Sentinel-6 A Spot

Sentinel-6

 

Continuing high precision ocean altimetry measurements

Sentinel-6 A Spot
Sentinel-6 A Spot

The Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite involves two key missions: radar altimetry and radio occultation. The radar altimeter mission provides high-precision measurements of global sea-level.

Last Updated

21 February 2023

Published on

19 May 2020

A second objective is to collect high resolution vertical profiles of temperature, using the GNSS Radio-Occultation sounding technique, to assess temperature changes in the troposphere and stratosphere, and to support numerical weather prediction (NWP).


Main products, key variables and applications

  Products Main variables Main applications
Near Real Time (NRT) Operational Geophysical Data Record (OGDR) Significant Wave Height (SWH)
Surface Wind Speed (WIND)
Sea Surface Height (SSH)
Information on humidity and temperature profiles (RO)
Real time operational oceanography
Marine nowcasting
Operational wave forecasting
Numerical weather prediction
Short Time Critical (STC) Interim Geophysical Data Record (IGDR) Same altimetry products as above plus Absolute Dynamic Topography (ADT)
Ocean Geostrophic Velocities
More accurate Sea Surface Height (SSH)
Operational oceanography
Seasonal Forecasting
Non Time Critical (NTC) Geophysical Data Record (GDR) Same altimetry products as above
Most accurate Sea Surface Height (SSH)
Most accurate information on humidity and temperature profiles (RO)
Sea level monitoring
Climate monitoring
Climate research
img_sub_banner_sent6
COPERNICUS LOGOS