The IASI-NG mission onboard METOP-SG: Scientific objectives and expected results
Résumé
Thermal infrared sounders onboard polar-orbiting platforms are now playing a key role for monitoring the atmospheric composition change. Thanks to its smart combination of large horizontal swath, good spectral resolution and high radiometric performance, the IASI instrument developed by CNES and launched by Eumetsat onboard the MetOp satellite series is providing essential inputs for weather forecasting, for the monitoring of several essential climate variables, and for the study of atmospheric composition and pollution. IASI thus strongly benefits the NWP, chemistry and climate communities now connected through the GMES initiative (Sentinel 5, MACC project). In the framework of the EPS-SG program of EUMETSAT, CNES is currently preparing the IASI-NG (IASI-New Generation) mission that will fly on the ESA MetOp-SG satellite series. The mission is now moving to Phase-B and specifications have been narrowed to an improvement of the spectral resolution (factor of 2 as compared to IASI) and the radiometric noise (factor of 2 in the longwave, better in the shortwave and in some spectral regions particularly important for atmospheric composition). In this talk, we will discuss the science plan of IASI-NG that involves the NWP, climate and atmospheric composition communities and is structured around three main objectives: (i) continuity of the MetOp series; (ii) improvement of vertical coverage, especially in the lower troposphere; (iii) improvement of the precision and detection threshold of atmospheric and surface components.