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  • New stories on change detection and ERS-2 re-entry in HEDAVI

    Two new stories are now available in ESA’s HEDAVI (HEritage DAta VIsualisation) tool. HEDAVI visualises Earth observation data from satellites in ESA’s Heritage and Third Party Missions programme, and includes some data from the Copernicus Sentinel satellites.

  • Beijing (China), 2002

    View Beijing in a SAR multitemporal composite image.

  • Deforestation in Brazil: A Satellite Perspective from 1992 to 2010

    Explore multi-temporal satellite images showing deforestation across various regions of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

  • Deforestation in Riau Province (Sumatra Island, Indonesia), 2005

    View multi-temporal satellite images showing deforestation in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, Indonesia.

  • Development of the Saemangeum Dam (South Korea), 1987-2013

    See the transformation of the Saemangeum Dam in South Korea through satellite images from 1987 to 2013.

  • Fires in Southeast Asia (Indonesia), 1997

    See the 1997 Southeast Asia forest fires through ERS-2 satellite images of South Borneo, Indonesia.

  • Berlin (Germany), 2002

    See Berlin in a SAR multitemporal composite image.

  • Athens, Greece Through SAR Eyes

    Explore Athens' evolution through ERS-2 SAR imagery, revealing the city's changes from 1996, 1999, and 2003.

  • Showcasing Fundamental Data Records for Altimetry

    ESA has developed a comprehensive suite of Earth system data records as part of the Fundamental Data Records for Altimetry (FDR4ALT) project.

  • 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.

  • Fundamental Data Records for Radiometry [MWR_FDR___]

    This dataset is a Fundamental Data Record (FDR) resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project. The Fundamental Data Record for Radiometry V1 products contain intercalibrated Top of the Atmosphere brightness temperatures at 23.8 and 36.5 GHz. The collection covers data for the ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions, and is built upon a new processing of Level 0 data, incorporating numerous improvements in terms of algorithms, flagging procedures, and corrections. Compared to existing datasets, the Radiometry FDR demonstrates notable improvements in several aspects: New solutions for instrumental effects (ERS Reflector loss, Skyhorn, and Sidelobe corrections) Native sampling rate of 7Hz with enhanced coverage 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.

  • Fundamental Data Records for Altimetry [ALT_FDR___]

    This dataset is a Fundamental Data Record (FDR) resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project. The Fundamental Data Record for Altimetry V1 products contain Level 0 and Level 1 altimeter-related parameters including calibrated radar waveforms and supplementary instrumental parameters describing the altimeter operating status and configuration through the satellite lifetime. The data record consists of data for the ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions for the period ranging from 1991 to 2012, and bases on the Level 1 data obtained from previous ERS REAPER and ENVISAT V3.0 reprocessing efforts incorporating new algorithms, flags, and corrections to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the data. For many aspects, the Altimetry FDR product has improved compared to the existing individual mission datasets: New neural-network waveform classification, surface type classification, distance to shoreline and surface flag based on GSHHG Instrumental calibration information directly available in the product Improved Orbit solutions Correction of REAPER drawbacks (i.e., time jumps and negative waveforms) 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.

  • Ocean Waves Thematic Data Product [ALT_TDP_WA]

    This is the Ocean Waves Thematic Data Product (TDP) V1 resulting from the ESA FDR4ALT project and containing Significant Wave Height estimates for the ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat missions. Compared to existing datasets, the Ocean Waves TDP demonstrates notable improvements in several aspects: Great improvements for Envisat due to noise reduction from Adaptive retracker and High-Frequency Adjustment (HFA) All variables are given at 5 Hz 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Data preservation takes centre stage at Living Planet Symposium

    Against the backdrop of the famed Rhine River, world-class scientists and Earth observation data-users are gathered this week in the historical city of Bonn, at the Living Planet Symposium (LPS).

  • Introducing Mirko Albani

    In this short introduction, ESA's Heritage Missions Programme Manager describes what he likes most about ESA's long term archive of satellite mission data and his role in the programme.

  • ERS Heritage Data allow for 30 years of science

    At their time of launch thirty years ago, the two ERS satellites were the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe.

  • ERS - ESA’s first Earth observation satellites

    To mark the 30th anniversary of ERS, we've released a new infographic summarising the mission.

  • 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.