The Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) is an international field experiment with participation from United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the USA. The three main objectives are:

• Assess the significance of aerosols for global radiative forcing,
• Assess the magnitude of the solar absorption at the surface and in the troposphere including the ITCZ cloud systems,
• Assess the role of the ITZC in the transport of trace species and pollutants and their resultant, radiative forcing.

Since 18 May 1998 Meteosat-5 has been operating at 63°E .

EUMETSAT received the request to support the INDOEX experiment by providing Meteosat imagery for the Indian Ocean area. This request was agreed by EUMETSAT's Council and the service started in 1998.

In support of this international experiment Meteosat-5 was relocated to a position of 63°E. The relocation was initiated on 14 January and finished on 18 May 1998.The operational suppport from this position started on 1 July 1998.

  Regularly updated 3-hourly image data are available on our Web server.

You can see the changing view of the earth in the images taken during Meteosat-5's drift phase.

Images taken by Meteosat-5 are disseminated directly from Meteosat-5 on channel A1 primarily as digital formats, according to the dissemination schedule S9904I01.

On the operational service at 0° Longitude, INDOEX images are disseminated as X-formats according to the dissemination schedule S9904M01. The infrared channel and the visible channel (during daytime only) are disseminated on an hourly basis, while the water vapour channel is disseminated on a 3-hourly basis.
 
 

  EUMETSAT's Data Policy for INDOEX products is explained below.

Below is a brief set of facts describing EUMETSAT's support to INDOEX:

• Meteosat-5 has been relocated to a position of  63°E.
• The re-location lasted from 14 January until 18 May 1998.
• The routine INDOEX mission started in July 1998.
• High resolution image formats are disseminated directly on channel A1.
• There are AIVH and AW formats during daylight and AIW during night.
• Some full disk WEFAX formats (ITOT) are included as well.
• PDUS reception coverage is possible from about 135°E to 4°W.
• A subset of the images taken by Meteosat-5 is disseminated as hourly X-formats (XI, XVH) via the operational service at 0°.
• Images of the water vapour channel are disseminated as 3-hourly X-formats (XW) via the operational service at 0°.
• Additionally, some reduced image formats are made available via the Internet at 3-hourly intervals.
• Due to the high orbit inclination of Meteosat-5, users may require a special PDUS set-up:
• Use of a smaller diameter antenna or
• Defocusing of the antenna feed.
• PDUS users will require two separate reception systems for direct reception of image data from 0° and 63°E simultaneously. Meteosat decryption Key Units are required for other than 6-hourly image intervals.
• Users who receive the HRI images from Meteosat-5 either directly or via the operational service at 0°, should note that these images can be easily distinguished from the other Meteosat images by checking the parameters in the identification field of the dissemination formats, i.e. the satellite identifier (bytes 1 & 2) and the longitude of the sub-satellite point (bytes 25 & 26).

Data Policy for INDOEX

Below is a brief description of EUMETSAT's Data Policy for INDOEX. In view of the short term experimental nature of this activity, this deviates from EUMETSAT's standard Data Policy.

• INDOEX real-time data are available free of charge to all users for any type of use. Access to encrypted real-time data will be subject to a licence agreement, in order to ensure the protection of EUMETSAT's Intellectual Property Rights. The necessary decryption key unit (MKU) will be provided to users at the currently applicable cost (700 EURO).
• Access to INDOEX data archived in the MARF is also free of charge. Again, access to MARF data will be subject to a simplified licence agreement, in order to ensure the protection of EUMETSAT's Intellectual Property Rights.
• The Data Policy for INDOEX will apply only for the duration of the INDOEX activity, as agreed at the 34th EUMETSAT Council, i.e. until the end of 1999.

Meteosat-5 image taken on 20 May 1998 at 8.00 UTC from its final position at: 63.0°E
 
 

EUMETSAT User Service Contact:  ops@eumetsat.de  Fax: +49 (0)6151/807-304  Tel: +49 (0)6151/807-369

Mail:  Am Kavalleriesand 31  64295 Darmstadt  Germany