THE ADVANCED SCATTEROMETER (ASCAT) ON THE METOP SATELLITES: AN OPERATIONAL FOLLOW-ON TO ESA ERS C-BAND SCATTEROMETERS

摘要

The Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on METOP is a follow-on to the wind mode of the Active Microwave Instruments on ERS-1 & 2. The prime objective of the instrument is to measure the wind field at the ocean surface. ASCAT is a real aperture C-band radar with high radiometric resolution and stability. The beam geometry, radar frequency and vertical polarisation are the same as for the ERS scatterometer. Data will be provided at nominal horizontal resolutions of 50 and 25 km. Two swaths, each 550 km wide, will significantly improve the coverage with respect to the ERS scatterometers. Also important is the shifting of the swath to higher incidence angles to improve the directional skill of the wind measurements. ASCAT is the first operational European scatterometer mission within the EUMETSAT Polar System and will fly on the METOP-1, 2 and 3 platforms on a low Earth 29-day repeat cycle orbit with 14 years of operations planned from 2006.