VIIRS after 10 Years—A Perspective on Benefits to Forecasters and End-Users

Abstract

In the ten years of VIIRS observations, a wide range of applications, both operational and research-based, have been developed, observed, and utilized at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). Training efforts to improve operational forecast use and achieve a greater understanding of the unique capabilities of the VIIRS have also been developed to better utilize the new observations made possible. Several unique forecast events, made observable using these novel capabilities of the VIIRS, are detailed. A summary of third-party end-user case studies where VIIRS observations are used for analysis of significant socioeconomic gain, part of a recent CIRA workshop, are also highlighted. Thoughts on the future utility of the VIIRS and VIIRS-like platforms are offered.