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- Data (3)
- News (6)
- Events (10)
- Activities (1)
News - Thematic area articles
Remote sensing data map impacts of natural hazards
As climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, remote sensing data can warn about extreme events and help tackle emergency situations.
News - Events and Proceedings
Scientists to showcase value of Earth observation data at EGU
Remote sensing scientists are getting ready to present innovative and exciting applications of satellite data at the European Geosciences Union general assembly which will take place from 24 to 28 April in Vienna, Austria.
News - Thematic area articles
Monitoring water on Earth's surface
ESA's Earth observation satellites are playing a leading role in furthering our understanding of how Earth's terrestrial hydrosphere is being influenced by humankind.
News - Thematic area articles
Global understanding of Earth's land surfaces greatly boosted by satellite data
ESA perform land surface monitoring with a range of instruments onboard satellites acquiring optical and radar data. Collections of data from these missions are freely available for research purposes.
Event - Training
EO Summer School 6
ESA's series of summer schools, on Monitoring of the Earth System, aims to promote the exploitation of Earth observation data.
Event - Training
EO Summer School 5
ESA's series of summer schools, on Monitoring of the Earth System, aims to promote the exploitation of Earth observation data.
Event - Training
EO Summer School 4
ESA's series of summer schools, on Monitoring of the Earth System, aims to promote the exploitation of Earth observation data.
News - Thematic area articles
Transforming space data into climate action
ESA’s Earth observation activities are playing a key role in the revitalised global drive to combat climate change.
News - Thematic area articles
Satellite data boost global understanding of land surface
Understanding our changing land surface is essential in the study of climate change. Satellites are used to monitor changes to the material that covers Earth’s surface, so-called land cover, such as vegetation and water.
Activity - Projects
Dragon 2 Cooperation Programme
The Dragon 2 Programme focussed on the exploitation of ESA, ESA's Third Party Missions and Chinese Earth observation data for science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications.
Event - Workshop
Space and the Arctic 2009 Workshop
Temperatures in the Arctic are rising at an unprecedented rate. This workshop looked at the needs and challenges of working and living in the rapidly changing Arctic and explore how space-based services might help to meet those needs.
Event - Training
4th Advanced Training Course in Land Remote Sensing
ESA organised the 4th Advanced Training Course in Land Remote Sensing which took place in Athens, Greece from 1 to 5 July 2013
Data - Fast Registration with immediate access (Open)
ERS-2 SCATTEROMETER Surface Soil Moisture Time Series and Orbit product in High and Nominal Resolution [SSM.H/N.TS - SSM.H/N]
Surface soil moisture records are derived from the backscatter coefficient measured by the Scatterometer on-board the European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS-2) using the Technische Universität (TU) Wien soil moisture retrieval algorithm called WARP (WAter Retrieval Package). In the WARP algorithm, the relative surface soil moisture estimates, given in degree of saturation Sd, range between 0% and 100% are derived by scaling the normalized backscatter between the lowest/highest backscatter values corresponding to the driest/wettest soil conditions. Surface Soil Moisture - Time Series product: The products generated are the surface soil moisture time series, where for each grid point defined in a DGG (Discrete Global Grid) is stored the time series of soil moisture and its noise, the surface state flag, the geolocation and the satellite parameters. The spatial resolution of the products is about 25 km x 25 km (high resolution) or 50 km x 50 km (nominal resolution) geo-referenced on the WARP grid. The location of the points can be viewed interactively with the tool DGG Point Locator. Surface Soil Moisture - Orbit product: In addition to WARP, a second software package, referred to as WARP orbit, was developed in response to the strong demand of soil moisture estimates in satellite orbit geometry. The Level 2 soil moisture orbit product contains a series of Level 1 data information, such as the backscatter, the incidence angle and the azimuth angle for each triplet together with the surface soil moisture and its noise, normalized backscatter at 40° incidence angle, parameters useful for soil moisture, the geolocation and the satellite parameters. The soil moisture orbit product is available in two spatial resolutions with different spatial sampling distances: Spatial sampling on a regular 12.5 km grid in orbit geometry with a spatial resolution of about 25 km x 25 km (High resolution) Spatial sampling on a regular 25 km grid in orbit geometry with a spatial resolution of about 50 km x 50 km (Nominal resolution). The spatial resolution is defined by the Hamming window function, which is used for re-sample of raw backscatter measurements to the orbit grid in the Level-1 ground processor. Please consult the Product Quality Readme file before using the ERS-2 Surface Soil Moisture data.
