Weekly outline

  • Welcome to the Training Workshop "Using the Copernicus Marine Data Stream for Ocean Applications"

    This 5 day, online phase of this training course will introduce you to the Copernicus Marine Data Stream from EUMETSAT, providing you with the background knowledge of the Copernicus programme, satellites and instrumentation, data access and formats, tools and software, necessary to begin working with this data for marine applications. 

    The aims of this training course (both online and classroom phases) are to help you:

    • Learn what data and products the Copernicus Marine Data Stream provides (variables, timeliness, resolution, data formats);
    • Select from the Copernicus Marine Data Stream appropriate products for specific tasks;
    • Access/download data and products provided in the Copernicus Marine Data Stream (CODA, EUMETSAT Data archive, EUMETCast);
    • Investigate the potential of Copernicus Marine Data for your own applications, using SNAP and /or scripting languages (we will provide scripts in Python, but you are welcome to use other languages during the classroom phase). 

    This online phase of the training will consist of 14 topic areas, containing essential overview material to read/watch, further optional material which you may choose to look at depending on your own interests, short quizzes, and activities such as downloading and installing software, and trying to access data. The final topic will focus on preparation for the classroom phase, where we will ask you to propose a short project that you would like to work on using the CMDS. For those without specific applications in mind, we will also provide some ideas for projects you can work on, to learn more about the data and it's applications.

    Announcements about the course will be displayed below, and you will also be notified of these by email.

    Please take some time to look through the logistics information below which will provide useful information on how to make sure you complete the online phase, and are suitably prepared for the classroom phase that will follow.

    You are invited to use the discussion forum below to introduce yourself and share with us your expectations for this course (what you are hoping to learn/use the CMDS data for).

    There will be further discussion forums associated with the different topics and you are invited to post your comments and questions. The training team will be glad to answer your questions as best as we can during the course. As new users of the Copernicus data, this is also a great opportunity for us to get feedback from you about the data, access to it, and how we can improve these services to help you to best use the Copernicus marine data for your applications. 

    We hope you enjoy learning about the Copernicus Marine Data Stream, and look forward to working with you in person soon in Lisbon! 

     

  • 2. EUMETSAT and the Copernicus Marine Data Stream (CMDS)

    This topic provides overview material on the Copernicus programme, on EUMETSAT's role within Copernicus and on EUMETSAT's Copernicus Marine Data Stream (CMDS).

  • 3. Principles of measuring the oceans from space

    Within this topic, we will cover three key types of measurement that are made by the satellites that monitor the oceans, and in particular form the basis of data and derived products you will find in the Copernicus Marine Data Service:

    1. Sea surface temperature
    2. Ocean colour
    3. Altimetry

  • 4. Sentinel-3: historical context and instrument overview

    The Sentinel-3 constellation contains the primary satellites within the Copernicus programme for providing data on the oceans. The Sentinel-3A and B spacecraft are operated by EUMETSAT, and the instruments onboard provide the data that forms the Copernicus Marine Data Stream. In this topic you will find information about the historical context of these satellites, and the instruments on board. 

  • 5. Data processing and file formats

    Within this topic we will look at the format of the Sentinel-3 marine data files, and the processing that takes place to get this data from the measurements made by the satellite instrumentation down to a usable product. 

    Please begin by watching the videos below as an introduction to the data products available from the CMDS for each of the main instrument packages.

    • Overview of ocean colour products from CMDS: to access the video, please use the password 'copernicus'.

    • Move Administration block

      Overview of sea surface temperature products from CMDS: please enter the password "copernicus" to view the video.

    • Data processing and file formats Book

      Within this book you will find two chapters. The first covers the processing that takes place to generate the data that is ultimately received by users of the CMDS. The second chapter goes in to the format of these data files, and the information that can be extracted from them.

  • 6. Accessing EUMETSAT's Copernicus Marine Data Stream

    Within this topic we will introduce you to several ways you can access the Sentinel-3 data available through the CMDS. Which method you choose will depend on a number of factors including:

    • The type of data you need (quick look images, netcdf files, what resolution and at what level of timeliness)
    • How regularly you need this data (for an individual application, or more regularly?)
    • The facilities you have available (do you have sufficient internet capacity to download the data?)

    EUMETView

    eumetview.eumetsat.int

    Get a quick look at recent coverage from the Sentinel 3 instruments, download image files, and make animations.
     

