Satellites of the ESL

Visit the satellites schedule page to find our daily coverage of polar orbiters.

AVHRR Series

NOAA's Polar Orbiting Satellites - our longest running archived dataset.

The NOAA Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (also known as the POES project) are equipped with the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor. The project has origins dating back to the 1970s, with NOAA-15 being the oldest operational satellite currently in orbit. The AVHRR sensor measures 5 spectral bands of reflectance from the earth's surface ranging from the visible red band to 12 micrometers. By combining these bands in various ways scientists are able to study vegatation on land, surface temperatures of the ocean, and atmospheric conditions. The Earth Scan Lab has captured AVHRR data longer than any other satellite-sensed dataset.

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel 1 580 - 680 nm 1.1km
Channel 2 725 - 1000 nm 1.1km
Channel 3 1580 - 1640 nm 1.1km
Channel 4 10.3 - 11.3 micrometers 1.1km
Channel 5 11.5 - 12.5 micrometers 1.1km
See coverage for this series at the orbit plots

ABI Series

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel 1 0.45 - 0.47 micrometers 1 km
Channel 2 0.59 - 0.69 micrometers 0.5 km
Channel 3 0.846 -0.885 micrometers 1 km
Channel 4 1.371 - 1.386 micrometers 2 km
Channel 5 1.58 - 1.64 micrometers 1 km
Channel 6 2.225 - 2.275 micrometers 2
Channel 7 3.80 - 4.00 micrometers 2 km
Channel 8 5.77 - 6.6 micrometers 2 km
Channel 9 6.75 - 7.15 micrometers 2 km
Channel 10 7.24 - 7.44 micrometers 2 km
Channel 11 8.3 - 8.7 micrometers 2 km
Channel 12 9.42 - 9.8 micrometers 2 km
Channel 13 10.1 - 10.6 micrometers 2 km
Channel 14 10.8 - 11.6 micrometers 2 km
Channel 15 11.8 - 12.8 micrometers 2 km
Channel 16 13.0 - 13.6 micrometers 2 km

Associated Archives


GVAR Series

NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites - capturing data every 30 minutes.

The GOES-13 (East) satellite orbits over the equator at 75 degrees west longitude. It provides high temporal resolution imagery at a spatial resolution of 4km, and is especially useful for rapidly changing atmospheric applications. The ESL has developed GOES SST algorithms which, when combined with SSH data, allow us to study the Gulf of Mexico's currents throughout the year. The GOES imagery also helps us to track and study hurricanes and tropical storms from the African coast all the way to the continental United States. The ESL utilizes GOES-13 imagery to assist the State of Louisiana in emergency response to tropical storms and to provide information on a storm's location and changes in real-time through our web site, news media sources, and social media. On January 8, 2018, GOES-13 was powered down. It had been operational since April 2010. It can be reactivated if one of NOAA’s other operational or backup satellites experiences trouble.

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel 1 .65 micrometers 1km
Channel 2 3.9 micrometers 4km
Channel 3 6.75 micrometers 4km
Channel 4 10.7 micrometers 4km
Channel 6 13.3 micrometers 4km x 8km
GOES Eclipse Schedule

MODIS Series

NASA's MODIS Satellites - capturing moderate resolution data at 36 channels.

The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) equipped satellites are part of the EOS (Earth Observing System) fleet of NASA satellites. The sensor is onboard NASA's Aqua-1 and Terra-1 polar orbiters, and it captures 36 spectral bands from the blue part of the spectrum through infrared. The data we capture from Aqua-1 and Terra-1 has many applications such as giving spectacular, high resolution and large scale true color images of land and water as well as sea surface temperature maps, ocean color information, and numerous atmospheric products. At the ESL we have used MODIS data to track vegetation health, ocean currents, sediment transport, support hypoxia cruise missions, track oil slicks, and study tropical storm activity.

