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An overview of EarthCARE's Data, Innovation and Science Cluster
Following the launch of ESA's EarthCARE (Cloud, Aerosol, and Radiation Explorer) satellite in May 2024, a group of experts from 16 organisations are ready to begin work on quality control and calibration and validation activities related to the mission's data products.
Introducing EarthCARE’s Data, Innovation and Science Cluster
ESA’s EarthCARE mission has launched, and its four instruments have been successfully fired up, working in synergy to monitor clouds and aerosols and their role in regulating the climate.
NOAA (POES) AVHRR L1C data products now available
Following the new Heritage Space Programme project on NOAA (POES), AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) level 1C data products are now available to users via the ESA Heritage Missions Dissemination System.
AVHRR L1B/1C Local Area Coverage Imagery
Level-1B This collection is composed of AVHRR L1B products (1.1 km) reprocessed from the NOAA POES and Metop AVHRR sensors data acquired at the University of Dundee and University of Bern ground stations and from the ESA and University of Bern data historical archive. The product format is the NOAA AVHRR Level 1B that combines the AVHRR data from the HRPT stream with ancillary information like Earth location and calibration data which can be applied by the user. Other appended parameters are time codes, quality indicators, solar and satellite angles and telemetry. Two data collections cover the data acquired over Europe and the neighbouring regions in the period of 1 January 1981 to 31 December 2020 in the context of the 1-KM project in the 90s. During the early 1990’s various groups, including the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Science Team and ESA concluded that a global land 1 KM AVHRR data set would have been crucial to study and develop algorithms for several land products for the Earth Observing System. USGS, NOAA, ESA and other non-U.S. AVHRR receiving stations endorsed the initiative to collect a global land 1-km multi-temporal AVHRR data set over all land surfaces using NOAA's TIROS "afternoon" polar-orbiting satellite. On 1 April 1992, the project officially began and lasted up to the end of 1999 with the utilisation of 23 stations worldwide plus the NOAA local area coverage (LAC) on-board recorders. The global land 1-km AVHRR dataset is composed of 5 channels, raw AVHRR dataset at 1.1 km resolution from the NOAA-11 and NOAA-14 satellites covering land surfaces, inland water and coastal areas. Global Land 1 km AVHRR Data Set Project HRPT Ground Station Network (as of 1 April 1992) and Acquisition Areas for LAC Recorded Data Level-1C This data collection consists of measurements from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) at 1.1km full Local Area Coverage (LAC) resolution. It is based on the ESA AVHRR Level 1B European Data Set, a curated collection of AVHRR 1km data from 1981 to 2020 covering Europe, selected areas in Africa and the acquired data out-of-Europe in the context of the 1-KM project in the ‘90s (see the Level-1B description for details). The AVHRR LAC measurements were processed by the Remote Sensing Research Group of the University Bern, Switzerland. A landmark based navigation correction software adjusted time and satellite attitude to improve the georeferencing accuracy. The PyGAC software was used to convert the counts to reflectances for the visible and near-infrared channels 1, 2, 3A, and to brightness temperatures for the infrared channels 3B, 4, 5. The infrared calibration uses on-board calibration data and is satellite specific without cross-calibration between satellites. Due to the lack of on-board calibration data for the visible channels, calculated coefficients from the CIMSS PATMOS-X project, version 2017r1, were used for the visible calibration aiming to minimize spectral differences among the various AVHRR sensors. The data format is NetCDF. The calibrated AVHRR data are accompanied by coordinates, satellite and solar angles, additional metadata, and basic quality indicators. The NOAA nomenclature is used for the data record labelling it as a set of AVHRR L1C data. The new products are conveniently formatted in NetCDF. Free standard tools, such as Panoply, can be used to read NetCDF data. Panoply is sourced and updated by external entities. For further details, please consult our Terms and Conditions page.
Earth Online Newsletter - 09 August 2024
This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA
Earth Online Newsletter - 19 July 2024
This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA.
New stories on change detection and ERS-2 re-entry in HEDAVI
Two new stories are now available in ESA’s HEDAVI (HEritage DAta VIsualisation) tool. HEDAVI visualises Earth observation data from satellites in ESA’s Heritage and Third Party Missions programme, and includes some data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites.
Showcasing Earth Explorer success stories from around the world
The Earth Explorers programme consists of a series of satellites that share the common goal of advancing Earth science by helping answer principal scientific questions through observation of Earth’s key systems.
Earth Online Newsletter - 28 June 2024
This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA.
ESA EarthCARE Online Dissemination Service User Guidelines
This user guide describes how to access EarthCARE data through the Online Dissemination Service
Beyond cloud nine: 10 reasons to be excited about EarthCARE
With the launch of EarthCARE, ESA’s most complex Earth Explorer satellite yet, clouds, aerosols and radiation are about to become a whole lot clearer – at least scientifically.
