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March 1, 2010

EUMETSAT’s role in climate monitoring

EUMETSAT plays an important role monitoring climate and detecting global climatic variability and changes. Data collected by the organisation’s satellites are processed and archived in support of monitoring and research activities related to climate change.

[Internal link] Climate Record Generation - an Overview

Earth observation satellites, in particular those of operational meteorological satellite programmes, are ideal for [Internal link]

monitoring climate because they provide constant, continuous, consistent long-term global observations needed for monitoring climate trends. Specifically, satellite instruments measure temperature, moisture, clouds, aerosol, winds, vegetation cover, atmospheric chemistry and the ozone layer, as well as a variety of other phenomena related to climate and environmental monitoring.

Meteosat satellites have been delivering climate-relevant parameters like sea surface temperatures and surface albedo since 1977. The second generation Meteosat-8 and -9 satellites over the meridian have much higher capabilities with temporal repeat cycles and twelve spectral bands, compared to only three spectral bands for the first generation Meteosat-6 and -7 over the Indian Ocean. More bands allow better observation of important climate variables and better temporal resolution enables observation of diurnal cycles.

Instruments on board EUMETSAT’s Metop polar-orbiting satellites support climate monitoring and research activities through the continuation of observation series started in the early 1990s. The instruments newly designed for the Metop mission will also support these activities when they have been in service long enough to provide climate-relevant long-term data sets.

The Jason-2 Ocean Surface Topography Mission, launched in 2008, provides continuity in monitoring sea-level rise, a critical parameter of global climate change. Jason-2 and its follow-on satellites, starting with Jason-3, will continue the measurement of rising sea levels carried out by Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon over the last 15 years.

The future Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) and the next generation EUMETSAT Polar System (Post-EPS) will further improve EUMETSAT’s ability to support monitoring climate.

EUMETSAT’s Application Ground Segment, which includes the organisation’s Central Application Facilities in Darmstadt and its network of Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs) located in its Member States, continuously generates, on an operational basis, products of climate-relevant parameters which are generated and stored by EUMETSAT’s Data Centre, the organisation’s archive services. These data products also include homogeneous long-term climate data sets - for example winds, radiation, clouds and precipitation - generated through the recalibration and reprocessing activities of the Meteosat first and second generation satellites.

Dedicated activities of the [Internal link]

SAF on Climate Monitoring and climate products generated by other SAFs complement the data generation and processing at the Central Application Facilities.

Climate product generation through reprocessing of archived data by EUMETSAT’s Central Application Facility and SAF network are the organisation’s main contribution to the Global Network of [External link]

Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM) initiated in the framework of the World Meteorological Organization. The main objective of the SCOPE-CM network is to provide high-quality long-term data sets of Essential Climate Variables using observations from space in coordination and through cooperation between the world’s leading operators of meteorological satellites.

Data sets of direct satellite measurements like radiance and brightness temperatures that reach the quality suitable for observing climate trends and changes after reprocessing, calibration and correction are considered to be Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs), from which Thematic Climate Data Records (TCDRs) - geophysical parameters like temperatures, humidity, ozone and vegetation - can be derived. EUMETSAT considers the generation of these FCDRs and TCDRs its main priority in support of climate monitoring.

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