MERIS - Value added - products for land-, water- and atmospheric applications

Abstract

The assessment of environmental state, detection and monitoring of changes in the environment has become an important issue for our society. Remote sensing using Earth observation satellites contributes essentially to this area, since it is the only technology that allows continuous sampling in space and time. Since mid of the 90ies new satellite sensors are available allowing improved environmental monitoring as well as assessment of new state variables for land applications, biological oceanography and atmospheric sciences. With the launch of the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) in late April 2002 the European Space Agency (ESA) operates an imaging spectrometer on board of the polar orbiting Earth Observation Satellite ENVISAT. The instrument is designed to provide medium spatial resolution data (300m pixel size) for quantifying biological and ecological parameters of water and land surfaces, clouds and water vapour. MERIS will provide information in 15 spectral channels from 412.5nm to 900nm. ESA will deliver different products as e.g. Level 1b data consisting of geolocated, engineering, calibrated products in near real time or generated off-line but fully validated. In addition, further processing will result in Level 2 data consisting of geolocated, geophysical products in near real time or consolidated in an off-line processing chain. The geophysical Level 2 products are designed for global applications. Further advanced value-added products (Level 3 data) as e.g. products mapped to a common grid, composites for day, week or months or geophysical products derived from Level 3 products and applied to sophisticated models are not delivered by ESA. Within the German MERIS Applications and Regional Products Project (MAPP) operational algorithms for additional Level 2 as well as Level 3 products are developed for regional applications especially for coastal areas (North Sea and the Baltic), for inland waters (Lake Constance), for the European land vegetation and for the identification of cloud properties. The paper will present an overview of ESA and MAPP products.