EN1_MDSI_MER_FRS_1P: Full-Resolution MERIS Level-1 TOA Radiance

EN1_MDSI_MER_FRS_1P is the Level-1 full-resolution, full-swath product from the European Space Agency's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor on the Envisat-1 satellite. It provides geolocated and calibrated top-of-atmosphere radiance measurements across 15 programmable spectral bands from 390 nm to 1040 nm. The data, reprocessed in 2020, offers global coverage every 3 days at a 300-meter resolution from the satellite's operational period of March 2002 to April 2012.

Use Cases

• Monitoring ocean color and phytoplankton concentrations based on calibrated radiance in visible wavelengths.
• Analyzing land surface reflectance and vegetation indices using data from the instrument's 15 spectral bands.
• Studying cloud properties and atmospheric water vapor based on radiance measurements in infrared and ultraviolet bands.
• Calibrating and validating other satellite sensors using the instrument's programmable band-width and location capabilities.

Strengths

• Contains 15 spectral bands with programmable width and location, a unique capability for sensor calibration.
• Provides global coverage every 3 days due to a 68.5-degree field of view and 1150 km swath width.
• Underwent a 4th reprocessing cycle in 2020, likely improving data consistency and accuracy.

Limitations

• Mission ended abruptly in April 2012, limiting temporal coverage to a decade.
• Column names and specific data structure are not provided in the source metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2012 vs. 2026) across platforms create uncertainty about metadata freshness.

Provenance

Source

European Space Agency (ESA) via National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the MERIS push-broom imaging spectroradiometer on the Envisat-1 satellite.

Time Range

2002-03 to 2012-04

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:21:09.497612

Geography

Global