SPIRIT and the GIIPSY International Polar Year Program Eric Thouvenot Direction for Strategy and Programs – CNES
IPY : a Legacy perspective
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IPY provided an international framework for acquiring coordinated spaceborne observations of the polar regions.
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IPY-era satellite capabilities represented a technological leap far beyond the capabilities of the IGY.
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Spaceborne technology offers unique capabilities for obtaining essential data for predictive models.
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IPY spaceborne observations complement, and can serve as a prototype for larger international ventures such as IGOS, GEO…
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The confluence of international science programs, technical capabilities and the IPY presented a once-in-alife-time opportunity for gathering data essential for understanding changing polar climate and its global impact. SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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Space Observations in the context of IPY
■ The polar regions are symbolic, providing demonstrable evidence of climate change High-lat. climate change has a broad range of physical, biogeochemical, and socio-economic impacts impacts lie at heart of the scientific basis and justification for polarorbiting satellites
■ IPY provided a unique opportunity to Space Agencies: already federates over 60 nations in high-latitude research Comprehensively planned in-situ, airborne and satellite-borne experiments
■ No better opportunity to establish framework for delivering a coordinated satellite legacy dataset All-time peak in terms of number of relevant polar-orbiters
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Observation from space : a unique perspective
April 2005 Ross Sea
B-15A ice berg
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Antarctica: Antarctica: Collision Collision of of B-15A B-15A iceberg iceberg with with Drygalski Drygalski ice ice tongue tongue SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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Observing the Polar Regions: Science Drivers
Understand the polar ice sheets sufficiently to predict their contribution to global sea level rise Understand sea ice sufficiently to predict its response to and influence on global climate change and biological processes Measure how much water is stored as seasonal snow and its variability. Understand glaciers and ice caps in the context of hydrologic and biologic systems and their contributions to global sea level rise. Understand the interactions between the changing polar atmosphere and the changes in sea ice, glacial ice, snow extent, and surface melting. Understand the spatial distribution of permafrost, its interactions with other systems or processes, and predict its response to climate change. Improve understanding, observing and modeling capabilities of lake and river ice and its influence on energy, water and biochemical cycling, and aquatic ecosystems.
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Global Inter-agency IPY Polar Snapshot Year & Space Task Group of IPY
■ GIIPSY was established in November 2005 (leader : Kenneth JEZEK, BPRC-OSU) => Goal : establish polar science requirements and objectives for IPY that could best and perhaps only be met using the Earth-observing satellites ■ IPY Space Task Group was created in 2006 for space agency coordination, planning, processing, and archiving of IPY Earth observation legacy data sets. => It facilitated the link between the GIIPSY science community and the international space agencies GIIPSY & IPY-STG Strategy : • Use the full international constellation of remote sensing satellites to acquire spaceborne ‘snapshots’ of processes in the Arctic and Antarctic. • Use these snapshots as gauges for comparing past and future environmental changes in the polar ice, ocean and land. • In the spirit of the IGY, secure these data sets as our legacy to the next generations of polar scientists. • Establish technical and programmatic infrastructure for sustaining international observations beyond IPY. SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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Science requirements: ~ 250 labellized IPY projects
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From Science requirements to Observation Strategy: a coordinated approach
■ Specify data requirements from science requirements (main contributors : IPY-SCOBS, GIIPSY, IGOS-Cryosphere) and scientific AOs (e.g. from IPY, ESA, NASA, …) ■ Identify requirements satisfied through the routine operations of EO satellites ■ For routine observations, work with flight agencies to assure that data are available/archived in standardized fashion ■ Identify requirements that can only be satisfied by non-routine tasking, processing and distribution (eg SAR, InSAR, high resolution optical). ■ Work with the flight agencies to acquire non-routine data so as to distribute the operational load. ■ Following selection of projects through the national A.O.’s, identify whether any legacy data sets are absent from the acquisition plans. GIIPSY :Global Inter-agency IPY Polar Snapshot Year SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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Accomplishing the IPY Snapshot : EO systems SSMI
