Observing System

Functions of Second Generation Global Imager (SGLI) sensor

SGLI is an optical sensor for monitoring the long-term trends of aerosol-cloud interactions and for understanding the carbon cycle.
Main functions of SGLI

[ ]: Observation targets

  • 250m resolution [vegetation, phytoplankton, sea ice]
  • Along-track slant view [biomass, land cover]
  • Polarization [aerosol]
  • Long-term global observation [13 years]

Polarization observation will enhance the capability to observe land aerosols that have not been observed with sufficient accuracy in order to reduce uncertainties in estimating their cooling effects.

Also, along-track slant views will enable us to monitor long-term trends of land biomass to increase the accuracy of land vegetation production estimates.

Through the above observations, we can improve the accuracy of air temperature prediction by numerical climate models and also monitor the global forestial carbon amount.