Expected Performances of the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) for an All-Weather and High Spatial Resolution Estimation of Ocean and Sea Ice Parameters

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
• Main Authors: Kilic, Lise, Prigent, Catherine, Aires, Filipe, Boutin, Jacqueline, Heygster, Georg, Tonboe, Rasmus, Roquet, Hervé, Jimenez, Carlos, Donlon, Craig
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'Etude du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique (LERMA (UMR_8112)), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Cergy Pontoise (UCP), Université Paris-Seine-Université Paris-Seine-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL), Estellus, Paris, France, Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Institute of Environmental Physics Bremen (IUP), University of Bremen, Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), Météo France, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-GEO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Geophysics [physics.geo-ph]; Arctic; Climate change; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01934679; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01934679/document; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01934679/file/Kilic_et_al-2018-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research%253A_Oceans.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014408

Climate change resulting in ocean warming, sea level rise, and sea ice melting has consequences for the global economy, navigation, and security. The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer (CIMR) mission is a high priority candidate mission within the European Copernicus Expansion program. CIMR is designed to observe the ocean and sea ice and more particularly the Arctic environment. Sea surface temperature (SST), ocean wind speed, sea surface salinity (SSS), and sea ice concentration (SIC) are fundamental variables for understanding, monitoring, and predicting the state of the ocean and sea ice. CIMR is a conically scanning microwave radiometer imager that includes channels at 1.4, 6.9, 10.65, 18.7, and 36.5 GHz, in a Sun-synchronous polar orbit, to provide SST, ocean wind speed, SSS, and SIC with an increased accuracy and/or spatial resolution. Here we analyze the performances of the CIMR mission in terms of theoretical retrieval precision and spatial resolution on the SST, SSS, and SIC products. A careful information content analysis is conducted. The CIMR performances are compared with the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 and the Soil Moisture Active Passive current missions. Maps of the retrieval precision based on realistic conditions are computed. CIMR will provide SST, SSS, and SIC with a spatial resolution of 15, 55, and 5 km and a precision of 0.2 K, 0.3 psu, and 5%, respectively. The SST and SIC will be retrieved at better than 30 km from the coast. CIMR is currently in preparatory phase, and if selected, it is for a launch in the 2025+ time frame. Plain Language Summary Climate change resulting in ocean warming, sea level rise, and sea ice melting has consequences for the global economy, navigation, and security. The Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer mission is a high priority candidate satellite mission within the European Copernicus Expansion program. It is designed to observe the ocean and sea ice and more particularly the Arctic environment. Sea surface temperature, ocean wind ...