New campaign dataset supports validation of upcoming FORUM mission
A new dataset has been released for the FINESSE at Andøya campaign, which took place in Norway in 2023.
New campaign dataset supports validation of WIVERN mission
A new dataset has been released for the WIVERNex-UK campaign, which took place in the United Kingdom in 2023.
FINESSE at Andøya 2023
The Andøya campaign was undertaken in support of the Earth Explorer 9 Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) mission.
FINESSE at Andøya 2023
The Andøya campaign was undertaken in support of the Earth Explorer 9 Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring (FORUM) mission.
EarthCARE JAXA L2 Products
This EarthCARE collection contains the following data products: Level 2a: Single-Instrument Geophysical Products These products are derived from individual instrument data onboard EarthCARE. They provide detailed geophysical parameters and properties specific to each instrument's capabilities for example cloud and aerosol properties derived solely from radar or lidar measurements, offering high-resolution insights into atmospheric phenomena. Level 2b: Synergistic Geophysical Products Level 2b products leverage data from multiple EarthCARE instruments to generate comprehensive, synergistic geophysical datasets. By combining measurements from instruments like radar, lidar, and radiometers, these products offer a more integrated view of cloud-aerosol interactions and atmospheric dynamics. Synergistic products provide enhanced accuracy and depth compared to single-instrument outputs, enabling detailed studies of complex atmospheric processes.
EarthCARE ESA L2 Products
This EarthCARE collection contains the following data products: Level 2a: Single-Instrument Geophysical Products These products are derived from individual instrument data onboard EarthCARE. They provide detailed geophysical parameters and properties specific to each instrument's capabilities for example cloud and aerosol properties derived solely from radar or lidar measurements, offering high-resolution insights into atmospheric phenomena. Level 2b: Synergistic Geophysical Products Level 2b products leverage data from multiple EarthCARE instruments to generate comprehensive, synergistic geophysical datasets. By combining measurements from instruments like radar, lidar, and radiometers, these products offer a more integrated view of cloud-aerosol interactions and atmospheric dynamics. Synergistic products provide enhanced accuracy and depth compared to single-instrument outputs, enabling detailed studies of complex atmospheric processes.
EarthCARE L1 Products
This EarthCARE collection contains the following data products: Level 1b: Fully Calibrated and Geolocated Instrument Science Measurements Level 1b data represents the fully processed, calibrated, and geolocated measurements from EarthCARE's instruments. Each measurement is aligned with the native instrument grid. For the Broadband Radiometer (BBR), measurements are also spatially integrated to various ground pixel sizes. Level 1c (MSI only): MSI Level 1b Data Interpolated to a Common Spatial Grid Specifically for the Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI), Level 1c data involves interpolating Level 1b measurements onto a standardised spatial grid that is consistent across all MSI bands. This grid closely matches the spacing used in MSI Level 1b data. Level 1d: Joint Standard Grid (JSG) for all instruments with ECMWF Meteorological Fields. Level 1d data provides a spatial grid to enable easy collocation and synergistic use of the data from all EarthCARE instruments, named the "joint standard grid." Additionally, this level incorporates ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) meteorological fields limited to the EarthCARE swath, enabling comprehensive analysis and modelling of atmospheric conditions within the satellite's coverage area. CPR level 1b: C-NOM products is generated and provided by JAXA. This product is used as input, in combination with the X-MET aux file, for different processors in the EarthCARE production chain. AUX_MET_1D: meteorological analysis and forecast fields X-MET provided by ECMWF. This product is used as input, in combination with the C-NOM product, for different processors in the EarthCARE production chain.
EarthCARE Orbit Data
EarthCARE data products encompass essential supporting auxiliary (AUX) and orbit data critical for accurate sensor data processing and analysis. Orbit data consists of on-board satellite data and orbital information predicted or determined by the Flight Operations Segment (FOS). For EarthCARE, this includes Reconstructed Orbit and Attitude Files, which provide detailed satellite positioning and orientation information. The integration of AUX and orbit data into EarthCARE's data processing workflow ensures the production of high-quality, scientifically valuable datasets for atmospheric research, climate modelling, and environmental monitoring.
EarthCARE ESA L2 Products for the Commissioning Team
This EarthCARE collection contains the following data products: Level 2a: Single-Instrument Geophysical Products These products are derived from individual instrument data onboard EarthCARE. They provide detailed geophysical parameters and properties specific to each instrument's capabilities for example cloud and aerosol properties derived solely from radar or lidar measurements, offering high-resolution insights into atmospheric phenomena. Level 2b: Synergistic Geophysical Products Level 2b products leverage data from multiple EarthCARE instruments to generate comprehensive, synergistic geophysical datasets. By combining measurements from instruments like radar, lidar, and radiometers, these products offer a more integrated view of cloud-aerosol interactions and atmospheric dynamics. Synergistic products provide enhanced accuracy and depth compared to single-instrument outputs, enabling detailed studies of complex atmospheric processes.