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News - General News
ESA's improved Earth system data records: what is in store for the future?
Fundamental Data Records (FDRs) are instrumental in advancing our understanding of Earth systems and for addressing societal challenges effectively. These long-term records contain uncertainty-quantified, calibrated and geo-located multi-instrument/multi-platform satellite sensor data spanning several decades to support climate-related applications.
News - Operational News
Transition from FTP to FTPS for SMOS, Aeolus and Campaign data dissemination systems
As of 15 April 2024 access to the SMOS, Aeolus and Campaign data will be changed from simple FTP to FTPS.
Document - Newsletter
Earth Online Newsletter - 08 March 2024
This issue of the Earth Online Newsletter covers a selection of the latest news and events from ESA.
News - Data Release news
FDR4ALT - ESA unveils new cutting-edge ERS/Envisat Altimeter and Microwave Radiometer Datasets
The European Space Agency (ESA) has developed a comprehensive suite of innovative Earth system data records as part of the Fundamental Data Records for Altimetry project - FDR4ALT.
Data - EO Sign In Authentication (Open)
Sea Ice Thematic Data Product [ALT_TDP_SI]
This is the Sea Ice Thematic Data Product (TDP) V1 resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project and containing the sea ice related geophysical parameters, along with associated uncertainties: snow depth, radar and sea-ice freeboard, sea ice thickness and concentration. The collection covers data for the ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions, and bases on Level 1 data coming from previous reprocessing (ERS REAPER and the Envisat V3.0) but taking into account the improvements made at Level 0/Level 1 in the frame of FDR4ALT (ALT FDR). The Sea Ice TDP provides data from the northern or southern hemisphere in two files corresponding to the Arctic and Antarctic regions respectively for the winter periods only, i.e., October to June for the Arctic, and May to November for the Antarctic. For many aspects, the Sea Ice TDP is very innovative: First time series of sea-ice thickness estimates for ERS Homogeneous calibration, allowing the first Arctic radar freeboard time series from ERS-1 (1991) to CryoSat-2 (2021) Uncertainties estimated along-track with a bottom-up approach based on dominant sources ERS pulse blurring error corrected using literature procedure [Peacock, 2004] The FDR4ALT products are available in NetCDF format. Free standard tools for reading NetCDF data can be used. Information for expert altimetry users is also available in a dedicated NetCDF group within the products. Please consult the FDR4ALT Product User Guide before using the data. The FDR4ALT datasets represent the new reference data for the ERS/Envisat altimetry missions, superseding any previous mission data. Users are strongly encouraged to make use of these datasets for optimal results.
Data - EO Sign In Authentication (Open)
Land Ice Thematic Data Product [ALT_TDP_LI]
This is the Land Ice Thematic Data Product (TDP) V1 resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project and containing estimates of ice sheet surface elevation and associated uncertainties. The collection covers data for three different missions: ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat, and based on Level 1 data coming from previous reprocessing (ERS REAPER and the Envisat V3.0) but taking into account the improvements made at Level 0/Level 1 in the frame of FDR4ALT (ALT FDR). The Land Ice TDP focuses specifically on the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica, providing these data in different files. For many aspects, the Land Ice Level 2 and Level 2+ processing is very innovative: Improved relocation approach correcting for topographic effects within the beam footprint to identify the Point of Closest Approach Homogeneous timeseries of surface elevation measurements at regular along-track reference nodes. The FDR4ALT products are available in NetCDF format. Free standard tools for reading NetCDF data can be used. Information for expert altimetry users is also available in a dedicated NetCDF group within the products. Please consult the FDR4ALT Product User Guide before using the data. The FDR4ALT datasets represent the new reference data for the ERS/Envisat altimetry missions, superseding any previous mission data. Users are strongly encouraged to make use of these datasets for optimal results.
Data - EO Sign In Authentication (Open)
Inland Waters Thematic Data Product [ALT_TDP_IW]
This is the Inland Waters Thematic Data Product (TDP) V1 resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project and containing improved Water Surface Height (WSH) data record from the ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions estimated using the ICE1 retracking range for its better performance on the hydro targets. The FDR4ALT products are available in NetCDF format. Free standard tools for reading NetCDF data can be used. Information for expert altimetry users is also available in a dedicated NetCDF group within the products. Please consult the FDR4ALT Product User Guide before using the data. The FDR4ALT datasets represent the new reference data for the ERS/Envisat altimetry missions, superseding any previous mission data. Users are strongly encouraged to make use of these datasets for optimal results.
News - Success Stories
Trailblazing ERS-2 mission enables climate change applications
As ESA’s ERS-2 satellite approaches Earth’s atmosphere for reentry, it’s time to reflect on the mission’s great achievements in powering climate-related applications.
News - Success Stories
Young scientists bid farewell to ESA's wind mission
Students and early career researchers are saying an emotional goodbye to Aeolus ahead of its upcoming reentry.
News - Infographics
Overview of the Aeolus Level-1B wind product
Learn about the Aeolus Level-1B wind product, which supports applications for the weather, atmospheric processes and climate research, in our latest infographic.
News - Spotlight on EO community
An overview of the Aeolus mission
In this overview video, ESA's mission manager, Tommaso Parrinello, describes the successes and challenges of this amazing mission, whose impacts will live long beyond its lifetime in space.
News - Spotlight on EO community
Introducing the Aeolus and CryoSat missions
In this video, Tommaso Parrinello - Mission Manager of Aeolus and CryoSat - describes what is involved in managing the missions and the unique challenges offered by such innovative satellites.
News - Spotlight on EO community
Introducing Tommaso Parrinello
In this short introduction, ESA's Aeolus and CryoSat Mission Manager, Tommaso Parrinello, describes his role in these two diverse missions.
News - Data Release news
Improved Aeolus wind data now available
ESA’s Aeolus mission continues to advance weather forecasting with further data improvements, thanks to a third reprocessing campaign.
News - Events and Proceedings
ESA invites scientists to submit abstracts for EGU 2023
ESA is calling for researchers to submit abstracts for sessions at the next General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU 2023).
News - Infographics
The JATAC campaign - Supporting ESA's Aeolus mission
A new infographic has been released for the Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC).
Data - Data Description
Aeolus Level 2C assisted wind fields resulting from NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) assimilation processing
The Level 2C wind product of the Aeolus mission provides ECMWF analysis horizontal wind vectors at the geolocations of assimilated L2B HLOS wind components. The L2C can therefore be described as an Aeolus-assisted horizontal wind vector product. The L2C is a distinct product, however the L2C and L2B share a common Earth Explorer file template, with the L2C being a superset of the L2B. The L2C consists of extra datasets appended to the L2B product with information which are relevant to the data assimilation of the L2B winds.
News - Success Stories
Drones join the campaign to validate Aeolus data
In June and September 2022, the Askos component of the Joint Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign (JATAC), organised by ESA and its international partners, was expanded with new ground-based, drone and radiosonde measurements. The main objective of this campaign was to calibrate and validate Aeolus satellite observations.
Activity - General activities
EO Summer Schools
ESA's series of summer schools, on Monitoring of the Earth System, aims to promote the exploitation of Earth observation (EO) data.
News - Thematic area articles
How satellite data help to shape society
Data from ESA’s Earth observation archives are improving understanding of the interactions between human activities and the environment, helping to power green economic development and boosting prosperity in Europe and beyond.
