Climate Change relevant space-based Data reprocessing and calibration

Specific Challenge:

Research areas such as Climate Change address long time periods of data records, where historical data are essential to identify reliable trends and anomalies. The data from past remote sensing missions available either from European and non-European missions, must be made accessible in a way to establish seamless time series of similar observations, contributing to the generation of Climate Data Records across sensors and technologies over two decades and more. At the same time, the relevance of space derived variables and products needs to be critically examined, and enhanced to optimally fit the requirements arising from current policy issues in a variety of EU sectors. This includes the needs of  assessment of impact of climate change, as well as mitigation and adaptation strategies in different societal benefit areas. This work is complementary to efforts undertaken by ESA in the Climate Change Initiative (CCI), and will require coordination with on-going efforts accordingly.

Scope:

The remote sensing data maintained in archives of the relevant data holding agencies will require to be reprocessed to ensure the generation of consistent time series of data and products with the most up to date operational algorithms. These time series shall benefit from the panoply of available source data to ensure suitability for producing the most reliable, accurate, stable and complete Climate Data Records. Manipulation of historical data at the relevant sources will be required to enable quick analyses, bulk reprocessing and wide access to different science and application communities. Interoperability of diverse observation collections, including all parts of the atmosphere and its boundary (such as ice, fresh water, sea surface and land surface), tropospheric and stratospheric data, sensor calibration and sensor-to-sensor cross calibration will have to be included, as well as estimates of the associated uncertainties, limits and biases. The proposed activities will need to be closely coordinated with the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and other relevant initiatives of space data calibration in context of CEOS or GEO.

Proposers are advised to consult further information on availability of Copernicus Sentinel Data, access to Copernicus Contributing Mission data, as well as issues recommended to be detailed in the proposals at the Commission’s web http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/space/research

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU in the range of EUR of 5.5 million Euro would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact:

The proposal is expected to significantly contribute to the availability of validated space-based observational data on Climate Change as a long time series, providing consistent Climate Data Records over a time period corresponding to the satellite era. Close cooperation with other relevant on-going activities such the ESA CCI and GEO is expected. Proposers should demonstrate how the work performed adds value to existing data repositories and efforts by the respective remote sensing data holding agencies. Best practices in combining data from different satellites and other sensor in consistent ways should be established and promoted.

Type of Action: Research and Innovation Actions.