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Abstract
The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently implementing two Earth Explorer missions, dedicated to profiling of the troposphere. The missions are under the umbrella of ESA's "Living Planet Programme" (http://www.esa.int/livingplanet), which comprises an Earth Watch (operational missions) and an Earth Explorer (research or demonstration missions) component.
ESA’s first tropospheric profiling mission, the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus), was chosen as the second Earth Explorer core mission in 1999. It shall demonstrate the potential of a high spectral resolution Doppler wind Lidar for operational measurements of global wind profiles and their use in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). ADM-Aeolus addresses one of the main identified deficiencies of the current Global Observing System. Spin-off products are profiles of cloud and aerosol optical properties.
The second tropospheric profiling mission, EarthCARE, was selected as the third Earth Explorer core mission in 2004. It is a joint European and Japanese effort and is targeted at radiation/cloud/aerosol interaction and processes. The EarthCARE platform embarks, amongst others, a high-spectral resolution lidar, ATLID, for measurements of cloud and aerosol optical properties. In synergy with other instruments on-board, i.e. a cloud profiling radar and a multi-spectral imager, higher level products including cloud and aerosol type can be derived. A broad-band radiometer enables the simultaneous observation of long-wave and short-wave radiances and fluxes. Global measurements of these parameters are of great importance for NWP and climate modelling.
The mission objectives, instrument and measurement concepts, and scientific activities performed in support of these two missions shall be presented here.