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SCIAVALIG The Great SCIAMACHY Validation Assessment

The ENVISAT mission is planned to continue nominal operation until the mid-2014. That leaves 3 more years of atmospheric science measurements. At the moment these instruments run nominally and produce vast amounts of scientifically sound data as confirmed by validation. For example, a quick estimate tells us that 95% of the SCIAMACHY data is of high quality and is meeting tight validation requirements. Most likely much of your work, being on systemcalibration, on algorithm developments, or on validation studies, has contributed substantially to this success. In the meantime, new data products are also being developed, which by definition have not undergone proper validation yet.

This message is intended to let you think about the remaining part of the mission, current retrieval and validation challenges, and new products being developed right now!


Suppose you have a limited time span and financial budget to spend on the final development and/or validation of your data product. What would you spend it on? Based on your experience with the SCIAMACHY system and data, can you come up with a short list of shortcomings in the satellite instrument calibration or in the satellite instrument data that are of high priority to be solved? Or are you developing new SCIAMACHY data products that will need specific correlative measurements to compare with? Could you think of ground-based, air-borne and balloon-borne correlative observations outside of the realm of available networks and plannedcampaigns that we need in order to solve these shortcomings or validate new data products? Then hereby you are invited to do so.

This is what we call "The Great SCIAMACHY Validation Assessment"


For example: Can we validate radiances over large snow fields like Antarctica and do we have correlative data there? Can we improve on stratospheric ozoneretrievals at high solar zenith angles? How can we gainunderstanding of the trend in ozone difference with ground-based observations? How well do ourcloud algorithms behave over snow/ice? How well are the tropospheric data products of NO2 and SO2 retrieved and validated?

This message is intended for the calibration experts, the algorithm developers, the validation scientists, and also the end-users of the SCIAMACHY data records.
You are cordially invited to take part in "The Great Validation Assessment" of SCIAMACHY.


The outcome of this assessment will enable us to start thinking of SCIAVALIG actions like:

  • Identification of validation gaps
  • Performing new and dedicated measurements with standard equipment
  • Providing recommendations for funding towards the development and deployment of new, dedicated equipment
  • Defining or joining future campaigns aimed at achieving our goals

Let us know where you think SCIAMACHY data needs to be improved and help us in shaping future activities that will aid in achieving these goals.


Please download the following single-page form (available as Word or PDF), complete it and email it to SCIAMACHY validation support office before the 31st of May 2011.

Thank you!




This assessment is done on behalf of SCIAVALIG
Last update: 19 April 2011
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