The EUMETSAT geostationary and polar satellite systems and products (Invited Presentation)

EUMETSAT is currently operating four geostationary satellites; three first generation satellites: Meteosat-7 located over Africa at 0°, Meteosat 5 over the Indian Ocean at 63° East and Meteosat-6 at 10° East; and one second generation satellite: Meteosat-8 at 3.3° West. The first Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite was launched successfully in August 2002 and entered routine operations as Meteosat-8 in January 2004. The improved capability of the MSG image data as compared to the first generation Meteosat imagery data enables more accurate cloud detection and classification. The higher sampling in time and space provides further improvements that will directly increase the quality of several of the existing key products like Clear Sky Radiance (CSR) and Atmospheric Motion Vector (AMV) products derived centrally at the EUMETSAT Meteorological Product Extraction Facility (MPEF. The multitude of channels will enable the estimation of cloud top heights with higher accuracy than before as well as the derivation of completely new products like Total Ozone (TOZ) and Global Instability Index (GII). Additionally to the centrally derived products several innovative products like long- and short-wave surface fluxes and albedo, will be derived at the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs).

In 2005 EUMETSAT will launch its first polar orbiting satellite, Metop-1, complementing the European operational meteorological satellite observations now provided by the geostationary systems. The EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) will be part of the Initial Joint Polar System and will complement the observations performed by the current NOAA satellites in the morning orbit. It will ensure continuity of the observations performed with the present NOAA polar orbiting satellite system using not only the same or similar instruments that are currently flown, but also with new instruments. The data from IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer), GOME-2 (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2) and GRAS (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding) will provide products with higher resolution and accuracy of not only atmospheric temperature and humidity, but also atmospheric constituents like ozone.

The presentation will give an overview of the products and services provided by current and future EUMETSAT systems.