SMOS
METOP
Aqua & Terra
DMSP
AMSR-E
MODIS / ASTER
GRACE ASCAT
ERS-2
AVHRR
ADM-Aeolus
Envisat RADARSAT
IceSat
ASAR MERIS / A-ATSR
SPOT-4&5
GOCE
ALOS HRVIR / VGT/HRS
PALSAR PRISM / AVNIR-2
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Use of CNES satellites during IPY ■ Current satellites have applications on polar areas (SPOT series, VGT/SPOT, ODIN, JASON-1 & 2, CALIPSO, PARASOL,…) ■ Future satellites : AltiKa/SARAL : Ka-band altimeter on SSO; cooperation with ISRO (2010/11) Pleiades HR satellite (2009/2010)
■ …not forgetting CNES contribution to ESA programmes: SMOS, Cryosat-2, … ■ Additionally, dedicated acquisitions of SPOT satellites will be programmed during IPY : high-resolution imagery on dedicated areas
large program with SPOT5/HRS instrument : SPIRIT
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Time series of observations with optical satellites
■ Sensors/satellites used by CNES for IPY : VGT1/SPOT4 Formosat2 (cooperation with Spot Image & NSPO) HRS/SPOT5 (cooperation with Spot Image, LEGOS & IGN)
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VGT1 Programming New Programming for the International Polar Year since April 2007 The goal was to realize 2 syntheses a year for each pole, without any cloud The program was 2 years long Stopped in April, 2009
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Example : changes in North Pole (melting and floating) during June 2007
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Example : decadal synthesis in Antarctica (3 decades of January + first decade of February, 2008)
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Formosat2
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Example : Kronebreen Glacier (Svalbard) displacement from march to may, 2007
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HRS/SPOT5
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SPIRIT (SPOT 5 stereoscopic survey of Polar Ice: Reference Images and Topographies)
■ Goal : obtain an archive of stereo imagery in order to have DEM capabilities : at a given time, for use as an absolute reference for climatic change applications (margins, glaciers,…) choice of a DEM resolution of typ. 15 to 30m with an absolute height accuracy of ~1 to 10m (without any tie point) validation activities from 2004 to 2006
■ CNES funded the full archiving process (acquisition of data, quick-looks, catalog), in cooperation with SPOT IMAGE and IGN ■ CNES funded DEM production on selected, prioritary areas; after processing, DEMs were accessible free of charge to the worldwide scientific community
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Principal Investigator Project funding
The SPIRIT International Polar Year Project
Project manager
DTM production
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HRS 2004-2006 validation program on Antarctica Peninsula & Alaska: Mosaic activities on Antarctica
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HRS 2004-2006 validation program on Antarctica Peninsula & Alaska: Example of application on glacier short term displacements
•Acquisitions : January 3rd & February 3rd, 2006 •Measured displacements : - zone#1: 14.9 +/- 0.7 m - zone#2: 31.0 +/- 1.4 m - zone#3: 9.0 +/- 1.7 m
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SPIRIT areas of interest : Northern hemisphere
Top Priority Important
SPOT 5 acquisition limit 81.15° North
Standard SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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SPIRIT areas of interest : Southern hemisphere
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Arctic campaign closed Areas selected : 780 200 km² Achieved coverage : 71.9% 561 200 km²
Antarctic campaign closed Areas selected : 2 624 000 km² Achieved coverage : 73.9% 1 939 000 km² SPIRIT Workshop, Toulouse, 29-30 April 2010
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SPIRIT final Northern Hemisphere Coverage
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SPIRIT Southern Hemisphere Coverage
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Conclusions
■ International Polar Year was a great opportunity to coordinate space observations of polar regions ■ SPIRIT allowed to provide the most extensive, high precision DEMs of polar ice caps and the margins of the polar ice sheets yet acquired ■ There are also actions dedicated: To continue this coordinated effort beyond IPY To extend this scheme to wider Earth Observation international programs
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Thank you for your attention
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