level rise. Jason-2, launched on June 20, 2008, is the follow-on to the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 satellites. The Jason-2 is instrumental in meeting NOAA's operational needs for sea surface height, wave height, and wind speed measurements necessary for ocean modeling, forecasting El Nio/La Nia events, and hurricane intensity prediction. The mission partners in addition to NOAA are NASA, France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).

Users
Jason provides the core measurements used for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for global sea level rise, pattern of sea level rise, and sea level budget. It also contributes to understanding the global heat budget and changes in winds and waves. State and local authorities have used these sea level rise products for climate assessments and planning.

Additionally, some of the other uses of Jason data include: the annual NOAA National Climate Data Center State of the Climate report; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Change indicators; and the Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities Technical Inputs Report to the National Climate Assessment, co-authored by Margaret Davidson (NOAA) and Virginia Burkett (U.S. Geological Survey). The NOAA/Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry also produces a sea level budget report using this data.

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Interview: Marlin Perkins

This year, our annual report features Marlin Perkins. Mr. Perkins has an inspiring NOAA career that spans 40 years, starting as a meteorologist in the Satellite Applications Laboratory in the Office of Research and Applications (currently STAR). Presently working in the NESDIS, Office of Satellite & Products Services, the Direct Services Branch, he is a key person in developing satellite applications and in training forecasters to use satellite data in forecast and warning operations. His technical achievements are evident in the systems he has developed over the years. It is safe to say that his NOAA experience is representative of the saying, "No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you." Marlin credits a number of NOAA renowned research scientists with positively influencing his career: Barbara A. Banks, Dr. Vernon Dvorak, Dr. Roderick Scofield, Dr. James Purdom, and Dr. Frances Holt. To see some of our conversation with Mr. Perkins click the video link below.

An Interview with Marlin Perkins

You have many talents and skills, how did you choose meteorology as a career field? What are some significant turning points in your career?

In high school, my dad was very strict about doing homework and he was very good with math. I remember when I did not complete my assignment in the ninth grade; we sat down that week and went over algebra. I was so fascinated with the way he solved those equations, that discussion changed my entire life. For the remainder of my high school years, I loved math. I took every math class the school offered. I participated in all the math and science fairs and even tutored students in algebra and trigonometry. When I graduated, I received an award for the most outstanding achievement in mathematics. At the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, I majored in mathematics and chemistry. I took every math class in the curriculum. After graduation, I worked at the Statistical Reporting Service (SRS) at the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Washington, DC, as a satellite statistician. Since I was from the country, I did not like working in the city. DC was too "city" for me and it was not a place I wanted to be. I spoke to my supervisor, Dr. Wiggins, about how unhappy I was with working in DC. He said, "Marlin you are at the crossroads of your career. You are doing a great job at SRS and I would hate to see you go, but what you do now is what you will be doing the rest of you career." Several days later, I received a call from NOAA offering me a job as a meteorologist. That changed the direction of my career.

How have things changed in the past 40 years?

The applications and techniques developed in those days to integrate satellite data into real-time forecasting are still being used today. We moved from the punched cards and movie loops to the digital world of live satellite imagery (rapid scan operations). We developed new digital display and analysis technology that allowed us to obtain and analyze satellite data in near real-time.

Who influenced you the most in your career and why?

It is hard to say since there have been many. I've had a lot of mentors whom I've sought out for advice and also a lot of role models to follow. I would like to speak about one very special person to whom I have a great deal of respect. Barbara A. Banks was a positive influence on my career and that of many others. Barbara represented a milestone in management accomplishments at NOAA for black females. She was the only Black female manager ever in the Office of Satellite Data Processing and Distribution (currently OSPO) and the first black female division chief in the NESDIS. Barbara's success was characterized by her high quality of leadership and outstanding personal skills. Her support for employee development was exceptional and inspired people to do their best. Her experience, ability and perseverance added value to my career and the lives of those she has touched. I worked with Barbara for several years and she fully respected the knowledge and experience that I have. We would meet and coordinate our responses to ensure we were communicating together. She would work to include what I have to offer into her assessment. These are the qualities I try hard to imitate.

