Download How Sentinels can support space-based weather

LAND
MARINE
ATMOSPHERE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
CLIMATE CHANGE
SECURITY
ISSUE 26 / SEPTEMBER 2013
HOW SENTINELS CAN SUPPORT SPACEBASED WEATHER PREDICTIONS
Facts
Since many aspects of our lives are dominated by the weather, watching the
forecast is part of our daily routine. The economic and social benefits of accurate
weather forecasts are immense. For example, they help improve the efficiency of
agricultural systems, they are used to optimise logistical aspects of transport and
energy, and they help ensure our safety. Today's weather forecasts are based on
complex numerical models that assimilate a huge number of different geophysical
measurements to simulate the behaviour of the atmosphere. The majority of these
measurements are provided by satellites. Research into ways of improving the
forecasts is constantly in progress, particularly with the intent to early warning of
extreme events, the nature and frequency of which may change as a consequence
of climate change.
Copernicus satellites provide global information about the composition of
the atmosphere and the state of Earth's surface that can support weather
forecasts.
The accuracy and reliability of weather predictions relies on the availability of satellite observations. Sea-state
parameters such as sea-surface temperature, waves, currents and sea level can help model the exchange
processes between the ocean and atmosphere more accurately. Also, atmospheric aerosols, dust and ozone
concentrations can improve the understanding of the boundary conditions related to atmospheric forcing.
Different kinds of satellite instruments from radar altimeters and temperature radiometers, to atmospheric
ultraviolet spectrometers, can be used to provide additional information complementing data from operational
weather missions such as EUMETSAT's Meteosat and MetOp.
The European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a worldwide
leading international organisation that
develops and operates global models
and data-assimilation systems to predict
the behaviour of the atmosphere in the
medium range and also up to longer
periods of time by using probabilistic
techniques. Every day, its powerful
computing systems assimilate in near
real-time over 12 millions of observation
data from about 60 different satellites
and from various ground networks. This
figure is a typical ECMWF chart showing
the forecast mean sea level pressure and
wind speed for 05 November 2012 – these
are key parameters in weather forecasts
as they show how the air is moving and
where storms are developing.
Source: ECMWF
www.esa.int/copernicus • http://copernicus.eu/
> In Europe, the gross revenue from commercial weather
forecasts amounts to €40
million
> Overall, weather forecasts
in the EU are estimated to
bring financial benefits of
€15 to 60 billion/year
> More than 90% of all
observational data used in
global numerical weather
prediction comes from
satellites
Benefits
Satellite data support weather
forecasts to
> improve day-to-day
reliability by providing
routine observations all over
the globe
> improve the accuracy of
numerical models and so the
understanding of weather
processes
> improve early warning of
hazardous weather leading
to better protection of life
and property
Policy Objectives
> EU Water Framework
Directive
> EU Flood Directive
> Clean Air for Europe (CAFE)
ISSUE 26 / SEPTEMBER 2013
COPERNICUS
ACTIVITIES
Copernicus services
The Copernicus Services for Atmosphere,
Marine and Land Monitoring make use
of satellite data to provide continuous
data and information on atmospheric
composition and the state of Earth’s
surface, thereby supporting weather
forecasts and reanalysis.
Example products:
> Nowcasting and forecasting of
atmospheric and ocean parameters at
global and regional scales
> Re-analysis of weather parameters at
various temporal resolutions (e.g. dust
and ozone)
Sentinel contribution
Next steps
The Copernicus Sentinel-3, -4 and -5 and -5P
missions will support weather forecasting by:
> Establish seamless European monitoring
and forecast services for weather, ocean
and atmospheric composition at different
spatial scales: global, continental, regional,
local
> determining global sea-surface
temperatures with the Sea and Land
Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR)
(Sentinel-3)
> providing accurate topographic
measurements with an advanced dualfrequency Synthetic Aperture Radar
Altimeter (SRAL) (Sentinel-3)
> monitoring the composition of the
atmosphere, including air quality,
stratospheric ozone and solar radiation
(Sentinel-4, -5 and -5P)
> Improve the skills of numerical models
using available data from integrated
observing systems across all timescales
> Continue to acquire high-quality satellite
data for initialisation of predictive models
and for ocean–atmosphere and land–
atmosphere coupling
> Provide space-based, consistent real-time
and re-analysed datasets
Sentinel-3
ESA's new global environmental satellite
The Sentinel-3 mission main objective is to measure seasurface topography, sea- and land-surface temperature
and ocean- and land-surface colour with high-end
accuracy and reliability in support of forecasting
systems, as well as for global environmental and climate
monitoring. The mission will provide systematic data
all over the globe. This is beneficial to support weather
forecasts especially for areas where ground networks
are scarce - notably over the oceans. Oceans play a key
role in governing global weather patterns, and their
characterization will become even more important in
the future when coupled ocean-atmosphere models
are expected to bring further improvements in weather
predictions.
The first Sentinel-3 satellite will be ready for launch
in 2014, followed by a second satellite to provide the
required level of coverage for Copernicus services.
The Sentinel-3 marine component will be operated by
EUMETSAT, as Sentinel-4 and -5.
This image shows sea-surface temperature over the Atlantic as measured
by Envisat's Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR). The blue
areas are corresponding to coldest waters and red to the warmest. AATSR,
a precursor of the SLSTR that will be carried on Sentinel-3, was capable
of measuring sea-surface temperature to an accuracy of a few tenths of a
degree.
Source: ESA
www.esa.int/copernicus • http://copernicus.eu/