CEOS EO HANDBOOK – INSTRUMENT SUMMARY - AVHRR/3 -
Full Name Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer/3 Status Operational
Instrument Agencies EUMETSAT, NOAA Maturity High Heritage - Operational
Instrument Type Imaging multi-spectral radiometers (vis/IR) Geometry Cross-track scanning
Instrument Technology Multi-purpose imaging Vis/IR radiometer Sampling Imaging
Data Access Open Access Data Format Native, BUFR
Measurements and Applications Measurements of land and sea surface temperature, cloud cover, snow and ice cover, soil moisture and vegetation indices. Data also used for volcanic eruption monitoring.
Resolution Summary 1.1 km
[Best Resolution: 1100m]
Swath Summary 3000 km approx, Ensures full global coverage twice daily
Accuracy Summary
Waveband Summary VIS: 0.58 - 0.68 µm, NIR: 0.725 - 1.1 µm, SWIR: 1.58 - 1.64 µm, MWIR: 3.55 - 3.93 µm, TIR: 10.3 - 11.3 µm, 11.5 - 12.5 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)
TIR (~6.0 µm - ~15.0 µm)
FIR (~15.0 µm - ~0.1 cm)
Instrument Measurements
Measurements Overview
CategoryParameter
AerosolsAerosol optical depth (TC)
Aerosol effective radius (column/profile)
Volcanic ash
Aerosol absorption optical depth (TC)
Albedo and reflectanceFraction of Absorbed PAR (FAPAR)
Earth surface albedo
Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperatureCloud imagery
Cloud cover
Liquid water and precipitation ratePrecipitation intensity at the surface (liquid or solid)
Multi-purpose imagery (land)Fire fractional cover
Land surface imagery
Multi-purpose imagery (ocean)Ocean imagery and water leaving spectral radiance
Radiation budgetUpward long-wave irradiance at TOA
Downward short-wave irradiance at Earth surface
Short-wave Earth surface bi-directional reflectance
Sea ice cover, edge and thicknessSea-ice cover
Sea-ice thickness
Snow cover, edge and depthSnow cover
Surface temperature (land)Land surface temperature
Surface temperature (ocean)Sea surface temperature
VegetationNormalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI)
Thematic Links Global Climate Observing System Essential Climate Variables (GCOS ECVs)
ECVDescriptionProduct(s)ECV Inventory 3.0 Record(s)
Aerosols properties click here click here Record ID: 12084
Record ID: 12083
Record ID: 11973
Record ID: 11604
NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of AVHRR ...
find more ECV Inventory records
Albedo click here click here Record ID: 11101
Record ID: 11100
CLARA-A2
Record ID: 10378
Record ID: 10377
find more ECV Inventory records
Cloud Properties click here click here Record ID: 11935
Record ID: 11934
Record ID: 11933
Record ID: 11932
Record ID: 11931
find more ECV Inventory records
Earth Radiation Budget click here click here Record ID: 11941
Record ID: 11940
Record ID: 10376
Record ID: 10374
Fire click here click here FireCCILT10 - ESA Fire Climate Change In...
Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) click here click here Record ID: 11073
NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Leaf A...
Land Surface Temperature click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Ocean Colour click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Precipitation click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Sea Ice click here click here NOAA Optimum Interpolation 1/4 Degree Da...
AVHRR Pathfinder version 5.3 level 3 col...
Sea Surface Temperature click here click here ESA Sea Surface Temperature Climate Chan...
ESA Sea Surface Temperature Climate Chan...
Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) ...
Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) ...
ESA Sea Surface Temperature Climate Chan...
find more ECV Inventory records
Snow click here click here NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Northe...
Instrument Missions
NOAA-15 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 15 (1998 - 2018)
NOAA-16 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 16 (2000 - 2014)
NOAA-17 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 17 (2002 - 2013)
NOAA-18 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 18 (2005 - 2024)
Metop-A - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - A (2006 - 2021)
NOAA-19 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - 19 (2009 - 2024)
Metop-B - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - B (2012 - 2024)
Metop-C - Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite - C (2018 - 2027)