THE PRE-OPERATIONAL GMES ATMOSPHERIC SERVICE IN MACC-Ⅱ AND ITS POTENTIAL USAGE OF SENTINEL-3 OBSERVATIONS

摘要

MACC-Ⅱ implements services for the GMES Atmospheric Service. These services monitor and forecast the global atmospheric composition in terms of aerosols, reactive gases and greenhouse gases and their sources. They also provide forecasts and assessments of regional air quality for Europe. The pre-operational forecasts have been delivered in near real-time (NRT) since 2007. They are accompanied by intense and diverse verification, and are improved continuously. The services have since generated a wide user community in Europe and worldwide. MACC-Ⅱ already assimilates 27 satellite observation products. The observational capabilities of the SLSTR instrument aboard the Sentinel-3 satellite represent a unique opportunity to maintain and improve the quality of the GMES services related to aerosols and biomass burning in the future. In order to realise this opportunity, NRT products of Fire Radiative Power (FRP) and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) would have to be generated. The AOD product in particular would need a high accuracy, thorough error characterisation and, ideally, consistency between land and sea pixels. Quantitative requirements for both products are given.