CEOS EO HANDBOOK – INSTRUMENT SUMMARY - METimage -
Full Name Multi Spectral Imager Status Being developed
Instrument Agencies EUMETSAT, DLR Maturity Medium Heritage
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 NetCDF-4 and BUFR
Measurements and Applications Operational multi spectral imager for meteorological EPS-SG VIS/IR Imaging Mission (VII): imagery data for global and regional NWP, NWC, and climate monitoring with information on LST, SST, clouds coverage, height and micro-physics, land surfaces (vegetation, snow/ice, fire), water vapour column, aerosol and atmospheric motion vectors. Provides collocated cloud mask, height & characterisation as well as intra-pixel heterogeneity to other EPS-SG missions (with larger footprint).
Resolution Summary Pixel size 500m at Nadir
[Best Resolution: 500m]
Swath Summary 2560 km (+/-53°)
[Max Swath: 2700 km]
Accuracy Summary Bias error 5% or 0.5K, inter-channel and inter-spatial homogeneity 1% or 0.1K, geo-location accuracy: 0.1 km at nadir
Waveband Summary 20 channels from VIS to TIR (0.44 to 13.5 µm), including water vapour and O2 A absorption bands.
UV (~0.01 µm - ~0.40 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)
Instrument Measurements
Measurements Overview
CategoryParameter
AerosolsAerosol optical depth (TC)
Volcanic ash
Albedo and reflectanceFraction of Absorbed PAR (FAPAR)
Atmospheric Humidity FieldsWater vapour imagery
Atmospheric Temperature FieldsAtmospheric temperature (LT, HT)
Atmospheric WindsWind profile (horizontal)
Cloud particle properties and profileCloud liquid water (TC)
Cloud ice (TC)
Cloud drop effective radius
Cloud optical depth
Cloud ice effective radius (column/profile)
Cloud type, amount and cloud top temperatureCloud imagery
Cloud top height
Cloud mask
Liquid water and precipitation ratePrecipitation intensity at the surface (liquid or solid)
Multi-purpose imagery (land)Fire fractional cover
Land surface imagery
Sea ice cover, edge and thicknessSea-ice cover
Sea-ice surface temperature
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 search ECV Inventory records
Cloud Properties click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Fire click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Land Surface Temperature click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Precipitation click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Sea Ice click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Sea Surface Temperature click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Snow click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Temperature (upper-air) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Water Vapour (upper air) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Wind speed and direction (upper-air) click here click here search ECV Inventory records
Instrument Missions
Post-EPS - Post EUMETSAT Polar System (2018 - 2023)
METOP-SG A1 - EUMETSAT Polar System - Second Generation - atmosphere sounding and imaging satellite 1 (2025 - 2034)
METOP-SG A2 - EUMETSAT Polar System - Second Generation - atmosphere sounding and imaging satellite 2 (2033 - 2042)
METOP-SG A3 - EUMETSAT Polar System - Second Generation - atmosphere sounding and imaging satellite 3 (2039 - 2047)