A new processing capability for desert dust enhancement using imager data
from the Sea-viewing Wide Field of View Sensor (SeaWiFS) has been
developed for Naval meteorology/oceanography (MetOc) operations support.
The data are captured via direct broadcast high-resolution picture
transmission (HRPT) at Navy Regional Centers in Rota, Bahrain, and
Yokosuka, and processed at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey. The
raw data are calibrated, corrected for missing lines and clutter,
corrected for molecular scatter contamination, and enhanced through
multispectral combination to yield value added products. The processing
has been automated completely such that products, generated upon receipt
of data, are hosted upon a password protected website typically 60 to 90
minutes from time of initial capture. This invention summarizes the
SeaWiFS instrument capabilities, the protocol followed for automated near
real-time processing, a physical basis for the NRL enhancements, and
specific examples of the products with extension to over-land dust
enhancement as enabled by MODIS. It closes with a glimpse of the
potential utility of these products from the perspective of the
warfighter.