1. EUMETSAT POLAR SYSTEM Introduction to EPS

2. Series of three Meteorological Operational (Metop) satellites EPS program will take 14 years Metop satellites will provide more precise details about atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles

3. European contribution to polar satellite system called the Initial Joint Polar System (IJPS) EUMETSAT will have the operational responsibility for the morning (local time) orbit with the Metop satellites US counterpart, with their NOAA-satellites will cover the afternoon orbits Data retrieved from Metop and NOAA will be processed, exchanged and shared by both EUMETSAT and NOAA Introduction to EPS

4. The first launch, which will be the launch of Metop-2, is planned for the second quarter of 2006. In orbit the first satellite will be called Metop-A in operation Introduction to EPS

5. The Metop satellites will ensure continuity, improvement and availability of operational meteorological observations Provide Europe with an enhanced capability for the routine observation of the Earth from Space Increase Europe's capability for long-term Earth climate monitoring Introduction to EPS

6. Temperature and moisture sounding for NWP All weather capability Troposphere, stratosphere, and troposphere/stratosphere interactions Imagery of clouds and land/ocean surfaces Air-sea interactions Introduction to EPS Operational meteorology

7. Monitor global atmospheric temperatures and humidity data Monitor the seasonal variations in ozone and track any developments Provide data for vegetation indices Mapping of snow and ice cover Monitor the ocean as key indicator of climate changes Introduction to EPS Climatology

8. Space Environmental Monitoring (SEM) Humanitarian service (Search and Rescue) Introduction to EPS Additional EPS missions

9. The Metop polar orbit is sun-synchronous Minimum altitude of 822 km. Global coverage twice per day The time to complete an orbit is about 101 minutes During each orbit the Earth rotates approximately 25° Space Segment

10. Eight instruments for observing the planet Core set of instruments will be identical to NOAA (AVHRR + ATOVS) Additional instruments to improve atmospheric soundings and to provide measurements of atmospheric ozone and near-surface winds over the ocean. Payload

11. AMSU-A (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A): measures the temperature and moisture of the global atmosphere in nearly all weather conditions, sea ice. Part of the ATOVS suite. AMSU-A

12. NOAA-16: Total precipitable water NOAA-15: AMSU-A 89 GHz. channel can see through most cloud and observe surface AMSU-A

13. MHS (Microwave Humidity Sounder): Measures the humidity of the global atmosphere. Part of the ATOVS suite. MHS

14. NOAA-16: AMSU-B 89 GHz. NOAA-17: AMSU-B 89 GHz. channel can see through most cloud and observe surface Actual data from the MHS instrument is not yet available, as this instrument has yet to be flown in space. However, the AMSU-B instrument, an instrument similar to the MHS but operating with a different set of channel frequencies, has previously flown on NOAA satellites. The graphics here have been derived from actual AMSU-B in-flight data at 89 GHz. The MHS data will be very similar. MHS

15. HIRS/4 (High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder): Global sounding of the temperature and humidity of the global atmosphere in cloud-free or partly cloudy conditions, atmospheric minor constituents. Part of the ATOVS suite. HIRS

16. Global atmospheric temperature data from HIRS channel 6 on the NOAA 14 satellite The data is used to determine ocean surface temperatures, total atmospheric ozone levels, precipitable water, cloud height and coverage, and surface radiance. In combination with data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) the microwave instrument can be used to calculate the atmosphere's vertical temperature profile from the Earth's surface to about 40 km (24.85mi) altitude. HIRS

17. ASCAT (Advanced scatterometer): Provides near-surface wind speed and direction over global oceans, sea ice coverage, soil moisture. ASCAT

18. Example of the European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-2) scatterometer. It shows Cyclone Sam off the Northern coast of Australia on 4 December 2000. ASCAT

19. Land applications The graphic shows a map of the plant- available-water for Africa for the month of January. Blue and brown areas indicate high and low water concentrations respectively. Ice monitoring The graphic shows a large iceberg discovered to be adrift in the Drake passage (between Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego). ASCAT

20. AVHRR/3 (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer): Global sounding, global visible, near infrared and infrared imagery of clouds, of the ocean (SST), Earth radiation measurements, land surface measurements. AVHRR

21. Sea surface temperature products are produced routinely from the AVHRR instrument at global, regional, local, and coastal coverage. This image is an example of a global product produced at 50 km resolution, available twice weekly, from NOAA-14 on December 21, AVHRR

22. A strong heat signature (red) and an ash plume (blue haze extending from hot spot) associated with eruptions of the Mount Etna volcano in northeastern Sicily. Lava had been fountaining and flowing down the west flank of the mountain in irregular intervals over six days. Hot spots in mainland Italy were associated with wildfires. AVHRR

23. Vegetation condition products are generated from the AVHRR instrument. The red color delineates the areas with severe vegetation stress; the colors from yellow to blue indicate fair to favorable conditions. These images compare the vegetation health conditions from 1999 (top) to 1998 (bottom). AVHRR

24. IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer). Hyperspectral and high vertical resolution global sounding of temperature and moisture, ocean measurements (SST), clouds and Earth radiation budget, ozone and atmospheric minor constituents, land measurements. IASI

25. GOME-2 (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment): Provides profiles and total column measurements of ozone and other atmospheric constituents. GOME-2

26. Measured geophysical products of GOME-2 GOME-2

27. Scan track GOME-2

28. GRAS (GPS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding): Atmospheric refractive index measurements. Provides profiles of the temperature of the upper troposphere and in the stratosphere with high vertical resolution, and humidity in the troposphere. GRAS

29. Dimensions (deployed configuration without solar array) Height: 7.6 m (299.21 in) Length: 6.8 m (267.7 in) Width: 3.7 m (145.67 in) Mass (at launch) 4500 kg (9922.5 lbs) Solar Array and Instruments Solar array length: 11.3 m (37 ft) Solar Array Output Power (End of Life): 3900 W Instrument Mass: 840 kg (1852.5 lbs) Instrument Power: 980 W Architecture

30. Communication EUMETSAT has selected a site on Spitsbergen, a Svalbard island within the arctic circle as the site for the receival of data from MetOp The Metop satellite will transmit/ communicate with the ground segment facilities by means of four links: Global data storage and dump in X-Band HRPT continuous data broadcast in L- Band LRPT continuous data broadcast in VHF TT&C uplink and downlink in S-Band

32. The OGS consists of three primary groupings: The Core Ground Segment (CGS) Complementary OGS facilities OGS Support Infrastructure Ground Segment

33. Products and Support Services for Metop and NOAA Level 0 Products: SEM Level 1 Products Services: ASCAT, AVHRR/3, AMSU-A, HIRS/4, MHS, IASI, GOME-2, GRAS Level 2 Products Services: ASCAT, ATOVS, IASI, GOME-2, GRAS Level 3 Products Services: Various products. These services will be performed by the Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs) Services

34. Images provided in this presentation are under courtesy of EUMETSAT and ESA. Contact information: jarno.schipper@zamg.ac.at EPS