European Space Agency
organised a
FIDUCIAL INTER-COMPARISON EXPERIMENT FOR SENTINEL-3
AT THE ACQUA ALTA OCEANOGRAPHIC TOWER
8 – 18 July 2018
off the Gulf of Venice, Italy, in the northern Adriatic Sea
The event is over.
Contact Gavin Tilstone (PML) for more information.
GHTI[at]pml.ac.uk
The FICE-AAOT group on their way back from the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (12 July 2018
Set-up of the sensors
Set-up of the sensors
To support the ESA Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 missions, a radiometric inter-comparison exercise will take took at the AAOT off the Gulf of Venice, Italy, in the northern Adriatic Sea from 8th to 18th July 2018 for simultaneous deployment of in- and above-water water radiometers. The use of multi- sensor and method comparisons at the AAOT will provide the volume and quality of data for a stand-alone publication in a high impact factor journal.
The Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT)
The Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT) off the Gulf of Venice, Italy, in the northern Adriatic Sea is a purpose built steel tower with a platform containing an instrument house to facilitate the measurement of ocean properties under exceptionably stable conditions. It has a long history of use for satellite ocean colour validation and development during recent NASA and ESA missions (Zibordi et al. 2006) and offers excellent deployment conditions for above water, floating and underwater profiling systems (e.g. Hooker et al. 2005). It was used throughout the ESA MERIS mission to characterise measurement uncertainties in radiometers for the validation of ocean colour products (Zibordi et al. 2002).
MAIN Experimental Objective:
Under the same calibration and environmental conditions,to calculate the difference in Lw, Ed,andRrs between FICE-AAOT participants.
Experimental Sub-Objectives:
Under the same calibration and environmental conditions,to calculate the difference in Lw, Ed and Rrs between
- Sensors (2 x SATLANTIC;5 x TRIOS, 1 x WISP,1 in water C-OPS system).
- Methods (in & above-water)
DAILY SCHEDULE:
- Boat pick up – 08:30 from Jetty.
- Arrival at AAOT – 10:00
- MEASUREMENTS START – 10:30 – 11:00
- Lunch – 12:30 – 13:30 (Food will be supplied by the sailors on board the AAOT).
- MEASUREMENTS STOP 15:30
- Travel back to Hotel 16:00.
- Data Processing – from 17:30 – 18:30 OR Weather pending, there may be other opportunities during the week to work up data.
One day (or afternoon) was dedicated to working up the data, which each participant is expected to do during the inter-comparison. By participating in the FRM4SOC FICE-AAOT, you agree to submit your data to the coordinators by 18 July 2018. Therefore, it is essential that you bring whatever is necessary to do this data processing with you to the start of the field inter-comparison on 08 July 2018.
Each participant will use their own code to process the data. To minimise artefacts due to different processors, a common processor will be used to process all data from TRIOS systems.
The Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower in off the Gulf of Venice, Italy, in the northern Adriatic Sea is a purpose built steel tower with a platform containing an instrument house to facilitate the measurement of ocean properties under exceptionably stable conditions. The platform has a long history of optical measurements to support and validate both NASA and ESA ocean colour missions (Zibordi et al. 2006; 2009b). An autonomous OMS has been developed at the tower, the data from which are widely used and accessed by the ocean colour community for satellite validation (Zibordi et al. 2004b, 2009c). Both in- and above-water optical measurements at the AAOT are taken under near ideal conditions due to the stability of the platform which has a fixed geometry, the frequency of clear sky conditions, the relatively low sun zenith angles and moderate to low sea states that are experienced at the tower. The water type at the tower can vary from clear open sea to turbid coastal. The atmospheric conditions are mostly dominated by continental and occasionally maritime, aerosols. This variability offers the opportunity perform field inter-comparisons under a wide range of environmental conditions. Continuous data acquisition of above water radiometry coupled with field campaigns to characterise the in water optics makes this site unique in the ability to inter-compare an array of sensors and methods at any one time.
LOCATION: Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT), Venice, Italy.
DATES: 8 – 18 July 2018.
ACCOMODATION: Accommodation booked for 10 nights at the Hotel Mediterraneo, Chioggia, Venice from 8-18 July (breakfast not included).
FLIGHTS: Your flights should have been booked already by Kim Hockley at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (except for those people who are driving). If you have not yet booked your flight or have not received flight confirmation, please let Kim know as soon as possible (email: kih[at]pml.ac.uk ).
CALIBRATION of RADIOMETERS prior to Inter-Comparison:
The FRM4SOC Project will pay for the shipping of your radiometers to Tartu Observatory, Estonia. Your radiometers need to arrive at Tartu Observatory, before 10 June 2018. Failure to meet this date, will mean that you will not be able to participate in the FRM4SOC AAOT inter-comparison. Any customs costs shall be fully covered by the sender.
ADDRESS for SHIPPING RADIOMETERS for pre- inter-comparison CALIBRATION:
Tartu Observatory,
University of Tartu
Observatooriumi 1
EE-61602 Tõravere
Estonia
tel + 372 737 4511
fax +372 737 4555
Email: riho.vendt[at]ut.ee
After calibration, your Radiometers will be shipped directly from Tartu Observatory to ISMAR.
The calibration files will be sent to you prior to the inter-comparison (by 01.07.2018) and are to be used in any subsequent work up of the inter-comparison data.
On 8th July, your radiometers will be delivered to the AAOT Jetty from ISMAR. You will be transferred by boat from the Jetty to the AAOT. The inter-comparison will finish on 18 July 2018 when you will pack-up your sensors.
You will be responsible for shipping your radiometers from the AAOT back to your home institute on 18 July 2018.
You will be responsible for organising your own shipment of your radiometers on the afternoon of 18th July 2018.
This should be organised prior to travelling to Venice.
INSURANCE:
You will provide your own insurance to cover you and your equipment. For those who do not have insurance it can be purchased from ISMAR at a cost of at the price of 12.00 EUR per person per day.
Event organizer and contact person on site
Gavin Tilstone, PML
GHTI[at]pml.ac.uk