SATELLITE INFORMATION

Mission SeaWiFS Eos Aqua Eos Terra Meris WINDSAT ASCAT Jason-1 Jason-2 ENVISAT-altimeter
Satellite SeaStar

(Orbview-2)

 Aqua Terra Envisat Coriolis EUMETSAT's MetOp     ENVISAT
Temporal  coverage- Sept 1997 - 04/05/2002 - 18/12/1999 - 2002- 2006- 2007- September 2001 - September 2001 - 2002-
Instruments optical scanner AMSR-E : Passive microwave radiometer

MODIS: Optical and IR radiometer

ASTER

MISR

MODIS: Optical and IR radiometer

MOPITT

Imaging multi-spectral radiometers

(visible/IR)

 Polarimetric Passive Radiometer Scatterometer Altimeter Altimeter Altimeter
Spectral Bands  8 bands: between 400 and 900 nm AMSR-E:

6

MODIS:

36 spectral bands: 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm

 MODIS:

36 spectral bands: 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm

 15 band: .39 µm to 1.04 µm 6.8,10.7,18.7,

23.8, and 37 GHz.

 C band C and Ku bands C and Ku bands Ku and S bands
Applications

Relevant to Hi-Res

 Ocean Color MODIS:

Ocean color and SST

 MODIS:

Ocean color and SST

 Ocean Color and SST Wind Vectors,

SST.

 Wind vectors SSH, Hs and wind speed SSH, Hs and wind speed SSH, Hs and wind speed
Orbit noon, sun-synchronous Afternoon, sun-synchronous Morning, sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous Sun-synchronous circular circular  
 
Revisit Time (days) ~1-2 ~1-2 ~1-2 ~1-2 8 days ~1 day      
Swath Width (km) 2.8 (LAC)

1.5 (GAC)

 MODIS:

2300 km

 MODIS:

2300 km

 1150km 1025 km 550km      
Spatial Res. (km) 1.1

4.5

 MODIS: from 0.25 to 1 depending on the band MODIS: from 0.25 to 1 depending on the band 1.04km x 1.2 km 25lm 12.5 or 25km Foot print depends on Hs, typically ~ 5 – 10km Foot print depends on Hs, typically ~ 5 – 10 km Foot print ~2-10 km
Accuracy         1 m/s , 10 Deg   4.2 cm 4.2 cm 4.5 cm
Repeat cycle   16 days 16 days 35 days 8 days 29days 10 days 10 days 35 days
Spacing between tracks or swaths         1500lkm 700km 315 km 315 km 85lm

Near real-time *ocean color* and *SST* information from MODIS (Aqua and Terra), SeaWifs, and MERIS can be accessed through the ocean color website (http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov). The website has a data browser that can be used to have a quick look at the latest conditions from images in jpg format (http://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi/browse.pl).

Near real-time *scatterometer wind products* (ASCAT, WindSAT) can be found at: http://manati.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov/index.php . WindSAT *SST* information is also available at this website.

/Compiled by Leonel Romero (SIO) 06/2010