THE LTDP ALTS PROJECT: CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONTINUED UNDERSTANDING AND EXPLOITATION OF THE ATSR TIME-SERIES

摘要

The long time-series of observations made by the Along Track Scanning Radiometers (ATSR) missions represents a valuable resource for a wide range of research and EO applications. With the advent of ESA’s Long-Term Data Preservation (LTDP) programme, thought has turned to the preservation and improved understanding of such long time-series, to support their continued exploitation in both existing and new areas of research, bringing the possibility of improving the existing data set and to inform and contribute towards future missions. For this reason, the ’Long Term Stability of the ATSR Instrument Series: SWIR Calibration, Cloud Masking and SAA’ project, commonly known as the ATSR Long Term Stability (or ALTS) project, is designed to explore the key characteristics of the data set and new and innovative ways of enhancing and exploiting it. Work has focussed on: 1. A new approach to the assessment of Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR) channel calibration. 2. Developmentof a new method for Total Column Water Vapour (TCWV) retrieval. 3. Study of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). 4. Radiative Transfer (RT) modelling for ATSR. 5. Providing AATSR observations with their location in the original instrument grid. 6. Strategies for the retrieval and archiving of historical ATSR documentation. 7. Study of TCWV retrieval over land 8. Development of new methods for cloud masking This paper provides an overview of these activities and illustrates the importance of preserving and understanding ‘old’ data for continued use in the future.