Photo credit: www.esa.int
ESA’s EarthCARE Mission: Unlocking Atmospheric Insights
As of January 2025, ESA’s EarthCARE satellite is fully operational, and its first level data stream is now publicly accessible. This mission is poised to advance our understanding of crucial climate dynamics by investigating the roles of clouds and aerosols in the Earth’s atmospheric processes.
Launched in May 2024, EarthCARE is a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Its primary goal is to gather comprehensive data about the atmosphere, focusing on how clouds and aerosols impact the reflection of solar energy back into space and the trapping of infrared energy emitted from the Earth’s surface.
The satellite is equipped with four sophisticated instruments. The cloud profiling radar, supplied by JAXA, reveals the vertical structure and internal dynamics of clouds. Meanwhile, the atmospheric lidar provides detailed profiles of aerosols along with information about thin clouds and cloud tops. Additionally, a multispectral imager offers a broad view across multiple wavelengths, while a broadband radiometer measures the solar radiation reflected by Earth and the outgoing infrared radiation.
Until now, the data from these instruments have been restricted to the ESA project teams and validation groups focused on performance assessment. However, even during the commissioning phase, EarthCARE showcased its potential by hinting at the richness of data it could generate once it began full operations.
First Level Data Release
EarthCARE’s Mission Manager, Bjoern Frommknecht, announced the successful completion of the commissioning phase at the end of 2024, stating, “We are delighted to release the first level data stream, known as Level-1, which is now ready for public access.” He acknowledged ESA’s responsibility for Level-1 data from the atmospheric lidar, multispectral imager, and broadband radiometer, while thanking JAXA for providing Level-1 data from the cloud profiling radar.
In the coming months, users can expect the release of second level processed data, with single instrument Level-2 data anticipated in March and multi-instrument Level-2 products rolling out progressively thereafter. A notable application of this data is evidenced in the imagery captured on January 9, 2025, displaying smoke from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, which is being swept over the Pacific by powerful winds.
Aerosols, which include smoke, are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere with varying sizes and origins, playing a pivotal role in atmospheric chemistry and climate systems.
The Climatic Impact of Aerosols
Aerosols are not only crucial to air quality but are also integral to the Earth’s climate. They influence the climate directly by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation and trapping heat, and indirectly by serving as nuclei for cloud formation. Simonetta Cheli, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in the development of this complex Earth Explorer satellite. She emphasized that EarthCARE represents the largest and most intricate mission of its kind, with publicly available data that can aid in advancing research on atmospheric changes amid the climate crisis.
For those interested in accessing the data, Level-1 information is available on the ESA Online Data Dissemination platform, where users can create accounts for free access. Additionally, a collection of Level-1 data is accessible through the ESA Earth Online website.
Source
www.esa.int