Increased Detector-to-Detector Striping with the GOES-10 Sounder: Increased noise has been noticed lately in an image product (shortwave albedo) generated from GOES-10 Sounder band 8 (11.0 µm) and 17 (4.0 µm), especially for nighttime imagery. Some quantitative testing indicates that random noise levels in those bands are not necessarily elevated above what might be expected for an older instrument. However, a quantitative assessment of detector-to-detector striping indicates that striping might be the source of the increased noise in the image product generated from those bands. In particular, Sounder band-8 has elevated detector-to-detector striping, (among the 4 different detectors used for each band) possibly on the order of 5 times the noise level determined during the GOES Science Tests on each satellite. It is not unusual for the striping to be greater than the random noise, but to the level determined here there might be a problem. Details of this assessment have been sent to Tim Schmit (CIMSS) and Fred Wu (calibration) for their assessment. If nothing else, this situation points to the need to determine baseline noise and striping levels for each satellite and band, in order to assess potential changes to the instruments as they age. (D. Hillger)

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