Basic Satellite Meteorology
The course starts with describing the various meteorological satellite systems operated by EUMETSAT and presently supplying data for operational use. The student should learn in what different orbits the different satellite operate and what it means to be geosynchronous and how the third law of Kepler helps to explain this.How do we go from level-1 data to level-1.5 and level-2 products? This is a question that will be answered and the principles by which radiation received at the satellite sensor is used to infer target albedo or temperature. For this there will be a series of lectures that will regress and teach Plancks law, Wiens displacement law and Kirchoff law.
Lecture 1: Satellites, an overview
The invention of weather satellites has opened a new area in weather forecasting. Satellite observations enable to continuously monitor the weather regimes on the whole globe. Therefore they provide a powerful tool in weather forecasting. The first lecture of the satellite course leads from the invention of weather satellites to technical inventions and the current operational satellites.
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Lecture 2: Satellite Orbits
Satellite orbits depend on the flying height of the satellites. This height is definded by gravitational and centrifugal forces. Geostationary satellites operate in a height of 36000 km and provide high temporal resolution. In contrast polar satellites are found closer to the surface and therefore offer higher spatial resolution. The second lecture of the satellite course leads from the physical principals to benefits and limitations of selected satellite orbites.
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Lecture 3: Principles of Radiation and Remote Sensing
Satellite instruments measure radiation at different wavelenghts. To correctly assess the information provided by these measurements, it is essential to know about laws of radiation as well as special characteristics of atmospheric gases. This lecture leads from phyiscal principles to applications such as IASI measurements.
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Lecture 4: Data aquisition, data processing and applications
For the correct assessment of satellite images, the processes involved in data processing should be known very well. Data processing and applied algorithms have essential impact on the satellite images, such as for example gamma correction. This lecture leads from single counts to radiances and brightness temperatures. Finally a well chosen selection of applications will be shown.
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Lecture 5: Spectral bands and their applications
Satellite instruments measure at various wavelenghts. Since atmospheric gases reveal different proporties when being measured at different wavelengths, this information can be essential to filter information. This lecture guides you the basic characteristics of the various SEVIRI channels to their applications.
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Lecture 6: Geostationary Satellites
Geostationary satellites enable to closely monitor the weather development at selected locations. This is particularly important for nowcasting convection and high impact weather. This lecture leads from general advantages of geostationary satellites to specific applications.
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Lecture 7: Polar Orbiting Satellites
Polar orbiting satellites fly at relatively low altitudes of about 800 km above Earth. Therefore they can provide satellite images at high horizontal resolution. When only one polar satellite is employed, the same spot on Earth is visited only twice per day. Therefore more than one polar satellite with different equatorial crossing times is required in order to attain more frequent observations. This lecture introduces you with the different instruments onboard of MetOp A and gives insight into the application of the retrieved information.
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Lecture 8: ASCAT
The Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) is one of the new-generation European instruments carried on MetOp and will be used to determine information about the wind for use primarily in weather forecasting and climate research. Data from ASCAT will also find applications in a number of other areas such as the monitoring of land- and sea-ice, snow cover and soil moisture.
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Lecture 9: Satellite Application Facility (SAF)
SAFs are dedicated centres of excellence for processing satellite data, achieved by utilising specialist expertise from the Member States. SAFs generate and disseminate operational EUMETSAT products and services and are an integral part of the distributed EUMETSAT Application Ground Segment.
Each SAF is led by the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of a EUMETSAT Member State, in association with a consortium of EUMETSAT Member States and Cooperating States, government bodies and research institutes. The lead NMS is responsible for the management of each complete SAF project. The research, data and services provided by the SAFs complement the standard meteorological products delivered by EUMETSAT’s central facilities in Darmstadt, Germany.
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Lecture 10: NWC-SAF
The general objective of the Nowcasting Satellite Application Facility (NWC-SAF) is to provide operational services to ensure the optimum use of meteorological satellite data in Nowcasting and Very Short Range Forecasting by targeted users. This is applicable to the MSG and the PPS satellite systems. To achieve this goal, the SAFNWC is responsible for the development and maintenance of appropriate SW Packages, as well as of all related tasks for user's support. Moreover, the SAFNWC intends to be a Centre of Excellence for Nowcasting in EUMETSAT.
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Lecture 11: CM SAF
Concerns about the Earth’s climate have increased the need not only for international control of greenhouse gases but also for climate monitoring on a global scale. Only space-based observations can deliver this type of global data and the CM SAF uses these data to provide the European contribution towards climate research.
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Lecture 12: LSA SAF
Information on land surface characteristics is needed for many important applications such as modelling and simulation of weather and climate, forecast and analysis of natural hazards and the monitoring of ecological and hydrological systems. The LSA SAF specifically addresses these requirements, delivering a range of products including land surface temperature, surface albedo and snow cover.
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Lecture 13: Parallax Shift
Although may considered as the answer to all problems, satellite also come with some limitations. In this lecture one such limitation \"Parallax Shift\" is explained and how you have to take this into account. Fortunately there are some solutions available to overcome this problem, which are also explained by Martin Setvak (CHMI)
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