CEOS EO HANDBOOK – INSTRUMENT SUMMARY - SPECTRA -
Full Name Surface Processes and Ecosystem Changes Through Response Analysis Status No longer considered
Instrument Agencies ESA Maturity
Instrument Type Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) and Multiple direction/polarisation radiometers Geometry
Instrument Technology High resolution optical imager Sampling Imaging
Data Access Data Format
Measurements and Applications Data for study of land surface processes.
Resolution Summary Spatial sampling interval approx 50 m, along track pointing ±30 deg
Swath Summary 50 km
Accuracy Summary
Waveband Summary VIS - SWIR: 450 - 2350 nm and TIR: 10.3 - 12.3 µm
VIS (~0.40 µm - ~0.75 µm)
NIR (~0.75 µm - ~1.3 µm)
SWIR (~1.3 µm - ~3.0 µm)
MWIR (~3.0 µm - ~6.0 µm)
Instrument Measurements
Measurements Overview
CategoryParameter
Albedo and reflectancePhotosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR)
Fraction of Absorbed PAR (FAPAR)
Earth surface albedo
Atmospheric Humidity FieldsAtmospheric specific humidity (TC)
Cloud particle properties and profileCloud optical depth
Landscape topographyLand surface topography
Multi-purpose imagery (land)Land surface imagery
Radiation budgetUpward short-wave irradiance at TOA
Upward long-wave irradiance at TOA
Short-wave cloud reflectance
Downward short-wave irradiance at Earth surface
Downward long-wave irradiance at Earth surface
Short-wave Earth surface bi-directional reflectance
Upwelling (Outgoing) long-wave radiation at Earth surface
Long-wave Earth surface emissivity
Surface temperature (land)Land surface temperature
Surface temperature (ocean)Sea surface temperature
VegetationVegetation type
Land cover
Soil type
Thematic Links Global Climate Observing System Essential Climate Variables (GCOS ECVs)
ECVDescriptionProduct(s)ECV Inventory 3.0 Record(s)
Albedo click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Cloud Properties click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Earth Radiation Budget click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Land cover click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Land Surface Temperature click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Sea Surface Temperature click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Water Vapour (upper air) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Instrument Missions
ESA Future Missions - ESA Future Missions (2008 - 2018)