| Paper: | TH-A3.1 |
| Session: | Current Concepts |
| Time: | Thursday, March 29, 10:40 - 11:00 |
| Presentation: |
Oral
|
| Topic: |
Current and future satellite missions: |
| Title: |
The EUMETSAT Polar System - Second Generation (EPS-SG) Micro-Wave Imaging (MWI) and Ice Cloud Imaging (ICI) missions |
| Authors: |
Christophe Accadia; EUMETSAT | | |
| | Vinia Mattioli; EUMETSAT | | |
| | Peter Schluessel; EUMETSAT | | |
| | Alessio Canestri; EUMETSAT | | |
| | Paolo Colucci; EUMETSAT | | |
| | Tobias Wehr; European Space Agency | | |
| | Salvatore D'Addio; European Space Agency | | |
| | Ulf Klein; European Space Agency | | |
| | Alberto Graziani; European Space Agency | | |
| | Marc Loiselet; European Space Agency | | |
| Abstract: |
The EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) will be followed by a second generation system called EPS-SG. This new programme will contribute to the Joint Polar System being jointly set up with NOAA in the timeframe 2020-2040. These satellites will fly, like Metop (EPS), in a sun synchronous, low earth orbit at 830 km altitude and 09:30 local time descending node, providing observations over the full globe with revisit times of 12 hours. EPS-SG consists of two different satellites configurations, the EPS-SG-A series dedicated to IR and MW sounding, and the EPS-SG-B series dedicated to microwave imaging and scatterometry. Three successive launches of each satellite-type are foreseen in EPS-SG.
The Microwave Imager (MWI) will be hosted on Metop-SG-B series of satellites, with the primary objective of supporting Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) at regional and global scales with precipitation measurements. Other applications will be observation of surface parameters such as sea ice concentration and hydrology applications. The 18 MWI observation frequencies range from 18.7 GHz to 183 GHz. All MWI channels up to 89 GHz will measure V- and H polarizations.
The MWI mission was also designed to provide continuity of measurements for select heritage microwave imager channels (e.g. SSM/I, AMSR-E). The additional sounding channels such as the 50-55 and 118 GHz bands will provide additional cloud and precipitation information over sea and land. This combination of channels was successfully tested in airborne campaigns, and it is the first time that they will be implemented in a conical scanning configuration in a single instrument.
The Ice Cloud Imager will be hosted on MetOp-SG-B series of satellites with the primary objective to support numerical weather prediction and climate monitoring. The aim of the ICI mission is the provision of measurements related to ice clouds, including bulk microphysical variables, supporting the validation of the representation of ice clouds in numerical weather and climate models. The availability of ICI data will enhance the ability of NWP centres to initialise global and regional models with more detailed information on clouds. Although their treatment in NWP is important for accurate weather forecasts, clouds are currently not well represented in models.
Further objectives of the ICI mission include the measurement of water-vapour gross profiles and snowfall distributions in support of NWP and nowcasting.
An overview of the EPS-SG programme and MWI and ICI missions will be presented.
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