Slide: 1 EUMETSAT’s Contribution to Climate Monitoring Peter Albert European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)

Slide: 1

EUMETSAT’s Contribution to Climate Monitoring

Peter Albert

European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)

WMO Expert team meeting on Climate monitoring including the use of Satellite and Marine Data Products

Offenbach, 28 October 2010

Slide: 2 EUMETSAT‘s Contribution to Climate MonitoringOctober 2009

Outline

• Introduction

• Providing observational data: EUMETSAT past, current and future programmes

• Generating climate monitoring products: The EUMETSAT Application Ground Segment

• EUMETSAT’s contribution to international initiatives

• Summary and conclusion


Long-term continuity

Global coverage

Product generation

Introduction

Climate monitoring

International coordination


Introduction

• For the analysis of changing temperatures as well as other phenomena of climate and environmental changes, scientists, public authorities and decision makers require reliable global data sets collected over decades.

• Operational meteorological satellites have the increasing capability to provide those long-term, global measurements from space.

• However, the (cross-) calibration between different satellite systems, and between different satellite generations, is a very demanding task, requiring international cooperation between operational agencies and the scientific community.


Introduction: EUMETSAT’s commitment and activities

As stated in its Convention, EUMETSAT is committed to the contribution to the operational monitoring of the climate and the detection of global climate change.

This objective is addressed by EUMETSAT at different levels (recent Council Resolution from July 2009):

– the provision of observational data with its satellites and embarked instruments

– Generation of Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs) through re-calibration and re-processing is the main focus.

– Generation of Thematic Climate Data Records TCDRs, making best use of SAF Network expertise, is a second focus

– Taking into account climate-specific requirements in the planning of new programmes

– the programmatic and organisational activities, with a focus on the various frameworks of the international cooperation.


Different levels of climate products

In the “climate” context, different levels of satellite products should be distinguished due to different applications and requirements (on accuracy, coverage, stability) e.g.:

• Instantaneous (NRT and offline) products for process studies

• Temporal and spatial averages for “operational monitoring”

• Satellite products for climate variability analysis

• Products for trend analysis (climate change detection)

increasing level

of requirements


Outline

• Introduction






Providing satellite data for climate monitoring



The Meteosat programme is the well-established European contribution to the ring of geostationary satellite observations.

The first Meteosat satellite was launched more than 30 years ago by ESA in 1977. In 1995 EUMETSAT took over the operation of the Meteosat satellites.

EUMETSAT operates two Meteosat satellites of the first generation (Meteosat-6 and -7) over the Indian Ocean.



The first MSG satellite (Meteosat Second Generation) was launched 2002.

The instrument onboard combines larger spectral coverage with higher spatial and temporal resolution, enabling a better observation of important climate variables, especially those undergoing diurnal cycles.

Vital importance to climate observations: the improved on-board calibration of the thermal IR channels of the MSG.

EUMETSAT operates two satellites of the second generation (Meteosat-8 and -9) at 0° longitude.





Since the Metop-A launch (October 2006) EUMETSAT – in partnership with NOAA - has a polar orbiting satellite system with a long-term operational perspective, that can provide information on a large number of climate key variables over at least 14 years of operations on a global scale.

Time coverage can be extended into the past with e.g. the NOAA family of polar orbiting satellites, and will be extended into the future with the follow-up system, Post-EPS.



The hyper spectral sounding Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) allows the retrieval of temperature and moisture profiles at high accuracy (1K, 15 %, respectively) over 1km layers. IASI also allows the observation of trace gases relevant for the greenhouse effect and for atmospheric chemistry.

The Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment -2 (GOME-2) continue the capability to measure Ozone profiles and related trace gases with high accuracy.

The Radio-occultation Atmospheric Sounder (GRAS) provide absolute measurements on the temperature and humidity profiles.

From the other instruments on Metop (AVHRR, ATOVS, ASCAT) long-term climate records can be derived as well, with regard to AVHRR and ATOVS this provides continuity of climate records of NOAA satellites.



Furthermore, the Jason-2 mission, launched in 2008, provides continuity in the monitoring of sea-level whose rise due to climate change is a critical parameter. The information about rising sea levels already carried out by Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon over the last 15 years will be seamlessly maintained.Follow-on mission studies are currently done by EUMETSAT in cooperation with NOAA to establish the basis for an Ocean Surface Topography Constellation that satisfies the requirements for climate monitoring of sea level and sea state.


Outline

• Introduction






Generating climate monitoring products

The current EUMETSAT satellite systems have been designed with a primary objective on operational weather prediction and now-casting, and a secondary objective on climate monitoring further requirements for climate-related observations (e.g. calibration, characterization, stability) are more explicitly taken into account only for the next generation satellite systems, Meteosat Third Generation and Post-EPS.

