Copernicus FRM4SOC-2025 Training In Above-Water Radiometry – APPLY NOW!

The Second Edition of the Copernicus FRM4SOC Training for in situ Ocean Colour Above-Water Radiometry towards Satellite Validation will be held in July 2025 in Venice and nearby Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower (AAOT) in the Adriatic Sea.

PhD students, postdocs, early career researchers, and experts of the Ocean Colour Community will gather for the second time in the frame of the FRM4SOC-2 project for a comprehensive training event on Ocean Colour In situ Above-Water Radiometric Measurements supported by the European Commission Copernicus Programme and NASA. The training will take place on
6 - 20 July 2025 on the enchanting island of San Servolo in the Venetian Lagoon in Italy and at the nearby Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower.

Overview

The training offers a unique chance to learn from top experts in Ocean Colour (OC) radiometry about the complexity of the physical processes during field measurements, evaluate the impact of several uncertainty sources, and experience a live demonstration on how to apply measurement protocols and procedures correctly in the field.

Dealing with radiometers is not an easy task. Over time, the response of field optical radiometers to light may change significantly. Also, field radiometers are calibrated in laboratory-controlled conditions, which are very different from the conditions at sea. If not properly understood and assessed, these changes and effects can jeopardise the validity of measurement results. The training will explore these as well as other challenges in collecting high-quality measurement data at sea beyond statistical assessments of measurement results, and will provide standard tools to process raw outputs from radiometers to measurement results with metrologically sound uncertainty estimates for performing satellite matchups.

Event Context

The FRM4SOC-2 project (Fiducial Reference Measurements for Satellite Ocean Colour - Phase 2) funded by the European Commission as a part of the Copernicus Programme and implemented by EUMETSAT was launched in April 2021 with the aim of developing an operational and sustained network of radiometric in situ measurements of “FRM quality” (FRM: Fiducial Reference Measurement) as defined by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites. The overarching goal of this initiative is to promote the adoption of FRM principles across the OC community towards enhancing satellite product validation and algorithm development. To achieve this goal, the project team focuses on several tasks:

Firstly, to provide practical guidelines and procedures for calibration, characterisation, use of radiometric instruments, best practice in the field, and how to derive the uncertainty budget of the acquired measurements.
Secondly, to provide tools to process radiometric field measurements with associated uncertainties and databases to store results of calibrations and field measurements.
Thirdly, to test what is being implemented, achieved by means of field inter-comparison experiments.
And finally, to broadcast the guidelines and tools to the OC community. This is mainly achieved by means of workshops and training events.

In this context, the FICE 2025 event is a summit of this project where not only training will be offered but also in the context of an inter-comparison exercise where the most rigorous requirements will be followed. Trainees will not only learn foundation principles of OC radiometry, perform test field measurements, process the measurements, and perform match-up exercises, but also will witness an intercomparison exercise performed by OC experts.

Programme

Module 1: Introductory classroom lectures in fundamentals of in situ radiometry and FRM principles.

Module 2: Hands-on measurement exercises and observing the in-field comparison at the AAOT.

Module 3: Data validation for OLCI, VIIRS, MODIS and PACE missions.

Module 4: Data analysis, lessons learned and closure.

Targeted audience

Anyone interested in the topics above with at least introductory experience in field measurements (not exclusively Ocean Colour radiometry) is welcome to apply.
Advanced or senior experts are encouraged to apply, but priority will be given to PhD students, postdocs and early career scientists.
Travel costs for plane tickets and accommodation during the event will be provided for 10 participants affiliated to institutions belonging to Copernicus-contributing countries. Additional 5 people affiliated to US institutions will be discretionally selected by NASA. Additional support to candidates from other countries may be available, but still not confirmed.

Other requisites

The training will involve visit to the AAOT for which the trainees must bring along their own sturdy shoes with no-slip soles. (Safety boots are not strictly required, but recommended.)
The trainees are required to provide proof of work insurance for fieldwork.