Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) - CGMS Roadmap

Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) - CGMS Roadmap

1. 
   INTRODUCTION
   

At their 43^rd session in 2015, the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) approved a roadmap for the future provision of Indian Ocean Data Coverage (satellite services) once the EUMETSAT Meteosat-7 reaches its end-of-life in March 2017 with the re-orbiting of the satellite to follow in April/May 2017.

1. Background

Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) by EUMETSAT is a best effort undertaking which reflects a decision of the EUMETSAT Council to use a residual Meteosat First Generation capacity for this purpose, in the context of a temporary data gap over the Indian Ocean.

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  Image acquisition schedule and scan pattern;
  
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  Instrument performance;
  
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  Image and product data access and redistribution;
  
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  Product formats;
  
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  Data Collection Systems.
  

The information is based on inputs received during the Intercessional period.

2. CURRENT IODC SERVICE AND REQUIREMENTS

1. 
   Meteosat-7 IODC Services
   

Meteosat-7 was launched on 2 September 1997 and has been providing Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) service at 57.5°E since 5 December 2006. The end-of-life of the spacecraft is in April 2017 with the re-orbiting in May 2017.

Imaging

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  Meteosat-7 takes a full Earth disc image in three spectral channels (Visible (VIS), Infra-Red (IR) and Water Vapour (WV)) every 30 minutes;
  
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  The pixel resolution at the sub-satellite point is: 2.5 km VIS (using both VIS detectors); 5.0 km IR and WV.
  

Products

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  The main meteorological products generated in Near-Real-Time (NRT) are Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMV), Upper-Tropospheric humidity (UTH), Clear-Sky Radiances (CSR), All-Sky Radiances (ASR), Multisensor Precipitation Estimate (MPE), Cloud Analysis (CLA) and Cloud Mask (CLM);
  

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  Of these, the AMV and CSR are currently assimilated by several numerical prediction centres operationally and the quality is monitored on an operational basis by the NWP SAF and early studies, performed by ECMWF, demonstrated the benefits of this data for their model;
  

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  In addition, EUMETSAT IODC service supports other international activities like SCOPE-CM and is also the prime source of geostationary data in this region supporting also ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project).