    CODA

    coda.eumetsat.int

    Download service offers all the recently acquired Sentinel-3 marine and atmospheric products through a rolling dataset that (at a maximum) spans 12 months.

    CODA User Manual

    A separate instance of CODA exists for reprocessed data at codarep.eumetsat.int
     

    Data Centre   Long-Term Archive

    archive.eumetsat.int

    Ordering application that enables users to browse and select products, from EUMETSAT’s long-term archive, including the Copernicus Sentinel-3 marine and atmospheric products.
     

    EUMETCAST

    EUMETCast is a multi-service push dissemination system based on multicast technology. The multicast stream is transported to the user via satellite or terrestrial networks. 

     WEkEO

    WEkEO is one of the Copernicus Data Information and Access Services (DIAS), and is coordinated by EUMETSAT, ECMWF and Mercator Ocean. It is currently open for beta testing. You can find out more information here: https://www.wekeo.eu/

  • 7. Software and tools for working with marine satellite data

    Working with marine satellite data often involves using large numbers of (often) individually large data files, of varying formats. The applications for this data are also broad, and range from exploratory, research led purposes, to routine and operational analysis for more commercial applications. As such, there are many different tools available to work with marine satellite data. Here we provide a (non-exhaustive) list and discussion of some of the more commonly used tools by the marine remote sensing community. Choosing which tool to use will be very dependent on the type of application you are working on. Key things you should consider include:

    • Do you know explicitly what you want to do with the data? Or do you want to explore and investigate?

    • Do you need to repeat your application regularly?

    • Do you need to be able to share the processes you go through with others? If so, what is their experience?

    Below you can complete some basic tutorials using software developed specifically to work with the sort of data available through the CMDS. 

    You can also read about other types of software available, the programming languages commonly used across the remote sensing community, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these.

    To complete this section you should read all content, complete the tutorials with the data you downloaded in the previous section, install python and/or post about your choice of programming language. 

     

    • SNAP installation Page

      This guide will help you install the SNAP software for working with OLCI and SLSTR data.

    • SNAP tutorial Page

      This tutorial will give you a basic overview of using the SNAP software to work with Sentinel-3 data from the OLCI and SLSTR instruments (we will cover altimetry data and SRAL using Python, but you can also look in to the BRAT software should you wish). This is by no means an exhaustive tutorial. We encourage you to explore the software during the online phase of the course, and there will be further time to discuss SNAP in more detail during the classroom phase. You can ask questions/share useful tools you are working with in the discussion forum attached to this part of the course. We would also recommend signing up to the STEP user forum, where you can find much more information about SNAP and ask questions to both other users and the developers of the software. Further tutorials on some SNAP functionalities are available here.

    • Discussion of SNAP installation Forum

      Please make a new discussion post below to confirm you have installed this piece of software. If you have had problems, please post details of these, and we will assist you. 

    • Programming languages Page

      Discussion about the different programming languages used within the marine remote sensing community, and their advantages and disadvantages.

    • Python installation Page

      This book will guide you through the installation process for Python, as well as give you some ideas for the sorts of ways Python can be used to work with Sentinel-3 data.

      You may choose to not install Python if you wish to work in a different language during the classroom phase of this training. However, we will only be providing example scripts in Python.

      We would recommend installing the anaconda distribution of python 3.7, as this is the version we have used to develop training material. Please note the additional packages that need to be installed.

    • Discussion of Python installation Forum

      Please make a new discussion post below to confirm you have installed python/or that you would like to use a different language independently (let us know which!) during the classroom phase of this training. If you have had problems, please post details of these, and we will assist you. 

  • 8. Mini projects for the classroom phase

    During the classroom phase of this training course, you will be given to opportunity to work with data from the CMDS in ways aligned with your own research interests and planned future uses of the data. Members of the EUMETSAT training team will be present to help with questions about the data and software, and provide feedback for you. 

    We would like you to suggest a small project that you would like to work on during these few days. At the end of the course you will be asked to present a short summary on what you have done, your experiences working with the data and future plans. You are free to work together with other participants if this suits you. We have provided some ideas below for those of you who are new to the use of marine satellite data.

    To complete this section, please post in the discussion forum below about your ideas for a mini project. You should state: your region and topic of interest, and the particular type(s) of data you would like to work with from the CMDS.

  • Conclusion

    • Quiz on online content

      Please complete this quiz to make sure you have covered all the key points within the topics of the course.

  • The Classroom phase

    • Links to resources Page

      Below are links to a google drive folder containing example resources for use in the classroom phase.