This dataset has been produced as part of the Theme 5 (Cryosphere and Polar Oceans) in the National Centre for Earth Observation which aims to use new EO data to quantify changes in the mass balance of the cryosphere and to develop new models to represent the relevant processes in coupled climate prediction models. This dataset holds timeseries of Greenland glacier velocity fluctuations as maps for the period March-July 2011. The 37 velocity maps were derived from SAR data acquired during the 2011 ERS-2 3-day campaign. The velocity maps are 3-day velocity averages and are given in meters per year (m/y) (magnitude values). The name of the velocity files provides the start and end date of each 3-day period. The velocity fields were transformed to map coordinates using the GLAS/ICESat 1 km Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Greenland which is provided at Polar Stereographic grids (DiMarzio, J., Brenner, A., Schutz, R., Schuman, A. & Zwally, H.J. (2007)): GLAS/ICESat 1 km laser altimetri digital elevation model of Greenland. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Centre. Digital media).

This dataset contains the fractional contributions of three phytoplankton size classes (micro-, nano- and picoplankton) over the globe for the period 1997-2007, as produced by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) using SeaWIFs data. A 10 year monthly climatology is available together with accompanying maps. This dataset was produced as part of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Theme 2 programme (Monitoring, Diagnosis and Prediction of the Global Carbon-Cycle), Quantification of ocean biogeochemistry and carbon fluxes sub-theme 6 (ST6).

This dataset contains the fractional contributions of three phytoplankton size classes (micro-, nano- and picoplankton) in monthly averages over the globe for the period 1997-2007, as produced by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) using SeaWIFs data (The dataset was produced by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory by applying the algorithm of Brewin et al. (2010) directly to monthly SeaWiFS Level 3 composites of chlorophyll on a pixel-by-pixel basis.). A 10 year monthly climatology is also available as a separate dataset. Accompanying maps are available. This dataset was produced as part of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Theme 2 programme (Monitoring, Diagnosis and Prediction of the Global Carbon-Cycle), Quantification of ocean biogeochemistry and carbon fluxes sub-theme 6 (ST6).

Theme 5 - Cryosphere and Polar Oceans - of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) is aimed at resolving uncertainties in future climate and sea-level arising from behaviour of the cryosphere. Under this theme, 5 year time series Ice thickness data used by Katharine Giles, Seymour Laxon and Andy Ridout in their paper "Circumpolar thinning of Arctic sea ice following the 2007 record ice extent minimum" (Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, L22502, doi:10.1029/2008GL035710, 2008) are presented.

This dataset has been produced as part of the Theme 5 (Cryosphere and Polar Oceans) in the National Centre for Earth Observation which aims to use new EO data to quantify changes in the mass balance of the cryosphere and to develop new models to represent the relevant processes in coupled climate prediction models. This dataset holds timeseries of Greenland glacier calving front fluctuations as maps and backscatter intensity images for the period March-July 2011. The dataset consists of 38 SAR backscatter images acquired every 3 days between the 12th March and 1st July 2011 during the ERS-2 3-day campaign. The backscatter data were transformed to map coordinates using the GLAS/ICESat 1 km Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Greenland which is provided at Polar Stereographic grids (DiMarzio, J., Brenner, A., Schutz, R., Schuman, A. & Zwally, H.J. (2007): GLAS/ICESat 1 km laser altimetri digital elevation model of Greenland. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Centre. Digital media).

This dataset contains Fire Radiative Power (FRP) data over Africa from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) data. Fires are detected by applying Roberts and Wooster's (2008) detection algorithm to SEVIRI data. FRP is estimated using the Middle InfraRed (MIR) radiance method (Wooster et al., 2003). The dataset was produced by Gareth Roberts and Martin Wooster (National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), Kings College London).

TOPography EXperiment (TOPEX) for ocean circulation (otherwise known as Poseidon) was launched on August 10, 1992 and was a joint satellite mission between NASA, the U.S. space agency, and CNES, the French space agency, to map ocean surface topography. The first major oceanographic research vessel to sail into space, TOPEX/Poseidon helped revolutionise oceanography by proving the value of satellite ocean observations. This dataset contains monthly means on a 1x1 latitude/longitude grid for 12 years (1993-2004). The data contains the following parameters: wind speed, squared wind speed, cubed wind speed, wind speed * significant wave height, significant wave height, 1/sigma0(Ku) and gas transfer velocity. TOPEX/Poseidon was a joint mission from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. space agency and the French space agency. The dataset was produced by Fangohr, S. and D.K. Woolf of SOCS, as part of the NERC programme's Centre for observation of Air-Sea Interactions and FluXes (CASIX) and National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO).

