Jpss support to the NOAA arctic initiative and testbed

The Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) program facilitates initiatives to increase or improve the use and value of JPSS data products in user products, services, and application or service areas. Building on the success of the Fire and Smoke, River Ice and Flooding, Hydrology, and Sounding initiatives, the JPSS Arctic Initiative is the latest endeavor of the JPSS PGRR program to increase of the use of JPSS atmospheric and cryosphere products to improve NOAA's products and services in the Arctic [1]. The major participants in the Arctic Initiative to date are the JPSS program office, National Ice Center (NIC), NWS Alaska Sea Ice Program (ASIP), and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR). An evaluation of the cryosphere and atmospheric data products is being planned for 2017 within the NOAA Arctic Testbed.