The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer: Contributing to Earth Observations for over 40 Years

Abstract

AbstractThe Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR), which have been flying on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) polar-orbiting weather satellites since 1978, provide the longest global record of Earth observations from a visible–infrared imager. Experience gained through AVHRRs has been integral to the development of the new-generation sensors such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and associated data processing algorithms in the United States, as well as a similar class of sensor by space agencies around the world. Over four decades of data have been vital for studying Earth and its change. The MetOp-C satellite that was successfully launched in 2018 carries the last AVHRR. This article reviews the contributions of AVHRR in building a continuous global data record over the last 40 years on the occasion of its last launch.