The European Space Agency?s Preparatory Activities for Future Atmospheric Composition Sounding Missions
Abstract
While the European Space Agency's Envisat mission is successfully observing the Earth's atmosphere using the three instruments GOMOS, MIPAS and SCIAMACHY, GOME on the ERS-2 mission is still operational with limitations in data coverage, and MetOp will provide continuity to GOME-type observations, ESA is conducting preparatory activities for future missions. Two future mission candidates focusing on water vapour measurements have completed their Phase A study. WALES uses a four-wavelengths DIAL for high-resolution water vapour measurements in the entire troposphere and lowermost stratosphere. ACE+ uses radio occultation in the L-band and K/X-band for tropospheric and stratospheric temperature and tropospheric/lowest stratospheric water vapour. ESA is also actively supporting the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) Partnership, which establishes requirements for future long-term observation and analysis / integration systems in various areas of Earth sciences and related applications. IGACO is the IGOS theme dedicated to atmospheric chemistry. The IGACO theme report is presently being drafted and will identify the major scientific and societal issues, establish the observational requirements as well as assess the adequacy of existing instrumentation and the need for improved observation systems. ESA is conducting preparatory study activities for a future Earth Watch mission for operational atmospheric chemistry monitoring, which could be implemented in the framework of the GMES initiative with the European Commission. Advanced study activities are taking place for UTLS limb-sounding. An airborne mm-wave limb sounder demonstrator has been developed by the Agency and will start test flights soon. Tomographic, two-dimensional retrieval algorithms have been developed through ESA-sponsored studies.
- Publication:
-
35th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004cosp...35.4595L