Model Development for Passive Microwave Remote Sensing ...
593
Atmosphere Land
Ocean
Ice/Snow
Trace gases
Surface Temp.
Ocean colour
Extent
Clouds
Vegetation char. Sea Surf. Temp. Snow cover
Humidity
topography
topography
Fluxes
wave charac.
temperature
Temperature
wind speed
Table A-3: Primary Mission objectives for ENVISAT.
supported by ASAR and MERIS. MERIS and AATSR will provide also atmospheric information about clouds, radiative fluxes and aerosols, which are essential for the modelling of the
interaction between the surface and the atmosphere. In order to evaluate surface observations,
RA-2 and ASAR will provide information about the surface topography, leading to an overall
view of the vegetation state.
A.3 Meteorological oriented missions, METOP, MSG
METOP and MSG, the next generation of operational meteorological satellites, are developed
by ESA and will be operated by EUMETSAT. These missions are planned in order to continue
the successful operation of the current METEOSAT programme. One of the major tasks of the
meteorological satellItes is to monitor the distribution of water in the Earth's atmosphere. The
knowledge of trace gases and as such. also atmospheric water vapour is essential to understand
and model the Earth's climate system. It is believed that a doubling of the carbon-dioxide
content will lead to a mean global warming at the surface of between 1.5° and 4.5°C (v.d. Berg
et. al., 1991). These estimates for the magnitude of the global warming have been obtained
from model calculations that try to simulate the relevant physical mechanisms operating in
the Earth's atmosphere and ocean. MSG will continue and improve the observation from a
geostationary orbit, whereas METOP is designed as a low altitude orbiting satellite on a polar,
sun-synchronous orbit.
A.3.l Mission overview
The MSG satellites are to be launched in 2000, 2002 and 2006 into a geostationary orbit.
The main objective of the MSG mission is to serve the operational meteorological community
through a series of geostationary observing satellites, thus allowing the monitoring of atmospheric dynamics as well as water and energy cycles. In addition, the - with respect to METEOSAT
- higher spatial resolution of 1 km (VIS channel) to 3 km (all other channels) will provide more
details about cloud properties, thus giving the inputs for improved three-dimensional atmosphere models. The duty cycle of 15min will also allow the monitoring of cloud system evolution
and movements over the ocean.
METOP will complement MSG, extending the range of observations by including the polar
regions and use a sun synchronous polar orbit with an altitude of 825 km.
A.3.2 Instrumentation of MSG and Metop
MSG will carry two types of instruments (Table A-4) operating in the ultra violet (UV), visible
(VIS) and infra red (IR) spectra. GERB, having a resolution of 48 km will focus on atmospheric
593
Atmosphere Land
Ocean
Ice/Snow
Trace gases
Surface Temp.
Ocean colour
Extent
Clouds
Vegetation char. Sea Surf. Temp. Snow cover
Humidity
topography
topography
Fluxes
wave charac.
temperature
Temperature
wind speed
Table A-3: Primary Mission objectives for ENVISAT.
supported by ASAR and MERIS. MERIS and AATSR will provide also atmospheric information about clouds, radiative fluxes and aerosols, which are essential for the modelling of the
interaction between the surface and the atmosphere. In order to evaluate surface observations,
RA-2 and ASAR will provide information about the surface topography, leading to an overall
view of the vegetation state.
A.3 Meteorological oriented missions, METOP, MSG
METOP and MSG, the next generation of operational meteorological satellites, are developed
by ESA and will be operated by EUMETSAT. These missions are planned in order to continue
the successful operation of the current METEOSAT programme. One of the major tasks of the
meteorological satellItes is to monitor the distribution of water in the Earth's atmosphere. The
knowledge of trace gases and as such. also atmospheric water vapour is essential to understand
and model the Earth's climate system. It is believed that a doubling of the carbon-dioxide
content will lead to a mean global warming at the surface of between 1.5° and 4.5°C (v.d. Berg
et. al., 1991). These estimates for the magnitude of the global warming have been obtained
from model calculations that try to simulate the relevant physical mechanisms operating in
the Earth's atmosphere and ocean. MSG will continue and improve the observation from a
geostationary orbit, whereas METOP is designed as a low altitude orbiting satellite on a polar,
sun-synchronous orbit.
A.3.l Mission overview
The MSG satellites are to be launched in 2000, 2002 and 2006 into a geostationary orbit.
The main objective of the MSG mission is to serve the operational meteorological community
through a series of geostationary observing satellites, thus allowing the monitoring of atmospheric dynamics as well as water and energy cycles. In addition, the - with respect to METEOSAT
- higher spatial resolution of 1 km (VIS channel) to 3 km (all other channels) will provide more
details about cloud properties, thus giving the inputs for improved three-dimensional atmosphere models. The duty cycle of 15min will also allow the monitoring of cloud system evolution
and movements over the ocean.
METOP will complement MSG, extending the range of observations by including the polar
regions and use a sun synchronous polar orbit with an altitude of 825 km.
A.3.2 Instrumentation of MSG and Metop
MSG will carry two types of instruments (Table A-4) operating in the ultra violet (UV), visible
(VIS) and infra red (IR) spectra. GERB, having a resolution of 48 km will focus on atmospheric