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New service for MERIS Full Resolution data acquired over North America

( Last Updated: 13-06-2008 )

This new service, requested by Canadian and US users, is established in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and provides access, free of charge, to all recent MERIS Full Resolution (FR) Level 1 products (MER_FRS_1P) and Level 2 products (MER_FRS_2P) covering North America.

See coverage in jpg file and Google Earth kml file available at

http://envisat.esa.int/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=5541 .


The new service is implemented in two phases:

  • Pre-operational phase (from 19 May 2008): raw data are acquired in Canada by CCRS stations (Gatineau and Prince Albert), transferred via Internet to Europe, processed at the ESA Kiruna facility and made available via the Kiruna Rolling Archive or the Envisat Web File Server (EWFS). MERIS FR Level 1 products are available on Internet between 4and 10 hours after acquisition, MERIS FR Level 2 products are availablemon Internet between 8 and 24 hours after acquisition.
  • Operational phase (foreseen in early 2009): raw data acquired in Canadan will be processed in Canada, in order to provide faster access to MERIS FR resolution products. Details will be provided later.

To access the new service, a registration is needed at the ESA Earth Observation Principal Investigator portal (http://eopi.esa.int).

Existing registered ESA PI's can simply request access to the new service through the ESA EO Help Desk (eohelp@esa.int). The data collections are called "MERIS FRS Level 1 North America" and "MERIS FRS Level 2 North America". The new service will complement the similar service for European coverage (data collections called "MERIS FRS Level 1 Europe" and "MERIS FRS Level 2 Europe") already available on Rolling Archive and EWFS.


The MERIS FR products are kept on-line for at least 14 days after acquisition. Access to older data is possible through Category 1 use projects (on-demand production and distribution).

All current MERIS users are receiving the above information. Also see "ESA EO image of the week" at http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMIZENKRGF_index_0.html .

 

An indirect benefit of the above service is to increase our capability to record ASAR data over North America, as the MERIS FR data are no more recorded on-board but downlinked to Canadian ground stations and quickly repatriated to Europe.

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A MERIS US workshop: co-organized with NASA Earth Science Division and NOAA NESDIS, the workshop is targeting key US Ocean Colour scientists.

The workshop will take place on 14 July 2008, close to Washington, DC.

The workshop will address MERIS data access and policy, MERIS L1 and L2 processing algorithms, including calibration, examples of MERIS applications, and introduction to Sentinel-3 OLCI.

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