Evaluation of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative Soil Moisture Product over China Using Variance Reduction Factor

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1524-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoji Shen ◽  
Ru An ◽  
Jonathan Arthur Quaye-Ballard ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Zhe Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Variance Reduction ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Reduction Factor ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Space Agency

ESA CCI and C3S Soil Moisture: latest product updates and climate assessments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter Dorigo ◽  
Wolfgang Preimesberger ◽  
Adam Pasik ◽  
Alexander Gruber ◽  
Leander Moesinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Data Store ◽  
Climate Data Record ◽  
Level 2

<p>As part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) a more than 40 year long climate data record (CDR) is produced by systematically combining Level-2 datasets from separate missions. Combining multiple level 2 datasets into a single consistent long-term product combines the advantages of individual missions and allows deriving a harmonised long-term record with optimal spatial and temporal coverage. The current version of ESA CCI Soil Moisture includes a PASSIVE (radiometer-based) dataset covering the period 1978 to 2019, an ACTIVE (scatterometer-based) product covering the period 1991-2019 and a COMBINED product (1978-2019). </p><p>The European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Changes Service (C3S) uses the ESA CCI soil moisture algorithm to produce similar climate data records from near-real-time Level-2 data streams.  These products are continuously extended within 10 days after data acquisition and instantaneously made available through the C3S Climate Data Store. In addition to a daily product, monthly aggregates as well as a dekadal (10-days) products are produced.</p><p>In this presentation we give an overview of the latest developments of the ESA CCI and C3S Soil Moisture datasets, which include the integration of SMAP and various algorithmic updates, and use the datasets to assess the hydrological conditions of 2019 with respect to a 30-year historical baseline.</p><p>The development of the ESA CCI products has been supported by ESA’s Climate Change Initiative for Soil Moisture (Contract No. 4000104814/11/I-NB and 4000112226/14/I-NB). The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) soil moisture product is funded by the Copernicus Climate Change Service implemented by ECMWF through C3S 312b Lot 7 Soil Moisture service.</p>

scholarly journals An improved and homogeneous altimeter sea level record from the ESA Climate Change Initiative

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 281-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Legeais ◽  
Michaël Ablain ◽  
Lionel Zawadzki ◽  
Hao Zuo ◽  
Johnny A. Johannessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Bias Reduction ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Internal Validation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Space Agency

Abstract. Sea level is a very sensitive index of climate change since it integrates the impacts of ocean warming and ice mass loss from glaciers and the ice sheets. Sea level has been listed as an essential climate variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). During the past 25 years, the sea level ECV has been measured from space by different altimetry missions that have provided global and regional observations of sea level variations. As part of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program of the European Space Agency (ESA) (established in 2010), the Sea Level project (SL_cci) aimed to provide an accurate and homogeneous long-term satellite-based sea level record. At the end of the first phase of the project (2010–2013), an initial version (v1.1) of the sea level ECV was made available to users (Ablain et al., 2015). During the second phase of the project (2014–2017), improved altimeter standards were selected to produce new sea level products (called SL_cci v2.0) based on nine altimeter missions for the period 1993–2015 (https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-sea_level_cci-1993_2015-v_2.0-201612; Legeais and the ESA SL_cci team, 2016c). Corresponding orbit solutions, geophysical corrections and altimeter standards used in this v2.0 dataset are described in detail in Quartly et al. (2017). The present paper focuses on the description of the SL_cci v2.0 ECV and associated uncertainty and discusses how it has been validated. Various approaches have been used for the quality assessment such as internal validation, comparisons with sea level records from other groups and with in situ measurements, sea level budget closure analyses and comparisons with model outputs. Compared with the previous version of the sea level ECV, we show that use of improved geophysical corrections, careful bias reduction between missions and inclusion of new altimeter missions lead to improved sea level products with reduced uncertainties on different spatial and temporal scales. However, there is still room for improvement since the uncertainties remain larger than the GCOS requirements (GCOS, 2011). Perspectives on subsequent evolution are also discussed.

