The first image from the Sentinel-3A Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) thermal-infrared channels depicts thermal signatures over a part of western Namibia and the South Atlantic Ocean. This image shows the ‘brightness temperature’, which corresponds to radiation emitted from the surface. Further processing is needed to turn this into an actual temperature map. The Namibian land surface is shown in red–orange colours, corresponding to a temperature range 301–319K. The blue colours over the ocean correspond to a temperature range of 285–295K. The black areas correspond to clouds, which are opaque to thermal-infrared radiation and so prevent a view of the ocean or land surface.
Cold water is seen along the Namibian coast upwelling from deeper waters. The Benguela current flows north along the west coast of South Africa driven by southeasterly winds creating coastal upwelling. Many eddies and meanders are generated in this complex system and these small-scale features are captured beautifully by SLSTR. Understanding changes in the pattern of these waters is important for fisheries, for example.
Read more: Sentinel-3A feels the heat
Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2016], processed by ESA
Tags: Sentinel-3A Namibia thermal imagery Copernicus coastline Earth Observation
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The new Sentinel-3A satellite recently began providing data from orbit. This very early image recorded on 3 March 2016, takes us over the River Nile and Delta and the surrounding desert areas of northeast Africa and parts of the Middle East.
Very distinct is Egypt, a country connecting northeast Africa with the Middle East, home to millennia-old monuments still sitting along the lush Nile valley.
In the centre of the image, capital city Cairo with the Nile snaking northwards is clearly visible, along with the Red Sea just further east. Also evident are the islands of Cyprus further north in the Mediterranean Sea and parts of Crete on the very left.
One of the suite of sophisticated instruments that will measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere, Sentinel-3’s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) measures the energy radiating from Earth’s surface in nine spectral bands, including visible and infrared.
The instrument improves on the capabilities of the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer carried by the Envisat satellite of 2002–12, including a wider swath of 1400 km, new channels and a partly higher spatial resolution.
Combining radiometer and colour data helps us to understand the state of vegetation better.
Launched last 16 February, Sentinel-3 will systematically measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor and understand large-scale global dynamics. It will provide essential information in near-real time for ocean and weather forecasting, among other major applications.
Over land, this innovative mission will provide a bigger picture by monitoring wildfires, mapping the way land is used, providing indices of vegetation state and measuring the height of rivers and lakes, complementing the high-resolution measurements of its sister mission, Sentinel-2.
This image is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme.
Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data [2016], processed by ESA
Tags: Sentinel-3A Egypt Nile Earth Observation Nile Delta Copernicus satellite image Cyprus Crete
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Sentinel-2A satellite captured the nation's capital last 25 August 2015.
ESA has agreed with NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) to make data available to them from the European Sentinel satellites.
With the third Copernicus satellite, Sentinel-3A, recently launched, ESA has signed technical arrangements with these US agencies for accessing Sentinel data. These arrangements coordinate the technical implementation covering the Sentinel data access to the US.
ESA and its international partners are pursuing Earth observation activities in a number of areas of common interest, and are sharing each other’s satellite data. All sides are committed to the principle of full, free and open access to the European Sentinel and the NASA, NOAA and USGS Earth observation satellite data and information.
Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data (2015)/ESA
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Tags: Sentinel-3A Wasington DC ESA NASA NOAA USGS Copernicus satellite image Earth Observation
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One of the first images from Sentinel-3A’s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) shows a long crack running through the ice shelf to the east of the centre part of the Antarctic Peninsula. The crack is about 2 km wide, but widens to 4 km or more in some places. There are also finer cracks and structures visible in the ice shelf. Structure in the cloud, cloud shadows and details of the land emerging from the ice can also be seen. The image was acquired on 3 March 2016 at 11:53 GMT with the instrument’s visible channel. As the SLSTR scans Earth’s surface, it senses visible light and infrared light (heat) in a number of different spectral channels. The thermal infrared channels will soon be working when the instrument has finished outgassing water vapour. This is necessary because the infrared channels must be cooled to operate properly. The SLSTR will measure global sea- and land-surface temperatures every day to an accuracy of better than 0.3ºC.
Credit: Copernicus data (2016)
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Tags: ESA Sentinel-3A Copernicus satellite image environmental monitoring Antarctica SLSTR
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This is one of the first images from Sentinel-3A’s Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR). Acquired with the instrument’s visible channels on 3 March 2016 at 11:23 GMT, this false-colour image features the Spanish Canary Islands, the Portuguese island of Madeira and the northwest coast of Africa. The vegetated islands appear red in contrast to Western Sahara, which has little vegetation. The snow-capped peak of Mount Teide on the island of Tenerife is clearly visible. Both SLSTR and Sentinel-3’s Ocean and Land Colour Instrument, OLCI, will be used to monitor plant health. As the SLSTR scans Earth’s surface, it senses visible light and infrared light (heat) in a number of different spectral channels. The thermal infrared channels will soon be working when the instrument has finished outgassing water vapour. This is necessary because the infrared channels must be cooled to operate properly. The SLSTR will measure global sea- and land-surface temperatures every day to an accuracy of better than 0.3ºC.
Credit: Copernicus data (2016)
Read more here.
Tags: ESA Sentinel-3A Copernicus satellite image environmental monitoring Canary Islands Madeira Island Africa SLSTR
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