Abstract:
EUMETSAT has been archiving all Meteosat image data and derived products in
digital format since December 1995. It provides a comprehensive data retrieval
service including on-line access to the data catalogues and other information.
The digital data are written to Digital Linear Tape (DLT), each having the
capacity to store several days' images. This is a different medium from that
used to store
... images before December 1995 and the same retrieval mechanism
cannot be used to directly retrieve the data prior to that date. However, the
older data, extending back to 1977, remain available and can be retrieved using
independent systems. A project to systematically transfer the old data from
some 40,000 tapes and cartridges to the newer medium will take some years to
complete.
The following image products are archived:
- VIS wavelengths in the range 0.5 to 0.9 microns - showing reflected light in
the visible part of the spectrum - full earth disc is 5000 lines of 5000 pixels
giving a resolution of c. 2.5 km at the sub-satellite point.
- IR wavelengths in the range 10.5 to 12.5 microns - showing emitted radiation
in the thermal infrared part of the spectrum - full earth disc is 2500 lines of
2500 pixels giving a resolution of c. 5 km at the sub-satellite point. The
inverse IR image is sometimes used so that a user can easily visualise where
the clouds are. In a standard IR image clouds appear black as the cloud tops,
which are detected by the IR sensor, are the coldest parts of the image.
- WV wavelengths in the range 5.7 to 7.1 microns - showing radiances from
one of the water vapour absorption bands of the spectrum. Full earth disc is
again 2500 lines of 2500 pixels.
The Meteorological Products are Available:
- Clear-sky Radiances (CSR)
- Clear-sky Water Vapor Winds (WVW)
- Climate Data Set (CDS)
- Cloud Analysis (CLA)
- Cloud Motion Winds (CMW)
- Cloud Top Height (CTH)
- Expanded Low-resolution Winds (ELW)
- High-resolution Visible Winds (HRV)
- High-resolution Water Vapor Winds (HWW)
- ISCCP Data Set - B1 and B2
- Sea-surface Temperature (SST)
- Upper Tropospheric Humidity (UTH)
More information and order data:
http://www.eumetsat.de/en/dps/archive/index.html
Operational Products and Dissemination Details:
http://www.eumetsat.de/en/dps/mpef/products.html
Email User Service: http://www.eumetsat.de/feedback/form_ops.html
[Summary Extracted from the EUMETSAT Home Page] 
