Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) Data Policy

11 November, 2008
Revision A on 16 April, 2009
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
National Institute for Environmental Studies
Ministry of the Environment of Japan

I. Purpose
1. This document defines terms and conditions (GOSAT Data Policy) for GOSAT data providing
agencies and users, in accordance with the agreement concerning the development andutilization of the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) sensor (1st August, 2005).

II. Background
2. The GOSAT data will be distributed on the “non-discriminatory” basis as provided for in thePrinciples Relating to Remote Sensing of the Earth from Space issued by the United Nations

3. The GOSAT data will be processed in a prompt manner with the help from inside and outside
Japan and will be provided at large, thereby promoting the use of the GOSAT data (asmentioned by the three organizations at the Space Activities Commission’s second task force
meeting held on 17th August, 2004.)

4. The GOSAT Data Policy refers to how to utilize the GOSAT data to be obtained after thelaunch, with a view to the evolution of research and development into the future, whilemaintaining the balance between international cooperation and national interests,.
(Raised as one of the points to be noted in the evaluation of the Project at the 60th gathering ofthe Council for Science and Technology Policy held on 27th October, 2006.)

5. The GOSAT Data Policy takes into consideration the following missions of Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (hereinafter referred to as “JAXA”), National Institute for Environmental
Studies (NIES), and Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOE) (hereafter collectively called
as the “Three Parties”), to the maximum extent possible.
(1) JAXA, as a space agency, promotes the use of the GOSAT data inside and outside of Japanby providing all GOSAT data users with the data in a substantial quantity in a promptmanner, for best results of the Project.
(2) NIES, as an institute for the sciences, promotes the use of the GOSAT data especially inscientific fields by distributing reliable data products to the users upon carefully evaluating
the data quality, for best results of the Project.

1(3) MOE will use the GOSAT data in its environmental administration through the data use
inside and outside of Japan for scientific purposes and consequently the minimizing ofuncertainties with respect to global warming, while maintaining the balance between
international cooperation and national interests.

III. GOSAT Data Policy
6. Purpose of data use
The purposes of using the GOSAT data are categorized as follows:(1) [Purpose] Development of Earth observing systems and Earth science researches(non-commercial purposes)(i) Technical development
Upgrading of evaluation and analysis techniques concerning Earth observing satellites andspace-borne sensors and contribution of outcomes to next-generation Earth observing
satellites and ground systems.
(ii) Research on and demonstration of exploitation of the data
Research on and demonstration of exploitation of the data in the Earth environmental study
fields.
(iii) Research on Earth science, etc.
Research which will contribute to the development of Earth science and to the solution to
global environmental issues, by clarifying Earth environment change mechanisms, etc.
(iv) Other purposes that are relevant to the activities of JAXA, NIES, and MOE
Use of the data in a way that will contribute to the public relations and the enlightenment ofthe activities of the Three Parties, and to the educational activities by the Third Parties,etc.

(2) [Purpose] Other purposes than those described in (1) above (commercial purposes)

7. Policies on when to start the distribution(1) The data distribution to all users will start immediately after the completion of thecalibration and validation work.
(2) The data will be provided with priority to internal users, research investigators or researchorganizations approved in research announcements (RA users), the members of the Science
Team, and Alliance Organizations, which are collaborating in the aspects of sensor
development, scientific research, data processing, and necessary data distribution, earlier
than the other users, in cases where such data distribution is necessary for data processing
tasks in terms of calibration, validation, etc. and where such data distribution contributes tothe development of the GOSAT sensor or the research on utilization of the GOSAT data.

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8. How to distribute the GOSAT data
Data users shall conclude an arrangement with JAXA or NIES in the forms of agreement,contract, agreeing to the terms and conditions online, etc. before receiving data products on line,in principle, in accordance with the stipulations set forth in Article 14 hereunder.
When a large number of data products are to be provided, there will be a possibility that JAXAor NIES may provide the data through a private data distributer selected by JAXA or NIES.

9. Types and definitions of GOSAT data
Table 1 lists the types of GOSAT data products to be distributed by JAXA and NIES.

There

are several “Levels” of GOSAT data in accordance with data processing steps: Level 1 products
are data representing physical quantities converted from the voltage and current values
measured by the sensor; Level 2 products are processed from Level 1 products and show
column abundances of greenhouse gases; Level 3 products are data on the global distribution ofcolumn abundances obtained by applying a statistical processing to Level 2 products taken overa certain period of time; and Level 4 products provide greenhouse gas fluxes assessed based on
Level 2 products.
All GOSAT data products at these different levels are classified into three product categories:
standard, research and internal products. Each category is described and defined as follows:(i) Standard productsStandard products are calibrated, validated, and compared(*1), and are to be distributed toall users.

The Three Parties guarantee the accuracy of these products.