As the Program Manager, how do we ensure that the products and services from the satellites are meeting the needs of our stakeholders?

An old tradition that I was taught was, "To make a better product, you need to know your customers." The stakeholders have different missions which mean they have different needs. We need to work more closely with the stakeholders to understand what they are doing and what are they planning to do. By interacting more frequently with the users, we determine how best our products/services can enable them to improve their operations. I feel strongly that only through close and continuous cooperation, working with our users, can we really meet the needs of our stakeholders.

In your professional opinion, in terms of Direct Readout, what do
you see as the key advantage(s)?
(e.g., products/services/data)

Data latency. Direct readout provides a forecaster with real-time access to the data so he/she can provide a timely forecast/warning that may prevent some property damage to your home or save your life. It is essential to minimize the latency in order to provide timely and effective warnings of severe weather events that evolve rapidly. Minimum latency is achieved by the use of Direct Broadcast capability, which allows the satellite to broadcast critical data as soon as it is collected to all properly equipped direct readout stations "in view". The combination of data quality, reliability and low latency are critical for using the NOAA direct readout services in meeting mission objectives.

How do your day-to-day activities meet the NOAA goals and mission?

NESDIS is dedicated to providing timely access to global environmental data from satellites to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life. Incredibly, my daily activities in direct readout ensures NOAA's environmental data is available to the users in near real-time. This allows forecasters, managers and decision-makers access to near real-time satellite observations to support their mission. In my daily routine at NSOF, I work with the satellite engineers to ensure the direct readout and broadcast services are working and direct readout users can receive the transmissions with a properly equipped station. I coordinate with the users to ensure they are able to receive the near real-time regional satellite observations from the GOES and POES satellites. Further, I engage the users and stakeholders to ensure the data content can be used to support their missions. This requires timely and continuous interaction with our domestic and international partners as well as universities, manufacturers and vendors.

How do you define success?

I define success as truly living. I have set goals of: taking command of my life; and making my life have meaning. To accomplishing these goals, I put my faith in God who provides me with the knowledge, perseverance and uplift to carry out my duties. With His guidance, I am able to live a more meaningful and productive life.

Any advice for future scientists here at NESDIS or elsewhere?

I would encourage any future scientist to come prepared academically and with the necessary training. Be open-minded, innovative and willing to adapt to changes. Remember, the current knowledge will be old ideas in a few years. Always refresh education and training skills as often as possible. New ideas never stop and a better tomorrow is never complete. Find and interface with a mentor to help their transition to NESDIS and build a career plan for the future. Other than that, enjoy yourself ..... and embrace your career at NESDIS.

Tell us about a little known Marlin Perkins factsomething that folks would be surprised to know about you?

I am a strong proponent of women's causes. I have four sisters and seeing how they struggled in the workplace has made me realize that women's rights are a serious issue. Rev. R. T. Anderson, my seventh grade teacher, taught me that women are entitled to the same rights as men. In addition, women should be heard and respected. Inside NESDIS and outside, I have always advocated to include the Girl Scouts on an equal footing as the Boy Scouts. I participated and supported the activities of the Federally Employed Women's Conference and other organizations promoting women's causes.

Outside of work, what is your favorite pastime?

I am in a state of transition. While raising three children, I was a shopaholic and cooking was a passion. Anywhere I went on travel, I could smell a sale (70% off) and stores did not stand a chance. I carried an extra soft bag to bring home the goodies. At home, I made Betty Crocker cry! The children and I did every recipe under the sun. Junior and Tiffany are outstanding chefs and Kevin (the youngest) is not far behind. Now that everyone is grown and starting their families, I can't shop and cook like I used to. So instead, I am now spending my time sharpening my woodworking skills and preparing for life after NOAA.

