EUMETSAT Annual Report 2021

EUMETSAT ANNUAL REPORT 2021
APPENDIX
DATA RECORDS RELEASED IN 2021
In 2021 EUMETSAT released several new, extended, or improved
data records, of (re)calibrated and quality-controlled sensor data
and of validated and quality-controlled geophysical variables.
A major achievement was the delivery of a set of fundamental
data records for atmospheric humidity in the upper atmosphere
utilising microwave humidity sounder instruments aboard
EUMETSAT, NOAA and CMA operated satellites. Further work is
underway to harmonise the individual instrument data records into
one climate data record.
The ROM SAF provided new versions of temperature profiles
for the Earth's atmosphere and ionosphere with high vertical
resolution and global coverage over the period 2001-2020
utilising data from the Metop satellites as well as from the third
party CHAMP, COSMIC, and GRACE satellites.
Even longer is the data record of atmospheric motion vectors for
polar areas derived from infrared imagery covering more than
40 years (1979-2020).
Enhancing land monitoring the LSA SAF released a global data
record on the state of vegetation based starting with Metop-A
data in 2007 and being continued as an interim record since 2020.
Finally, the set of atmospheric composition data records was
made more complete by the AC SAF with the release of a data
record that enables a long-term consideration of the height where
absorbing aerosol is present in the atmosphere and by a data
record of total column Glyoxal from Metop GOME-2 observations.
Glyoxal is an indicator of volatile organic compounds that are
key precursors of very small particles in the atmosphere being
harmful for human beings and ozone.
A highlight was the delivery of atmospheric motion vector data
records from our first and second generation geostationary
Meteosat satellites covering data since 1981.
67