ESA CCI and C3S Soil Moisture Products: Generation and Quality Assurance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Scanlon ◽  
Wouter Dorigo ◽  
Wolfgang Preimesberger ◽  
Robin van der Schalie ◽  
Martin Hirschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Data Product ◽  
Level 2

<p>Soil moisture Climate Data Records (CDRs) produced from active and passive microwave sensors are valuable for the study of the coupled water, energy and carbon cycles over land on a global scale. As part of the European Space Agency (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI) a multi-decadal CDR is produced by systematically combining Level-2 datasets from separate missions. The combination of individual Level 2 datasets into a single product gives us the opportunity to profit from the advantages of individual missions, and to obtain homogenised CDRs with improved spatial and temporal coverage.<br>The most recent version of the ESA CCI product (v06) provides 3 products: (1978 – 2020), ACTIVE (1991 – 2020) and COMBINED (1978 – 2020). This latest version of the product includes several advances that result in the improved quality of the product. Improvements to the input datasets include updated passive (LPRM – Land Parameter Retrieval Model) data to improve inter-calibration and snow / frozen condition flagging as well as updated ASCAT data from the H-SAF project to improve vegetation correction. <br>Algorithmic improvements include the cross-flagging of snow / frozen conditions to take advantage of the flags provided for each input dataset across all sensors as well as the update of the Signal to Noise Ratio – Vegetation Optical Depth (SNR-VOD) regression used in gap-filling the SNR in locations where retrieval has failed. Additional data is also included through the use of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, the FengYun-3B (FY3B) mission and extending the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) dataset used to 2015.<br>An operational product based on the ESA CCI SM product continues to be provided through the EU Copernicus Climate Changes Services (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS). This operational product provides daily data and decadal (10 daily) aggregates in near-real-time as well as monthly aggregates for the historical dataset. The anomalies derived from this dataset (with a base period of 1991 to 2010) can be seen on the TU Wien data viewer (https://dataviewer.geo.tuwien.ac.at/).<br>The accuracy of each data product is assessed through comparison to in-situ soil moisture observations from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) as well as modelled data from Land Surface Models (LSMs). Such assessments are undertaken each time a new ESA CCI version is generated, and the results compared against previous versions to assess the evolution of the product quality over time. For transparency and traceability, an online portal is provided for the public to perform similar validations (Quality Assurance for Soil Moisture – www.qa4sm.eu). <br>In this study, an overview of the product generation and the updates provided at ESA CCI SM v06 is presented as well as examples of how the data product has been used. The associated quality assurance requirements, assessment procedures and results will also be presented.<br>The development of the ESA CCI products has been supported by ESA’s Climate Change Initiative for Soil Moisture (Contract No. 4000104814/11/I-NB and 4000112226/14/I-NB). Funded by Copernicus Climate Change Service implemented by ECMWF through C3S 312a Lot 7 Soil Moisture service.</p>

scholarly journals Sea surface temperature datasets for climate applications from Phase 1 of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative ( SST CCI )

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Merchant ◽  
Owen Embury ◽  
Jonah Roberts‐Jones ◽  
Emma Fiedler ◽  
Claire E. Bulgin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Sea Surface Temperature ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Space Agency

scholarly journals The ESA Climate Change Initiative: Satellite Data Records for Essential Climate Variables

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (10) ◽  
pp. 1541-1552 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hollmann ◽  
C. J. Merchant ◽  
R. Saunders ◽  
C. Downy ◽  
M. Buchwitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Modeling ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Climate Science ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
System Perspective ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Over 40 Years

Observations of Earth from space have been made for over 40 years and have contributed to advances in many aspects of climate science. However, attempts to exploit this wealth of data are often hampered by a lack of homogeneity and continuity and by insufficient understanding of the products and their uncertainties. There is, therefore, a need to reassess and reprocess satellite datasets to maximize their usefulness for climate science. The European Space Agency has responded to this need by establishing the Climate Change Initiative (CCI). The CCI will create new climate data records for (currently) 13 essential climate variables (ECVs) and make these open and easily accessible to all. Each ECV project works closely with users to produce time series from the available satellite observations relevant to users' needs. A climate modeling users' group provides a climate system perspective and a forum to bring the data and modeling communities together. This paper presents the CCI program. It outlines its benefit and presents approaches and challenges for each ECV project, covering clouds, aerosols, ozone, greenhouse gases, sea surface temperature, ocean color, sea level, sea ice, land cover, fire, glaciers, soil moisture, and ice sheets. It also discusses how the CCI approach may contribute to defining and shaping future developments in Earth observation for climate science.

