GOSAT higher level product status 1.5 year after the launch

After the 1.5 year operation of GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite), NIES GOSAT DHF ( GOSAT Data Handling Facility of National Institute for Environmental Studies) has been producing CAI Level 1B and 1B+, FTS/CAI Level 2, and FTS/CAI Level 3 products, receiving FTS Level 1A/1B and CAI Level 1A data from JAXA ( FTS: Fourier Transform Spectrometer; CAI: Cloud and Aerosol Imager; JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). In addition to the higher level data processing, GOSAT DHF has the following additional roles: 1) Data archive and distribution, and 2) Observational request collection from users and their submission to JAXA. After calibration and preliminary validation, the processed data are distributed to RA users at the first stage ( RA users: researchers engaging in Research Announcement). The processed data were validated and then they were distributed to General Users (GU) in February 2010. All the distribution is carried out through the GOSAT User Interface Gateway (GUIG). As of August 2010, the total number of user registration exceeds 900, and a large number of products are distributed both to the RA users and GU. In August 2010, improvement of the algorithm for FTS L2 SWIR products was conducted. The validation for this FTS L2 product of this new version still indicates that the FTS SWIR L2 CO2 and CH4 data still show slightly lower values than reference data used for validation. FTS TIR data processing is on the way.