ENVISAT MERIS: Reduced Resolution Satellite Imagery for Earth Observation

MERIS is a programmable imaging spectrometer with 15 spectral bands operating in the solar reflective range. The instrument, designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, uses a 'push-broom' scanning method and has a 68.5-degree field-of-view covering a 1150 km swath width. This version 4 dataset was last updated on 2026-03 13.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean color and phytoplankton concentrations based on spectral reflectance data.
• Classifying land cover and vegetation types using the 15 programmable spectral bands.
• Monitoring atmospheric aerosols and water vapor from solar reflective spectral measurements.
• Analyzing surface albedo and radiative balance across a 1150 km observation swath.

Strengths

• Data originates from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, a leading space agency.
• The instrument's 68.5-degree field-of-view provides a wide 1150 km observation swath.
• Programmable selection of 15 spectral bands allows for targeted spectral analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic or temporal bias inherent to the satellite's orbit and mission lifetime.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Acquired via the ENVISAT satellite's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) using a push-broom scanning method.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 03:01:55.468629; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbit.