6 – 17 May 2024
CNR-ISMAR, Venice and nearby Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT), Italy
 

Thirty-one participants were trained in the principles of above water radiometry, derivation of uncertainty budgets, and protocols for matchup analysis with satellite data. They explored the challenges of collecting high-quality measurement data at sea beyond statistical assessments of measurement results. Over time, the response of field optical radiometers to light may change significantly. Additionally, these field radiometers are calibrated in laboratory-controlled conditions, which are very different from the conditions at sea. If not properly understood and assessed, these concerns can jeopardise the validity of measurement results.
The course included field work at the Acqua-Alta Oceanographic Tower, processing of data collected with the HyperCP community processor, tutorials on the use of Sentinel-3 data, and matchup analysis with the ThoMaS toolkit. Participants were successful in processing the data they collected from the tower, as well as data they brought from their own field campaigns. They had the opportunity to elearn from experts from the FRM4SOC project about their future plans for in situ data collection, and were encouraged to continue to collaborate with the network established during the training.

The training provided a unique opportunity to learn from top experts in the field such as Giuseppe Zibordi (EOSCience), Dirk Aurin (NASA), Juan Ignacio Gossn (EUMETSAT), Hayley Evers-King (EUMETSAT), Agnieszka Bialek (NPL), Vittorio Brando (CNR), Krista Alikas (University of Tartu) and Ilmar Ansko (University of Tartu).

 

Workshop agenda

All times are in CEST / UTC+2

Day 1 (06.05.2024)

Block 1: Introduction to the course and above-water radiometry (Instituto di Scienze Marine)

9:30–10:00 Welcome to the course (V. Brando, H. Evers-King, J. Gossn)
10:00–10:30 Tour-de-table of trainers (all)
10:30–11:00 Tour-de-table of attendees (all)

11:00–11:45 Coffee Break

11:45-12:45 Tour-de-table of attendees (all)
12:45-13:00 Logistics at ISMAR, health and safety at ISMAR and AAOT (A. Pomaro)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:30 Introduction to above-water radiometry: Optical systems and theory (G. Zibordi)

15:30–16:00 Coffee Break

16:00–17:30 Measurement procedures, including Quality Assurance processes. Short summary of activities at the AAOT. (G.Zibordi)
17:30–18:00 Set-up instructions for block 2 (H. Evers-Kind, J. Gossn)
18:00–18:30 Overview of scientific activities at AAOT. Short introduction on the instruments measuring continuously on the AAOT tower. (A. Pomaro)
 

Day 2 (07.05.2024)

9:00–10:15 What are Fiducial Reference Measurements? The relevance of laboratory and field intercomparisons. Overview of the FRM4SOC and pre-existing lab/field intercomparisons. (I. Ansko, A. Bialek)
10:15–10:45 The relevance of calibrations and characterisations (I. Ansko)

10:45–11:15 Coffee break

11:15–12:00 Absolute radiometric calibration of field radiometers (I. Ansko, A. Bialek)
12:00–13:00 Characterization of field radiometers (I. Ansko, A. Bialek)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:00 Characterization of field radiometers (I. Ansko, A. Bialek)
15:00–15:30 Introduction to Hyper CP (D. Aurin)

15:30–16:00 Coffee Break

16:30–18:00 Introduction to Hyper CP (D. Aurin)
 

Day 3 (08.05.2024)

Block 2: Hands-on fieldwork training (Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower)

9:00–10:30 HyperCP (D. Aurin, H. Evers-King)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–13:00 HyperCP (D. Aurin, H. Evers-King)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:30 HyperCP (H. Evers-King, D. Aurin)

15:30–16:00 Coffee Break

16:00–18:00 HyperCP (H. Evers-King, D. Aurin)
 

Day 4 (09.05.2024)

Block 1: Introduction to the course and above-water radiometry (Instituto di Scienze Marine)

9:00–10:30 Measurement procedures: Demo with TriOS (V. Brando, I. Ansko, K. Alikas)  

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–13:00 Demo: Export data acquired in front of ISMAR to .mlb (K. Alikas, D. Aurin)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:00 Introduction to ThoMaS (J. Gossn)

15:00–15:30 Coffee break

15:30–17:30 Test: Thomas with embedded examples (students)
 

Day 5 (10.05.2024)

Block 3: After fieldwork: preliminary results, lessons learned and closure at ISMAR (Venice)

9:00–10:30 GUM general metrological framework (A. Bialek)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–11:30 GUM general metrological framework (A. Bialek)
11:30–13:00 Uncertainties, with a practical view to their quantification (G. Zibordi)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:00 Submission of HyperCP outputs to OCDB and SeaBASS (J. Gossn, H. Evers-King, D. Aurin)
15:00–16:00 ZPLee guest lecture (ZPLee)

16:00–16:30 Coffee break

16:30–17:30 Application of field data to the assessment of satellite data products. Comparing performance metrics with different matchup protocols (V. Brando)
 

Day 6 (11.05.2024) Day Off

Day 7 (12.05.2024) Shift 2 to Tower
 

Day 8 (13.05.2024)

Block 2: Hands-on fieldwork training (Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower)

9:00–10:30 HyperCP (D. Aurin, J. Gossn)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–13:00 HyperCP (D. Aurin, J. Gossn)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–15:30 HyperCP (D. Aurin, J. Gossn)

15:30–16:00 Coffee Break

16:00–18:00 HyperCP (D. Aurin, J. Gossn)
 

Day 9 (14.05.2024)

9:00–10:00 Group work (D. Aurin)

10:00–10:30 Coffee break

10:30–13:00 Group work (H. Evers-King, J. Gossn)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–17:00 Group work (J. Gossn, H. Evers-King)
 

Day 10 (15.05.2024)

Block 3: After fieldwork: preliminary results, lessons learned and closure at ISMAR (Venice)

9:00–10:30 OCDB submission and SeaBass (D. Aurin, J. Gossn)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–13:00 Group work - data processing (H. Evers-King, D. Aurin)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–14:30 Data characterisation (I. Ansko)
14:30–15:00 Uncertainty analysis in HyperCP (A. Bialek)

15:00–15:30 Coffee break

15:30–16:00 Radiometric measurements in the Baltic Sea (S. Kratzer)
16:00–16:30 Installation of the Chesapeake Bay Tower WATERHYPERNET Station (K. Turpie)
16:30–17:00 Evaluating SeaHawk Ocean Color CubeSat Measurements: challenges, opportunities and lessons learned (S. Rivero)
17:00–17:30 Fiducial Reference Measurements in the Eastern Mediterranean for the Validation and Calibration of Satellite Ocean Colour (A. Banks)


Day 11 (16.05.2024)

9:00–9:30 Review of HyperCP exercises (D. Aurin)
9:30–10:30 AERONET-OC data in terms of operational use. Sky Blocking Approach. (G. Zibordi)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–11:30 Application of field data to quantify uncertainties in satellite data products (G. Zibordi)
11:30–12:00 Experiences at the NIOZ jetty and overview of the 3C model to determine Rrs from above-water radiometric hyperspectral measurements performed during sub-optimal conditions (J. Pitarch)
12:00–13:00 Automated above water hyperspectral radiometry at Acqua Alta: review of recent results and perspectives (V. Brando)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

14:00–14:30 Panel session: final questions by trainees on their setups/ measurements (G. Zibordi, D. Aurin, V. Brando)

14:30–15:00 Coffee break

15:00–15:30 Group work (students)
 

Day 12 (17.05.2024)

9:00–10:30 Presentation of results from the groups (all)

10:30–11:00 Coffee break

11:00–12:30 Presentation of results from the groups (all)
12:30–12:45 Debrief of the field experience and challenges faced. Feedback survey (all)
12:45–13:00 Conclusions and farewell (V. Brando, J. Gossn, H. Evers-King)

13:00–14:00 Lunch

End of training

 

The Executive Committee of the Copernicus FRM4SOC-2024 training
Dr. Vittorio Brando - Institute of Marine Science (ISMAR, CNR), Italy
Dr. Riho Vendt - Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Estonia
Dr. Juan Ignacio Gossn - EUMETSAT - European Agency for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
Dr. Ewa Kwiatkowska - EUMETSAT - European Agency for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites

 

Many thanks to the main organiser of the training, CNR-ISMAR, and to all the lecturers for their great commitment and contribution to the success of this course.