Marlin Perkins has done a lot of things during his tenure of service at NOAA. While he is recognized for his technical expertise in the global meteorological community, he looks at his career from two sides. First, there were the systems he developed to support satellite operations: Interactive Flash Flood Analyzer, Visible-Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) Data Utilization Center (VDUC), and Multi-Discipline Interactive Display and Analysis System (MIDAS), transition of the analog Automated Picture Transmission (APT) to the digital Low Rate Picture Transmission (LRPT) -- is a communications transponder service scheduled for the NOAA-N/O/P/Q spacecrafts. The LRPT service was briefly operational on the Metop-A spacecraft and is currently operational on the ROSHYDROMET Meteor series. Other uses of satellite data includes the introduction of satellite data to the Anne Beer's Elementary school, Girl Scout troops in the local Prince George's area and other institutions, some of which he says are "lost in the winds of time." In addition to some of the systems mentioned earlier, he developed the backup for the GOES Data Collection System at Wallops Station, Virginia, the transition of the Weather Encoded Facsimile Transmission (WEFAX) to Low-Rate Information Transmission (LRIT), the Transmitter Location System for GOES, the Multi-Constellation User Terminal (MCUT) and the NOAA Alternative Dissemination Methods (ADM) system, now called GEONETCast of the Americas. Secondly, Perkins represents NOAA at the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) annual meetings as the Chairperson of the Working Group on Global Issues on Satellite Systems and Telecommunications Coordination. Certainly, his career is symbolic of this quote by Henry Ford, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success".

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Employee Spotlight

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

Janet Green

Janet Green is an outstanding physicist in the Solar and Terrestrial Physics Division of the National Geophysical Data Center, responsible for the development of innovative capabilities that help satellite designers and operators understand how the space radiation environment can temporarily or permanently disable satellites critical to the nation's technological infrastructure. Among her achievements is her management of the day-to-day performance of the GOES and POES space weather sensors, and her briefing of British government meteorological representatives on NOAA's satellite- based space environmental monitoring capabilities, and her support for the development of next-generation space radiation models..

Joel Perlroth

Joel Perlroth provides valuable support to NOAA-wide procurement teams, improving acquisition processing for NESDIS and NOAA, and meeting critical contractual milestones. He has spent many hours reviewing proposals and in team discussions serving on multiple technical proposal evaluation or cost and price teams, addition to his normal activities. Joel also was part of the Enterprise Ground System team, which had 30 days to create a report on the future of the NESDIS Ground System efforts. Joel also spearheaded the effort to develop a Simplified Acquisition Standard Operating Procedure for all of NOAA. His responsiveness, devotion, drive and can-do attitude are clearly the reason for the recent successes for both NESDIS and NOAA acquisition efforts.

GOLD MEDAL

Joseph Mulligan, Alexander Pozniak, Philip Green, Edward Tabor Dejiang Han, James Valenti, Rhapsody Smith Dearring, Walt Schlieicher, Harry Douglas Whiteley, and Lakel Smith

The group is honored for improving the timeliness of Metop-A polar satellite data by 50 minutes on average (reduced from 100- to 110-minute average for full orbits) by collecting half-orbit data via a new Antarctic Data Acquisition ground station ensuring that numerical weather prediction models are more accurate. Ultimately, improved global weather forecast accuracy will reduce loss of life and increase economic benefits within the U.S. and worldwide. This effort involved careful international cooperation and particularly improves service to the South Hemisphere, where few direct observations are available.

SILVER MEDAL

Charles MacFarland

Leadership as part of the team that successfully delivered the Unified Messaging Service to NOAA and saving millions of dollars by moving our message service to the Cloud.

ADMINISTRATOR'S AWARDS

Jamie Daniels and Walter Wolf

For outstanding leadership of the timely and quality delivery of the GOES-R science algorithm.

Bernadette Foreman and Stacey Hurcombe

For innovative leadership in developing and enforcing administrative policies that support more efficient and effective Government property management.

Walter H.F. Smith, Eric W. Leuliette, John L. Lillibridge III, and Laurence L. Miller

For scientific excellence and leadership in using experimental satellite ice mission CryoSat-2 to enhance near real-time marine and hurricane forecasts.

DISTINGUISHED CAREER

Celso S. Barrientos

For sustained excellence in scientific management, equal employment and diversity activities, and community outreach in 41 years of service to NOAA.

Sydney Levitus

For pioneering climate science work at NOAA computing global ocean heat content and making oceanographic data available to the scientific community.

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A Message From Mary Kicza

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Marlin Perkins

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