scholarly journals An Accurate and Homogeneous Altimeter Sea Level Record from the ESA Climate Change Initiative

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Francois Legeais ◽  
Michaël Ablain ◽  
Lionel Zawadzki ◽  
Hao Zuo ◽  
Johnny A. Johannessen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Bias Reduction ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Change Initiative ◽  
Internal Validation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Scales ◽  
Space Agency

Abstract. Sea Level is a very sensitive index of climate change since it integrates the impacts of ocean warming and ice mass loss from glaciers and the ice sheets. Sea Level has been listed as an Essential Climate Variable (ECV) by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). During the past 25 years, the sea level ECV has been measured from space by different altimetry missions that have provided global and regional observations of sea level variations. As part of the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program of the European Space Agency (ESA) (established in 2010), the Sea Level project (SL_cci) aimed at providing an accurate and homogeneous long-term satellite-based sea level record. At the end of the first phase of the project (2010–2013), an initial version (v1.1) of the sea level ECV has been made available to users (Ablain et al., 2015). During the second phase (2014–2017), improved altimeter standards have been selected to produce new sea level products (called SL_cci v2.0) based on 9 altimeter missions for the period 1993–2015 (https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-sea_level_cci-1993_2015-v_2.0-201612). Corresponding orbit solutions, geophysical corrections and altimeter standards used in this v2.0 dataset are described in details in Quartly et al. (2017). The present paper focuses on the description of the SL_cci v2.0 ECV and associated uncertainty and discusses how it has been validated. Various approaches have been used for the quality assessment such as internal validation, comparisons with sea level records from other groups and with in-situ measurements, sea level budget closure analyses and comparisons with model outputs. Compared to the previous version of the sea level ECV, we show that use of improved geophysical corrections, careful bias reduction between missions and inclusion of new altimeter missions lead to improved sea level products with reduced uncertainties at different spatial and temporal scales. However, there is still room for improvement since the uncertainties remain larger than the GCOS requirements. Perspectives for subsequent evolutions are also discussed.

QA4SM – An online tool for satellite soil moisture data validation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Scherrer ◽  
Wolfgang Preimesberger ◽  
Monika Tercjak ◽  
Zoltan Bakcsa ◽  
Alexander Boresch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Space Applications ◽  
Online Tool ◽  
Soil Moisture Data

<p>To validate satellite soil moisture products and compare their quality with other products, standardized, fully traceable validation methods are required. The QA4SM (Quality Assurance for Soil Moisture; ) free online validation tool provides an easy-to-use implementation of community best practices and requirements set by the Global Climate Observing System and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites. It sets the basis for a community wide standard for validation studies.</p><p>QA4SM can be used to preprocess, intercompare, store, and visualise validation results. It uses state-of-the-art open-access soil moisture data records such as the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) and the Copernicus Climate Change Services (C3S) soil moisture datasets, as well as single-sensor products, e.g. H-SAF Metop-A/B ASCAT surface soil moisture, SMOS-IC, and SMAP L3 soil moisture. Non-satellite data include in-situ data from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN: ), as well as land surface model or reanalysis products, e.g. ERA5 soil moisture.</p><p>Users can interactively choose temporal or spatial subsets of the data and apply filters on quality flags. Additionally, validation of anomalies and application of different scaling methods are possible. The tool provides traditional validation metrics for dataset pairs (e.g. correlation, RMSD) as well as triple collocation metrics for dataset triples. All results can be visualised on the webpage, downloaded as figures, or downloaded in NetCDF format for further use. Archiving and publishing features allow users to easily store and share validation results. Published validation results can be cited in reports and publications via DOIs.</p><p>The new version of the service provides support for high-resolution soil moisture products (from Sentinel-1), additional datasets, and improved usability.</p><p>We present an overview and examples of the online tool, new features, and give an outlook on future developments.</p><p><em>Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the QA4SM & QA4SM-HR projects, funded by the Austrian Space Applications Programme (FFG).</em></p>

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