The new imager (FCI) will be fantastic for studying the atmosphere, particularly clouds and aerosols (like desert dust).
The older imager (SEVIRI) didn't have a blue channel, so all the true-colour images have to be synthesised from data at other wavelengths, giving some of the clouds a characteristic light blue shine. FCI doesn't have that issue, meaning that it can create better 'true-colour images'. It actually has a real green channel too (unlike the GOES ABI instrument), although the iamges from both look brilliant.
This blue channel doesn't just help make images look nice, it is also important for measuring aerosols like dust. At blue wavelengths, the surface tends to be much darker, meaning that you can measure aerosols over even relatively bright surfaces (like deserts). With the Sahara looming pretty large in the image, you can see why that might be important! [1]
FCI also has some high resolution near-IR channels (including the 2.3 one at 500m resolution). This is fantastic for studying clouds, as the reflectivity of clouds at this wavelength allows you to measure droplet size (which is important for understanding cloud processes) [2]. Very few other instruments have this capability, and none of the existing geostationary satellites do (obviously other than MTG).
In case anyone is wondering, studying these aerosols is very important to our understanding of global ecology because the desert dust coming off the Sahara [1] supplies critical nutrients like phosphorus from the Bodélé Depression [2] in Chad to the Amazon rainforest on the other side of the planet [3]!
This satellite will improve our ability to study this planetary transfer of nutrients and see if we can discover any other such connections.
I suspect it will at least be publicly available, although there might be some terms attached (I don't know).
SEVIRI (the current instrument) has data available through the EUMETSAT data store. It was a while since I registered, but it was at least free for personal/educational/research use at that point.
edit to add - the current iamgery is also available here [2]. Excellent if you want some psycadellic composite imagery. Day microphysics is a personal favourite, although I am biased... [3]
Scientific datasets from unique projects are typically embargoed for several months, to give the participating scientists time to publish. This is also true for the US.
That makes so much sense. I wish the EU (and/or European countries in general) would enact something similar but I think may be too late to do the same here now. Way too many stupid little fiefdoms "owned" by socially powerful people with short-sighted self interests.
The US did it in 1895 before the massive expansion of that particular social class. Smart.
(I guess a similar social class is doing very well in "non-profits" in the US these days, instead.)
> This is one thing the US government does so much better than most European governments.
That's due to a difference in governing laws:
Works prepared by Government employees in the furtherance of their official duties are not copyrightable in the United States (17 U.S.C. 105), and are in the public domain. Therefore, copying these works is not infringing any copyright
The older imager (SEVIRI) didn't have a blue channel, so all the true-colour images have to be synthesised from data at other wavelengths, giving some of the clouds a characteristic light blue shine. FCI doesn't have that issue, meaning that it can create better 'true-colour images'. It actually has a real green channel too (unlike the GOES ABI instrument), although the iamges from both look brilliant.
This blue channel doesn't just help make images look nice, it is also important for measuring aerosols like dust. At blue wavelengths, the surface tends to be much darker, meaning that you can measure aerosols over even relatively bright surfaces (like deserts). With the Sahara looming pretty large in the image, you can see why that might be important! [1]
FCI also has some high resolution near-IR channels (including the 2.3 one at 500m resolution). This is fantastic for studying clouds, as the reflectivity of clouds at this wavelength allows you to measure droplet size (which is important for understanding cloud processes) [2]. Very few other instruments have this capability, and none of the existing geostationary satellites do (obviously other than MTG).
[1] - https://earth.gsfc.nasa.gov/climate/data/deep-blue/science
[2] - https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/14/2479/2014/