From data to Envisat "products"
Envisat products
The billions of data bits recorded and transmitted to Earth by Envisat are all processed by groups of scientific experts, in order to transform them into results. The "products" thus derived are then distributed to thousands of scientists, engineers, civil servants, elected officials, industrialists and economists.
Mitigating natural disasters and monitoring complex activities throughout the world
Envisat plays an essential role in predicting natural disasters. The satellite can measure displacements on the Earth as small as a few centimetres, better than measurements made on the ground. As a result, forecasting of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes has slowly become a reality.
Consequently, risk-evaluation experts can use these observations to identify a zone where the land is beginning to subside, and can indicate buildings in danger of catastrophic collapse.
Envisat is also an efficient tool for monitoring polluting industrial activities. For example, the coast guard can detect oil spills from a ship which is illegally flushing its tanks at night.
Oil slicks seeping from the wreck of the Prestige off the Galician coast on the north-western tip of Spain. This image was acquired by the ASAR instrument on Envisat. Crédits : ESA
Obtaining detailed weather forecasts
Elida hurricane on 25 July 2002 near mexican coasts. Crédits : ESA 2002
Climate change is a complex phenomenon. Catastrophic floods, major storms, avalanches or landslides have threatened thousands of people in Europe in recent years.
Envisat enables climatologists to obtain complete climate information and the causes of meteorological events, so that they can study the interactions between clouds, rain, and the sea surface with unparalleled precision. Envisat can also measure the quantity of UV radiation from the Sun, which is dangerous for skiers and sunbathers.
A monitoring tool to aid decisions and policy making
Phytoplankton bloom (turquoise) observed by Envisat’s MERIS instrument. Crédits : ESA 2002
Envisat provides factual data. The satellite can produce a complete map of the planet in three days, and thus respond to controversial scientific questions. For example, Envisat can measure changes in the amount of plankton in the world's oceans, making it possible to determine the biological productivity of the oceans and to establish fishing quotas.
