EUMETSAT’s Meteosat satellites monitor weather and climate from space

Addressing the climate challenge

EUMETSAT

The main mission of EUMETSAT, Europe’s operational meteorological satellite agency, is to reliably deliver weather and climate-related satellite data, images and products to the organisation’s Member and Cooperating States in Europe, as well as other users worldwide.

To this end, EUMETSAT provides decades of satellite data records with the highest levels of accuracy and reliability. Its satellites (the Meteosat and Metop series) continuously monitor the Earth and its atmosphere with temporal and spatial coverage and a long-term perspective. The robust and sustained systems include the data processing, distribution and long-term data preservation processes needed to store information on the status and dynamics of the Earth’s weather and climate. The organisation is thus uniquely equipped to support scientists and policymakers by providing invaluable information for informed decisions addressing the climate change challenges.

EUMETSAT data caters directly to the needs of the World Meteorological Organization’s co-sponsored Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), which has articulated requirements for long-term Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) based on fundamental climate data records (FCDR). A second priority will be the collection of climate data records, making best use of the expertise available in the network of EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs).

The availability and consideration of accurate climate information is vital in determining actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Initiatives such as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) need this information to support policymaking and it is of paramount importance to scientists where greater insight into the mechanisms of climate change as well as long-term operational monitoring will improve projections.

As part of the EUMETSAT Polar System, Metop delivers information on key climate variables

The space segment

EUMETSAT operates two geostationary Meteosat satellites of the first generation (Meteosat-6 and -7) over the Indian Ocean and two second generation satellites (Meteosat-8 and -9) over the prime meridian. Meteosat satellites have been delivering data since 1977 and can thus contribute to fundamental climate data records.

Second generation satellites have much higher capabilities with temporal repeat cycles and twelve spectral bands as compared to only three spectral bands for the first generation Meteosats. The larger number of bands allows better observation of important climate variables and the better temporal resolution enables observation of diurnal cycles.

With Metop-A, already operational, and two more Metop satellites to come, the EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS) will deliver global information on a number of key climate variables including temperature and humidity profiles for over 14 years, owing to innovative payloads such as the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) and the Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding. These provide information on temperature and humidity profiles without the need for calibration between satellites to create the long-term climate-relevant data sets. Equally important are the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer, a very well calibrated hyperspectral sounding instrument, and the Advanced Scatterometer monitoring the ocean surface winds driving ocean circulation.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports on the acceleration of global mean sea level rise beyond 1993 are based on satellite altimetry. The Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM/Jason-2) provides the necessary continuity for this data, especially on mean sea level ECVs. A follow-on project to continue these vital observations is proposed.

Furthermore, EUMETSAT will have a pivotal role in operating the GMES Sentinel-3 series of oceanographic satellites. GMES Sentinel-4 and -5 instruments for monitoring atmospheric composition constituents from geostationary and polar-orbiting platforms are also in the pipeline, as are the next generation of both Meteosat (MTG – Meteosat Third Generation) and Post-EPS (to continue the Metop observations from polar orbit).

Accurate climate information is vital in determining actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change

End-user involvement

EUMETSAT’s strength, both in terms of meteorological applications and global climate monitoring, comes from its primary focus on the end-user. The organisation maintains a close dialogue with its Member States’ National Meteorological Services, designed to understand evolving requirements from national mandates and to translate these into systems capable of providing relevant operational services.

No individual organisation or country has the capability and resources to independently respond to the challenges of global climate change. The need for global information on key indicators means that the various observing systems must be harmonised and integrated to provide consistent data. EUMETSAT works with the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) in which it serves as the permanent secretariat. These two bodies have membership from all space agencies dealing with research and development satellites and operational meteorological satellites, respectively.

EUMETSAT also supports the WMO Global Space-Based Inter-calibration System (GSICS) and the Sustained and Coordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring (SCOPE-CM), both of which are activities spearheading the sustained support of climate services.
EUMETSAT’s operational infrastructure and expertise, the availability of long-term data sets and the capability to create relevant products and services through the SAF network, with the established user consultation process in the development of future programmes and global partnerships, can support policymakers, scientists and the citizens of the world to secure this planet’s future.