Sentinel-3

Monitoring the marine environment and atmospheric composition

Sentinel-3 is a dedicated Copernicus satellite mission delivering a variety of high-quality ocean and atmosphere measurements.

Last Updated

22 September 2023

Published on

26 May 2020

The mission's main objective in support to the marine environment is to determine parameters such as sea-surface topography, sea-surface temperature and ocean surface colour. It provides two day global coverage optical data (with two satellites), as well as altimetry measurements, for sea and land applications with real-time products delivered in less than three hours. The instruments also provide a view on the atmosphere, including information on air quality and fires. The satellites are operationally managed from the EUMETSAT Sentinel-3 Marine Centre.

Builds on heritage of previous ocean observing satellites (e.g. ENVISAT) for continuity of measurements.
Constellation of satellites will provide long-term operational measurements of the ocean colour, temperature, and sea surface topography over the global ocean every two days.
Improved combination of spatial, temporal and spectral resolution, and better radiometric sensitivity allows for measurements of ocean colour from coastal to open ocean environments.
Advanced dual view sensor for atmospheric correction and retrieval of sea surface temperature.
High-resolution SAR mode altimetry for improved performance in the coastal domain and analysis of fine-scale ocean features.
Data is delivered direct to users and to downstream Copernicus services.

Past launch dates

Sentinel-3A

Launch date: 16 February 2016

Details: Altimetry, Ocean colour, Surface thermal radiometry
Sentinel-3B

Launch date: 25 April 2018

Details: Altimetry, Ocean colour, Surface thermal radiometry

Planned future launch dates

The Sentinel-3 mission is part of the European Commission's Copernicus programme for earth observation.
The satellites provide land and ocean data, with the land data delivered by ESA, while EUMETSAT will be responsible for both the operation of the satellite and the processing and delivery of ocean data and additional atmosphere-related products.
The first two satellites (A and B) were initially operated in a temporary tandem phase to allow for instrument intercomparison.
OLCI ocean colour data full resolution (300m) data is available globally.
Sea surface temperature data from SLSTR is available at 1km resolution.
Along track altimetry is available at 300m resolution, at 1Hz and 20Hz frequency in SAR mode.
Multiple atmospheric correction methods and algorithms provide both open ocean and complex water products derived from the OLCI ocean colour reflectance data.
Overlap between SLSTR and OLCI swaths allows for synergistic product use.

Sentinel-3 instruments and ground segment

Sentinel-3 altimetry instruments

Three instruments are used for the altimetry mission to measure sea surface heights.

Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI)

OLCI provides improved global coverage of ocean colour.

Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR)

SLSTR measures thermal radiation and uses a dual view technique.

Sentinel-3 ground segment

The Sentinel-3 ground segment comprises of a number of interconnected sites with different responsibilities.

Sentinel-3 services

Waves breaking on sea wall. Credit: Zacarias da Mata

Altimetry services

Altimetry data is used to determine sea level height, wind speed and wave height.

A Noctiluca scintillans bloom in the north Arabian Sea on 2 March 2017

Ocean colour services

Providing information on ocean living ecosystems, water quality and sediment dynamics.

Sea Surface Temperature services

Sea & land surface temperatures, atmosphere, clouds & fire.

Atmospheric composition

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission includes key optical instruments monitoring the composition of our atmosphere.

Data and formats around a globe. Credit: metamorworks

Sentinel data formats

Sentinel data products are distributed using the SAFE format specification.

Sentinel-3 tools & training

Copernicus Sentinel-3 data can be worked with through a number of open source and commercial software packages.

Visit our Sentinel-3 knowledge base

Our Sentinel-3 knowledge base summarises the key information that end users, both general and specialist, require on the specifics of the Sentinel-3 instruments, the details of the processing system, and the derived marine and atmosphere products.

Access Sentinel-3 services

How to access our data

How to access our data

We offer a portfolio of data access options that allows users to view imagery and access and download data.

Latest Sentinel-3 products

All Sentinel-3 products

Sentinel-3 science studies

AIRWAVE-SLSTR follow-on study

Follow-on study of the AIRWAVE — SLSTR: an algorithm to retrieve TCWV from SLSTR measurements over water surfaces study to extend the AIRWAVE algorithm.

Candidate Locations for Copernicus Ocean Colour System Vicarious Calibration Infrastructure

Study into five candidate locations for optimal placement for potential OC-SVC infrastructure.

Characterisation of candidate OC-SVC sites - BOUSSOLE

Climatological characterisation of candidate ocean sites for Copernicus OC-SVC infrastructure - BOUSSOLE.

Characterisation of candidate OC-SVC sites - Crete

Climatological characterisation of candidate ocean sites for Copernicus OC-SVC infrastructure - Crete.

Characterisation of candidate OC-SVC sites - El Hierro

Climatological characterisation of candidate ocean sites for Copernicus OC-SVC infrastructure - El Hierro.

Characterisation of candidate OC-SVC sites - Madeira

Climatological characterisation of candidate ocean sites for Copernicus OC-SVC infrastructure - Madeira.

All science studies

Sentinel-3 case studies

Loch Neagh algal bloom

Extreme floods in Libya and central Greece

Massive fires in northern Greece

Devastating fires in parts of the Mediterranean during unprecedented heatwave

Canadian wildfire monitoring over the Atlantic and Europe

Monitoring internal waves in the strait of Gibraltar

Flooding in Karlovac, Croatia 17 May 2023

Floods around central Mediterranean region

First major fire events at high latitudes

Powerful tropical cyclone Ilsa hits NW Australia

Yellow mountain snow across Europe

Record-breaking Tropical Cyclone Freddy crosses Indian Ocean

Sentinel-3 (A and B) True Colour RGB composite imagery, 21 January.

Medicane in northern Adriatic

Read all cases

Podcasts

SST & coral bleaching

William Skirving (NOAA Coral Reef Watch Senior Scientist) and Anne O'Carroll (EUMETSAT Remote Sensing Scientist) discuss the crucial measuring of sea surface temperature from space.

Ocean carbon cycle

Jamie Shutler (Associate Professor in Earth observation at the University of Exeter) and Hayley Evers-King (EUMETSAT) discuss the ocean carbon cycle.

Maritime safety & fishing activities

Kwame Adu Agyekum (University of Ghana) and Hayley Evers-King (EUMETSAT) discuss how satellite data is used to monitor the marine environment, support maritime safety and help manage fishing activity off the coast of West Africa.

Ocean eddies

Aida Alvera Azcarate (Ocean Remote Sensing Researcher, University of Liège) and Hayley Evers-King (EUMETSAT) discuss ocean eddies.

User stories

Copernicus Collaborative Exchange - Altimetry data for tsunami verification

Using Altimetry data for tsunami verification - Copernicus Collaboration Exchange scheme.

Noemi Marsico

Noemi Marsico used Sentinel-3 data to investigate links between river outflows and coastal water quality.

Michael Schaale and Thomas Schroeder

Drs Michael Schaale & Thomas Schroeder developed methods to use S3 Ocean Colour data in complex coastal marine environments.

Blake Schaeffer

Blake Schaeffer talks about an app his agency has developed, which provides Sentinel-3 data to water quality managers.

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