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel 1 620 - 670 nm 250m
Channel 2 841 - 876 nm 250m
Channel 3 459 - 479 nm 500m
Channel 4 545 - 565 nm 500m
Channel 5 1.23 - 1.25 micrometers 500m
Channel 6 1.628 - 1.652 micrometers 500m
Channel 7 2.105 - 2.155 micrometers 500m
Channel 8 405 - 420 nm 1km
Channel 9 438 - 448 nm 1km
Channel 10 483 - 493 nm 1km
Channel 11 526 - 536 nm 1km
Channel 12 546 - 556 nm 1km
Channel 13 662 - 672 nm 1km
Channel 14 673 - 683 nm 1km
Channel 15 743 - 753 nm 1km
Channel 16 862 - 877 nm 1km
Channel 17 890 - 920 nm 1km
Channel 18 931 - 941 nm 1km
Channel 19 915 - 965 nm 1km
Channel 20 3.66 - 3.84 micrometers 1km
Channel 21 3.93 - 3.99 micrometers 1km
Channel 22 3.93 - 3.99 micrometers 1km
Channel 23 4.02 - 4.08 micrometers 1km
Channel 24 4.43 - 4.50 micrometers 1km
Channel 25 4.48 - 4.55 micrometers 1km
Channel 26 1.36 - 1.39 micrometers 1km
Channel 27 6.54 - 6.90 micrometers 1km
Channel 28 7.18 - 7.48 micrometers 1km
Channel 29 8.4 - 8.7 micrometers 1km
Channel 30 9.58 - 9.88 micrometers 1km
Channel 31 10.78 - 11.28 micrometers 1km
Channel 32 11.77 - 12.27 micrometers 1km
Channel 33 13.185 - 13.485 micrometers 1km
Channel 34 13.485 - 13.785 micrometers 1km
Channel 35 13.785 - 14.085 micrometers 1km
Channel 36 14.085 - 14.385 micrometers 1km

See coverage for this series at the orbit plots

Suomi NPP

NASA's National Polar-orbiting Partnership - a transition mission from MODIS to NPOES

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) is the continuation of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) and is the product of years of collaboration between NASA, NOAA, and the Department of Defense. The satellite is equipped with five sensors: VIIRS, CriS, CERES, ATMS and OMPS. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is the next generation scanning radiometer and a follow on to NASA's MODIS sensor. ATMS and CriS are sounders producing high-resolution 3D temperature, moisture and pressure profiles. OMPS is a hyper spectral instrument used for ozone assessment. CERES is a three channel radiometer used to measure reflected and emitted radiation of the Earth and profile clouds. Together these instruments provide a thorough, high resolution view of ocean, land and atmospheric conditions.

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel M1 412 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M2 445 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M3 488 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M4 555 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M5 672 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M6 746 nm 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M7 865 nm 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M8 1.24 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M9 1.38 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M10 1.61 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M11 2.25 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M12 3.70 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M13 4.05 micrometers 0.742x0.259 km
Channel M14 8.55 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M15 10.76 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel M16 12.01 micrometers 0.742x0.776 km
Channel DNB 700 nm 0.742x0.742 km
Channel I1 640 nm 0.371x0.387 km
Channel I2 865 nm 0.371x0.387 km
Channel I3 1.61 micrometers 0.371x0.387 km
Channel I4 3.74 micrometers 0.371x0.387 km
Channel I5 11.45 micrometers 0.371x0.387 km


OceanSat-1

ISRO's Ocean Color Monitor Satellite - decomissioned as of 2010

The Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) is carried aboard the Oceansat-1 polar orbiting satellite. This satellite operates in a near-polar sun synchronous orbit. OCM is a solid state camera operating in eight narrow spectral bands. The camera is used to collect data on chlorophyll concentration, detect and monitor phytoplankton blooms and obtain data on atmospheric aerosols and suspended sediments in the water. OCM is an 8-channel sensor (whose spectral bands match that of the Orbview-2) SeaWiFS sensor, supplementing both true-color and ocean color views for that sensor. Oceansat-1 stopped transmitting on August 8, 2010, and the ESL has not yet captured data from ISRO's follow-on, Oceansat-2.

Spectral Coverage Summary

Channel Spectral Coverage Resolution
Channel 1 0.402-0.422 micrometers 250m
Channel 2 0.433-0.453 micrometers 250m
Channel 3 0.480-0.500 micrometers 250m
Channel 4 0.500-0.520 micrometers 250m
Channel 5 0.545-0.565 micrometers 250m
Channel 6 0.660-0.680 micrometers 250m
Channel 7 0.745-0.785 micrometers 250m
Channel 8 0.845-0.88 micrometers 250m

Associated Archives