This dataset collection contains a 10 year monthly climatology and monthly composites of the fractional contributions of three phytoplankton size classes (micro-, nano- and picoplankton) over the globe for the period Sep 1997-2007, as produced by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) using SeaWIFs data. Accompanying maps are also available. This dataset contributes to fulfilling the first objective of the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Theme 2 programme (Monitoring, Diagnosis and Prediction of the Global Carbon-Cycle), Quantification of ocean biogeochemistry and carbon fluxes sub-theme 6 (ST6): Quantify the global oceanic organic C cycle using OC data, partitioned into phytoplankton (pigments, biomass, size structure & PFTs), particulate organic C, coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM), dissolved and particulate inorganic components. Understanding the interaction between phytoplankton and the in-water light field is crucial to model ocean primary production and to improve our comprehension of the role of biological processes in the ocean–carbon cycle. The absorption coefficient of phytoplankton is a fundamental quantity in marine primary production models because: - it alters the transmission of light underwater; - it modifies the photosynthetic response of phytoplankton to available light; - it can be used as a direct indicator of phytoplankton abundance and phytoplankton size; - it can be used as an indicator of environmental variability It is well known that the phytoplankton absorption coefficient is a function of the dominant phytoplankton pigment, chlorophyll-a, and that this relationship is directly linked to changes in both pigment composition and size structure.

The National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) has a proud tradition of being involved with some of the most successful international collaborations in the Earth observation. This Collection contains dataset generated and/or archived with the support of NCEO resource or scientific expertise. Some notable collaboration which generated data within this collection are as follows: The European Space Agency (ESA)'s Climate Change Initiative (CCI) program. The program goal is to provide stable, long-term, satellite-based Essential Climate Variable (ECV) data products for climate modelers and researchers. The EUSTACE (EU Surface Temperature for All Corners of Earth) project is produced publicly available daily estimates of surface air temperature since 1850 across the globe for the first time by combining surface and satellite data using novel statistical techniques. FIDUCEO has created new climate datasets from Earth Observations with a rigorous treatment of uncertainty informed by the discipline of metrology. This response to the need for enhanced credibility for climate data, to support rigorous science, decision-making and climate services. The project approach was to develop methodologies for generating Fundamental Climate Data Records (FCDRs) and Climate Data Records (CDRs) that are widely applicable and metrologically rigorous. The “BACI” project translates satellite data streams into novel “essential biodiversity variables” by integrating ground-based observations. The trans-disciplinary project offers new insights into the functioning and state of ecosystems and biodiversity. BACI enables the user community to detect abrupt and transient changes of ecosystems and quantify the implications for regional biodiversity. The UK Natural Environment Research Council has established a knowledge transfer network called NCAVEO (Network for Calibration and Validation of EO data - NCAVEO) which has as its aim the promotion and support of methodologies based upon quantitative, traceable measurements in Earth observation. The Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget 1 & 2 instruments (GERB-1 and GERB-2) make accurate measurements of the Earth Radiation Budget. They are specifically designed to be mounted on a geostationary satellite and are carried onboard the Meteosat Second Generation satellites operated by EUMETSAT. They were produced by a European consortium led by the UK (NERC) together with Belgium, Italy, and EUMETSAT, with funding from national agencies. GloboLakes analysed 20 years of data from more than 1000 large lakes across the globe to determine 'what controls the differential sensitivity of lakes to environmental perturbation'. This was an ambitious project that was only possible by bringing together a consortium of scientists with complementary skills. These include expertise in remote sensing of freshwaters and processing large volumes of satellite images, collation and analysis of large-scale environmental data, environmental statistics and the assessment of data uncertainty, freshwater ecology and mechanisms of environmental change and the ability to produce lake models to forecast future lake conditions. This SPEI collaboration consists of high spatial resolution Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) drought dataset over the whole of Africa at different time scales from 1 month to 48 months. It is calculated based on precipitation estimates from the satellite-based Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) and potential evaporation estimates by the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM).

The National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) Third Party data contains a broad range remotely sensed data acquired by satellite for use by the Earth Observation Scientific community supported by NCEO. The Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA) has archived and provides access to extensive Earth observation datasets under strict licensing conditions. Please see the individual dataset records for conditions of use.