Data - Project Proposal (Restrained)
COSMO-SkyMed full archive and tasking
The archive and new tasking X-band SAR products are available from COSMO-Skymed (CSK) and COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) missions in ScanSAR and Stripmap modes, right and left looking acquisition (20 to 60° incidence angle). COSMO-SkyMed modes: Acquisition Mode Single look Resolution [Az. X. Rg, SCS] (m) Scene size [Az. X. Rg] (km) Polarisation Scene duration (seconds) Number of looks Multilook resolution (m) Geolocation accuracy ±3 s (m) [DGM, GEC, GTC] Stripmap Himage 2.6 x 3 40 x 40 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 7 3 5 25 Stripmap PingPong 9.7 x 11 30 x 30 Alternate: HH/VV, HH/HV, VV/VH 6 3 20 25 ScanSAR Wide 23 x 13.5 100 x 100 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 15 4 - 9 30 30 ScanSAR Huge 38 x 13.5 200 x 200 Single: HH, HV, VH, VV 30 25 - 66 100 100 COSMO-Skymed Second Generation Modes: Acquisition Mode Single look Resolution [Az. X. Rg, SCS] (m) Scene size [Az. X. Rg] (km) Polarisation Scene duration (seconds) Number of looks Multilook resolution (m) Geolocation accuracy ±3σ (m) [DGM, GEC, GTC] Stripmap 3 x 3 40 x 40 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 7 2 x 2 4 x 4 6 x 7 11 x 14 3.75 Stripmap PingPong 12 x 5 30 x 30 Alternate (HH/VV, HH/HV+VV/VH) 6 1 x 2 2 x 5 12 x 10 23 x 26 12 QuadPol 3 x 3 40 x 15 Quad (HH+HV+VV+VH) N/A 2 x 2 4 x 4 6 x 7 11 x 14 3.75 ScanSAR 1 20 x 4 100 x 100 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 15 1 x 3 1 x 5 2 x 8 20 x 14 23 x 27 35 x 40 12 ScanSAR 2 40 x 6 200 x 200 Single (HH, VV, HV, VH) or Dual (HH+HV, VV+VH) 30 1 x 4 1 x 7 3 x 16 40 x 27 47 x 54 115 x 135 12 Following Processing Levels are available, for both CSK and CSG: SCS (Level 1A, Single-look Complex Slant): Data in complex format, in slant range projection (the sensor's natural acquisition projection) and zero doppler projection, weighted and radiometrically equalised; the coverage corresponds to the full resolution area illuminated by the SAR instrument DGM (Level 1B, Detected Ground Multi-look): Product obtained detecting, multi-looking and projecting the Single-look Complex Slant data onto a grid regular in ground: it contains focused data, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, radiometrically equalised and represented in ground/azimuth projection GEC (Level 1C, Geocoded Ellipsoid Corrected): Focused data, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, geolocated on the reference ellipsoid and represented in a uniform preselected cartographic presentation. Any geometric correction derived by usage of terrain model isn't applied to this product by default GTC (Level 1D, Geocoded Terrain Corrected): Focused data, fully calibrated with the usage of terrain model, amplitude detected, optionally despeckled by multi-looking approach, geolocated on a DEM and represented in a uniform preselected cartographic presentation. The image scene is located and accurately rectified onto a map projection, through the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM); it differs from GEC for the use of the DEM (instead of reference ellipsoid) for the accurate conversion from slant to ground range and to approximate the real earth surface. The list of available data can be retrieved using the CLEOS COSMO-SkyMed products catalogue. User registration is required to use the catalogue. As per ESA policy, very high-resolution data over conflict areas cannot be provided.
Data - Project Proposal (Restrained)
COSMO-SkyMed ESA archive
The COSMO-SkyMed archive collection consists of COSMO-SkyMed products requested by ESA supported projects over their areas of interest around the world. The dataset regularly grows as ESA collects new products over the years. The following list delineates the characteristics of the SAR measurement modes that are disseminated under ESA Third Party Missions (TPM). STRIPMAP HIMAGE (HIM): Achieving medium resolution (3 m x 3 m single look), wide swath imaging (swath extension ≥40 km). STRIPMAP PINGPONG (SPP): Achieving medium resolution (15 m), medium swath imaging (swath ≥30 km) with two radar polarization's selectable among HH, HV, VH and VV. SCANSAR WIDE (SCW): Achieving radar imaging with swath extension of 100 x 100 km2 and a spatial resolution of 30 x 30 m2. SCANSAR HUGE (SCH): Achieving radar imaging with swath extension of 200 x 200 km2 and a spatial resolution selectable of 100 x 100 m2. Processing Levels: Level 1A - Single-look Complex Slant - (SCSB and SCSU): RAW data focused in slant range-azimuth projection, that is the sensor natural acquisition projection; product contains In-Phase and Quadrature of the focused data, weighted and radiometrically equalised.The processing of the 1A_SCSU product differs from that of the 1A_SCSB product for the following features:a non-weighted processing is performed, which means that windowing isn't applied on the processed bandwidth; radiometric equalisation (in terms of compensation of the range antenna pattern and incidence angle) is not performed; hence only compensation of the antenna transmitter gain and receiver attenuation and range spreading loss is applied. Level 1B - Detected Ground Multi-look (DGM): Product obtained detecting, multi-looking and projecting the Single-look Complex Slant data onto a grid regular in ground. Spotlight Mode products are not multi-looked. Level 1C - Geocoded Ellipsoid Corrected (GEC) and Level 1D - Geocoded Terrain Corrected (GTC): Obtained projecting the Level 1A product onto a regular grid in a chosen cartographic reference system. In case of Lev 1C the surface is the earth ellipsoid while for the Lev 1D a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) is used to approximate the real earth surface. Spatial coverage: Check the spatial coverage of the collection on a map available on the Third Party Missions Dissemination Service. As per ESA policy, very high-resolution data over conflict areas cannot be provided.
Event - Workshop
POLinSAR 2019
ESA organised POLinSAR 2019, the 9th International Workshop on Science and Applications of SAR Polarimetry and Polarimetric Interferometry.
Event - Conference
Living Planet Symposium 2019
ESA's Living Planet Symposia are amongst the biggest Earth observation conferences in the world. Scientists present their latest findings on Earth's environment and climate.
Event - Workshop
POLinSAR 2009
The 2009 workshop focused on theory and methods in the fields of SAR Polarimetry and Polarimetric Interferometry
Event - Workshop
2nd Space for Hydrology Workshop
The workshop aimed to assess the current stage of knowledge and activities in space-based hydrological observations and to exchange knowledge and know how with hydrologists and researchers.
Event - Conference
3rd ERS Symposium
The ESA Directorate for Observation of the Earth and its Environment held the 3rd ERS Symposium, in 1997, where many of the results from the ERS-1 and ERS-2 missions were presented and discussed by the scientific community.