Nevertheless, through dedicated scientific work, more and more datasets useful for climate applications, become available.

The basic framework for these activities is defined by the requirements and principles of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), defining a set of Essential Climate Variables (ECVs).


GCOS ECVs Largely Dependent Upon Satellites

AtmosphericPrecipitation, Earth radiation budget (including solar irradiance), Wind

speed and direction, Water vapour, Upper-air temperature, Cloud properties, Carbon dioxide, Ozone, Other long-lived greenhouse gases, Aerosol properties

OceanicSea-surface temperature, Ocean salinity, Sea level, Sea state, Sea ice,

Ocean colour

TerrestrialLakes, Snow cover, Glaciers and ice caps, Albedo, Land cover, Fraction

of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), Leaf area index (LAI), Biomass, Fire disturbance, [Soil moisture]


The EUMETSAT Application Ground Segment

The transformation of satellite data into higher level products is carried out in the EUMETSAT Application Ground Segment, a combination and co-operation of the EUMETSAT Headquarter in Darmstadt, and the EUMETSAT Network of Satellite Application Facilities in the EUMETSAT member states.



The generation and preservation of homogeneous long-term data sets from satellites is in particular addressed through:

– The EUMETSAT reprocessing activities

• Meteosat first and second generation satellites since 1982

• Metop data

– Dedicated activities of the Satellite Application Facility (SAF) on Climate Monitoring (radiation, clouds and atmospheric humidity)

– Climate products generated in other SAFs e.g. sea ice concentration (OSI SAF), and climate maps (GRAS SAF)

– Generation of ECV related products in NRT by SAFs and Central Facilities


Generating climate monitoring products - Reprocessing

• Continuous activities related to reprocessing of image and Meteorological product data 1st and 2nd Generation of Meteosat

• Support to Reanalysis projects (ECMWF ERA40 and ERA-interim) as well as JMA Reanalysis

• Past and current reprocessing activities include:

– Level-1 data from Meteosat and Metop– Meteosat surface albedo product– Multi-sensor Precipitation Estimates MPE– Atmospheric Motion Vectors– Soil Moisture


Already existing reprocessed data sets

Meteosat First Generation:- Level 1.5 data in 3 channels (VIS, IR, WV) for 0 degree, IODC, ADC and XADC

services (since 1982)- Atmospheric Motion Vectors from

- May 1982 till December 2000 for 0 Degree Service (Met-2 to Met-7)- August 1991 till January 1993 for Atlantic Data Coverage Service (Met-3)- August 1993 till May 1995 for Extended Atlantic Data Coverage Service (Met-3)

- Clear Sky radiances for the periods covered by the AMV's- Meteosat Surface Albedo from

- June 1981 till June 2006 for 0 Degree Service (Met-2 to Met-7)- June 1998 - April 2007 (Met-5)

Metop-A:- GOME-2 Level 1 from Jan 2007 to June 2008- ASCAT Level 1 from Jan 2007 to August 2008- IASI Level 1 from July 2007 to now- Soil Moisture (ASCAT Level 2) from June 2007 to August 2008


=> Substantially improved coverage and impact of re-processed winds from Meteosat satellites (C. Desol, ECMWF, 2008)

Period corresponds to time when Meteosat-5 was operational at 0º and Meteosat-3

supported NOAA because there was only one GOES satellite.

Reprocessed Met3 and Met5

Original Met5

Example of coverage: 19950102

Reprocessing of Meteosat Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs):Important contribution to Re-analyses at NWP Centers


Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs)

• SAF on Climate Monitoring– Generation of homogeneous data sets and continuous

spatially and temporarily integrated satellite information

• Ocean and Sea Ice SAF– Generation of set of products with high relevance for

climate monitoring (Sea surface radiation parameters, sea ice coverage and characteristics, winds)

– Reprocessing of global sea ice from SSM/I (1987-2007)

• GRAS SAF– Generation of long-term homogeneous water vapour (with

CM- and O3M SAF)– Climate data (maps) from initial NRT products


Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs)

• Land Surface Analysis (LSA SAF)– NRT Product generation of ECVs: surface radiation, snow

and vegetation parameters

• Ozone and Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring (O3M SAF)– NRT product generation of ECVs related to atmospheric

chemistry from GOME-2

– Total Ozone Data Set Generation through reprocessing

– Homogeneous long-term water vapour data set (with CM and GRAS SAF)

• Hydrology SAF (H-SAF)– Targeting ECV in the domain of precipitation, soil moisture

and snow parameters

• NWP and Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting (NWP SAF and NWC SAF) – Software (retrieval, simulation, assimilation) development

and maintenance providing tools also for climate purposes



All EUMETSAT data products are available on-line through the EUMETSAT Product Navigator


Outline

• Introduction






EUMETSAT’s partnership in International Initiatives:ISCCP and GPCP

• Since 1986 EUMETSAT has supported the International Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) as part of the world climate research project (WCRP) by providing data from first and second generation Meteosat. This project routinely extracts sampled images from geostationary satellites on a 3-hourly basis to enable the detection of global cloud coverage and associated changes of these quantities.

