ESA - Living Planet Programme - MetOp - IASI – MetOp's key instrument

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IASI – MetOp's key instrument

19 July 2006

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The animation shows the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) scanning mirror directing emitted infrared radiation from one swath into the uncovered interferometer. One swath covers 30 scan positions towards the Earth and two calibration views. One calibration view is into deep space and the other is via an internal blackbody. Each scan starts on the left with respect to the flight direction of the satellite. The animation sequence concludes with the interferometer housed in the MetOp satellite showing the incident radiation being directed through the long split opening to make observations through the atmosphere, the calibration process then quickly takes place.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

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The IASI instrument measures infrared radiation emitted from the surface of the Earth to derive atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles of unprecedented accuracy and vertical resolution. The high resolution allows small concentrations of atmospheric gases to also be derived. IASI will supply:

Temperature profiles in the troposphere and lower stratosphere with an accuracy of 1° Kelvin and a vertical resolution of 1 kilometre in the lower troposphere.
Humidity profiles in the troposphere with an accuracy of 10% and vertical resolution of 1 kilometre in the lower troposphere.
The total amount of ozone in a column with an accuracy of 5% and fractional cloud cover and cloud top temperature and pressure.
Sea and land surface temperatures In addition, IASI will measure the total column content of the main greenhouse gases.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

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IASI will measure the infrared radiation emitted by the Earth

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Marking a significant technological step forward, IASI will provide meteorologists with data of unprecedented accuracy and resolution on atmospheric temperature and humidity with which to improve weather prediction.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

MetOp

Measuring atmospheric temperature and humidity with GRAS Monitoring ozone with GOME-2 Measuring wind over the oceans with ASCAT

In depth

MetOp instrument overview About IASI