CIMR data products
CIMR offers a wide range of Level-2 geophysical products, which are derived from Level-1b measurements using advanced geophysical retrieval algorithms.
It is foreseen that a physically-consistent Level-2 geophysical product family will be available with retrievals over the ocean, ice and land surfaces, together with some atmospheric products. Importantly, each CIMR Level-2 product is required to provide estimates of total standard uncertainty.
The Level-2 products are planned as Thematic Data Products (TDP). In line with the shared responsibilities between ESA and Eumetsat for the CIMR Level-2 core data products, the following focuses on Level-2 TDPs under ESA’s responsibility. Currently, two different ESA thematic domains are envisaged: the polar regions domain and the global land domain.
Near-real time one-hour – specific Arctic regions
Level-2 polar thematic data products will be available over specific regions of the polar Arctic and will contain the following geophysical variables:
- sea ice concentration
- sea ice edge
- sea ice drift
- ocean surface wind velocity
Near-real time three-hour – polar regions
Level-2 polar thematic data products will be available over polar regions and adjacent seas and will contain the following geophysical variables:
- sea ice concentration
- sea ice edge
- sea ice drift
- thin sea ice thickness
- ice stage of development/type
- ocean surface wind vector
- snow depth on sea ice
- sea ice surface temperature
- sea surface temperature
- sea surface salinity
Level-2 global land thematic data products will cover the globe and contain the following geophysical variables:
- terrestrial snow area
- terrestrial snow water equivalent
- lake ice cover
- soil freeze/thaw state
- soil moisture
- multifrequency microwave vegetation indicators
- surface water fraction
- lake surface water temperature
- land surface temperature
Non-time critical
Level-2 polar thematic data products will be available over polar regions and adjacent seas and will contain the following geophysical variables:
- sea ice concentration
- sea ice edge
- sea ice drift
- thin sea ice thickness
- ice stage of development/type
- ocean surface wind vector
- snow depth on sea ice
- sea ice surface temperature
- sea surface temperature
- sea surface salinity
Level-2 global land thematic data products will cover the globe and contain the following geophysical variables:
- terrestrial snow area
- terrestrial snow water equivalent
- lake ice cover
- soil freeze/thaw state
- soil moisture
- multifrequency microwave vegetation indicators
- surface water fraction
- lake surface water temperature
- land surface temperature
Definitions
Near-real time one hour
Product delivered in <1 hour to the point of user pickup after data acquisition by the satellite. These products are used for nowcasting operational applications (e.g., navigation bulletins in the Arctic) from sea ice services, operational oceanography and meteorology.
Near-real time three hour
Product delivered in <3 hours to the point of user pickup after data acquisition by the satellite. These products are used for operational applications such as sea-ice services, operational oceanography, and meteorology.
Non-time critical
Product delivered in less than 30 days to the point of user pickup after data acquisition by the satellite. These products target climate users, and rely on the availability of auxiliary of the highest quality. Non-time critical products are consolidated products as they are generated using the most precise auxiliary information, orbit knowledge, uncertainty estimates, quality control and other parameter available.
Thematic Data Products
The final output from the Level-2 processing developed. Different TDPs will be defined to cover specific domains, and so the relevant variables will be stored in the TDPs accordingly. The CIMR Level-2 TDPs will be freely accessible via a dedicated web portal.
Global land
This region covers the area delimited by 370 km offshore of the coastline.
Polar regions and adjacent seas
These regions encompass:
- The pan-Arctic domain (>55°N latitude, 0–360° longitude)
- Antarctic (>50°S latitude, 0–360° longitude)
- All seas and water bodies adjacent to the Arctic that are influenced by sea ice, including Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Azov (Black Sea), Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, northern Yellow Sea, Bohai Sea, Baikal Lake, Labrador Sea, Gulf of St Lawrence, American Great Lakes, Gulf of Alaska.