• EUMETSAT is also since 1987 extracting from its Meteosat image data so called precipitation indices on a routine basis as a contribution to the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). This is also an activity which contributes to the World Climate Research Project as a contribution in the context of GEWEX (Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment).


EUMETSAT’s partnership in International Initiatives:WMO GSICS

The Global Space-Based Intercalibration System (GSICS) Objective is to create an operational system that monitors and evaluates the calibration of the global meteorological satellite observing system in a coherent and systematic manner.

EUMETSAT is one of the founding members of GSICS and very actively pursues the realisation of such an operational system.

The operational EUMETSAT intercalibration activities have concentrated on:

– Calibration of EUMETSAT geostationary satellites (Meteosat and MSG / MVIRI and SEVIRI instruments, resp.), based on intercalibration with the HIRS instruments on NOAA satellites.

– A major recent step has been the intercalibration with the IASI instrument on Metop; IASI is considered as a reference for the thermal infrared inter-calibration because of the excellent on-board calibration.


Example from GSICS: Intercalibrating MSG with IASI

IR13.4 IR12.0 IR10.8IR9.7

IR8.7

GSICS News, T. Hewison, EUMETSAT


Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring SCOPE-CM

EUMETSAT supports and contributes to the implementation of the Global Network of Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM), recently initiated under the WMO framework.

The main objective of the SCOPE-CM Network is to provide high quality long-term data sets of what GCOS has defined as Essential Climate Variables using observations from space.

Main contributions of EUMETSAT to the SCOPE-CM are the coordinated activities (climate product generation through reprocessing of archived data) of its Central Facility and the SAF Network.

EUMETSAT has also been nominated secretariat of the SCOPE-CM Network.


The SCOPE-CM Network will be:

– Based on activities of existing initiatives (GOS, GCOS and GSICS)– Build upon existing operational infrastructures– Serve users and other organisations (e.g. WMO Regional Climate

Centres RCC, National Weather Services)

Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate

Monitoring SCOPE-CM

Global Observing System

GOS

Global Satellite Inter-Calibration System

GSICS

Sustained Coordinated Processingof Environmental Satellite Data

for Climate Monitoring

SCOPE-CM

Satellite Data

Fundamental Climate Data

RecordsFCDRs

ECV satelliteproducts

Satellites and Sensors

Users

Users

Users andOrganisations

Global Observing System

GOS

Global Satellite Inter-Calibration System

GSICS



SCOPE-CM



SCOPE-CM

Satellite Data

Fundamental Climate Data

RecordsFCDRs

ECV satelliteproducts

Satellites and Sensors

Users

Users


Users

Users



EUMETSAT’s partnership in International Initiatives:

The described activities are well integrated in international frameworks at working level as well as at the policy-making level (CEOS, GEO, WMO Space Programme, CGMS, GCOS), where EUMETSAT as operational satellite agency is a key partner.

• Committee on Earth Observation Satellites CEOS– EUMETSAT involvement at working and organisational level in several CEOS

groups (e.g. Climate Social Benefit Area team)

– CEOS Strategic Implementation Team

– CEOS Plenary

• Group on Earth Observations GEO– EUMETSAT participating organisation

– In charge of fulfilling GEO’s climate tasks as CEOS active member


Outline

• Introduction






Summary and conclusion

• EUMETSAT undertakes many activities toward the operational monitoring of climate and the detection of global climatic changes in accordance with its convention and its recent Council Resolution.

• Current emphasis is on:

– The generation and re-processing of long term series of products relevant for climate monitoring.

– Support the Implementation of the Global Space-based Inter Calibration System (GSICS) adhering to the GSICS operations plan 2008.

– Coordination with international partners for the implementation of the WMO global network of Sustained Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM).

• EUMETSAT plays a leading role in Europe on coordination of initiatives aiming to provide space data for Climate monitoring

Documents

Slide: 1 EUMETSAT’s Contribution to Climate Monitoring Peter Albert European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)