The Image Processing Facility for METEOSAT Second Generation

The first METEOSAT Second Generation satellite will come into service in 2001. It will acquire image data in 12 spectral channels with a total data volume of 265 Mbytes every 15 minutes. These data are received, processed, and distributed by the EUMETSAT Ground Segment in real-time. The Ground Segment architecture is composed of blocks of grouped functionality called facilities. The Image Processing Facility (IMPF) provides the functionality for radiometric and geometrical corrections of the SEVIRI raw data from the MSG satellite. It receives three independent data streams from the Primary Ground Station (PGS): SEVIRI raw data (Level 1.0), telemetry data, and GERB raw data. This paper describes the architecture of the Image Processing Facility and presents an overview of the main processing steps necessary to transform Level 1.0 into Level 1.5 data. The latter is a rectified multi-channel MSG image in the standard geo-stationary projection, which is then distributed to other facilities: the Unified Meteorological Archiving and Retrieval Facility (UMARF) for archiving, the Meteorological Product Extraction Facility (MPEF) as the basis of meteorological product generation, and the Data Acquisition and Dissemination Facility (DADF) for distribution to world wider users. In addition to the Level 1.0 to Level 1.5 transformation, the paper describes several support functions that are an essential part of the IMPF, e.g. radiometric and geometric quality assessment.