ESA’s EarthCARE satellite was launched on 29 May 2024. It has already returned images from its cloud profiling radar and from its broadband radiometer. Now, it has also delivered the first images from its multispectral imager, showcasing various types of clouds and cloud temperatures worldwide. This instrument is set to add valuable context to the data from EarthCARE’s other instruments.
The multispectral imager comprises two cameras: one imaging in the visible, near-infrared and shortwave-infrared (VIS-NIR-SWIR) parts of the of the electromagnetic spectrum and one in the thermal-infrared (TIR). Images captured with these different spectral bands will allow scientists to differentiate between various cloud types, aerosols and Earth’s surface.
This image from 17 July, shows the coastline along the south-western tip of Greenland. The ice- and snow-free coastal area reached temperatures of up to 10°C that day, which can be seen by the sharp contrast between the Greenland ice sheet and the cold ocean. The combination of the visible and infrared images nicely picks out the ice clouds and water clouds over the ice sheet, and the shallow cloud layer over the sea in the southwest corner.
Read full story: EarthCARE’s multispectral imager puts clouds into context