(*1 )“Comparison” here means that the adequacy of Level 3 and 4 products is confirmed byan equivalent means to the validation of Level 2 products.
(ii) Research products
Research products are to be distributed to a limited community of users for research on
calibration, validation, data processing algorithms and data utilization, and other scientificresearches. The Three Parties are not required to carry out validation or comparison or toguarantee the accuracy of these products.
(iii) Internal productsInternal products are to be provided to limited research investigators and researchorganizations that collaborate with the Three Parties with respect to calibration or research
on FTS’s L1 processing algorithms, solely for the purpose of carrying out such activities.

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Table 1 List of GOSAT data products
Processinglevel
L1A
L1B
L1B+

L2

Sensor/band

Product Name

CategoryUnit
FTS sceneFTS

FTS L1A data

InternalCAICAI L1A data

InternalCAI scene

FTS

FTS L1B data

Standard

FTS sceneCAI

CAI L1B data

Standard

CAICAI L1B+ data

Standard

L2 CO2 column amount (SWIR)FTS SWIR L2 CH4 column amount (SWIR)

Standard

L2 H2O column amount (SWIR)

Research

L2 CO2 profile (TIR)Standard

FTS TIRCAIFTS SWIRFTS TIR
L3CAI

L4A

-

L4B

-

CAI frameStandard

L2 CH4 profie (TIR)Standard

L2 CO2 column amount (TIR)

Research

L2 CH4 column amount (TIR)

Research

L2 temperature profile (TIR)

Research

L2 H2O profile (TIR)

Research

L2 H2O column amount (TIR)

Research

L2 cloud flag

Standard

L2 cloud property

Research

L2 aerosol property

Research

L3 global CO2 distribution (SWIR)

Standard

L3 global CH4 distribution (SWIR)

Standard

L3 global CO2 distribution (TIR)Standard

L3 global CH4 distribution (TIR)Standard

L3 global radiance distribution (all pixels)

Standard

L3 global reflectance distribution (clear sky)Standard

L3 global cloud property

Research

L3 global aerosol property

Research

L3 global NDVIStandard

L4A global CO2 flux

Standard

L4A global CH4 flux

Research

L4B global CO2 distribution

Standard

L4B global CH4 distribution

Research*”L” is an abbreviation for “Level.”

FormatAny(on-demand)

HDF5CAI frame

Global(monthly average)
Global(every 3 days)
Global(monthly average)
Lat. 30°× Lon. 60°(every 15 days)
64 locations across theglobe (annually)text

Global 2.5° mesh(monthly)

NetCDF

E.g., “L1” means “Level 1.”

Standard products are provided at different stages in accordance with the progress of calibration,validation and comparison.

There are four calibration stages for Level 1 and four validation stages

for Level 2 standard products.

Each stage of calibration and validation is defined in Tables 2 and 3,respectively. (As for Level 3 and Level 4 products, stages have been defined yet.)Research and Internal products, there is no such stage to be defined.

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As for theTable 2 Definitions of the calibration stages for L1 standard products
Target schedule for
Calibration stage

Definition

data distribution(months after the launch)

Products are generated by simplyUnchecked(U)processing the observation data.

Preliminarily

Products visually checked and found aschecked(P)reliable.
Products provided after calibrating theCalibrated(Ca)sensors and verifying the appropriateness.

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Products with necessary corrections made to
remedy the problems reported during theConfirmed(C)certain period of time by the limited users

9of the calibrated products.

Table 3 Definitions of the validation stages for L2 standard products
Target schedule for
Validation stage

Definition

data distribution(months after the launch)

Unchecked(U)Products simply processed from Level 1.

Preliminarily

Products that are processed from Level 1

Validated(P)and seem reliable by visual checking.

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Products compared with other products
Validated(V)acquired by higher-accuracy methods (e.g.,ground-based observation) and deemed as9

sufficiently accurate.
Products with necessary corrections made toConfirmed(C)remedy the problems reported during thecertain period of time by the limited users ofthe validated products.

51210. User Category
Table 4 shows the categories of GOSAT data users.

Table 4 User Categories
User Category

Description

Project Staff (PS)

Researchers, scientists, staff members, etc. who belong to the GOSAT
Project implementation body (Three Parties) and engage in the GOSAT
Project or those who belong to other organizations but engage in the GOSAT
Project as contractors to the Three Parties.

RA Investigator (RA)PI and CI (Note 1) approved and registered by the Three Parties.

RA* Investigator (RA*)

An RA Investigator who is engaged in a research theme in the algorithm orcalibration/validation fields and is approved and registered by the ThreeParties.

Science Team Member

A member of the GOSAT Science Team organized by the Three Parties.
(Includes leaders and sub-leaders of working groups.)(ST)
Science Team Member*(ST*)
Alliance Organizations(sensor development,research, dataprocessing, provision ofnecessary data)(AO1)

Alliance Organizations(research on algorithms,calibration andA member of the GOSAT Science Team who is engaged in a research themein the algorithm or calibration/validation fields and is approved andregistered by the Three Parties.
An organization which has signed a cooperative agreement with the ThreeParties concerning the collaboration in the aspect of sensor development,
research, and data processing or provision of data necessary for the GOSAT
data processing.
Note that an investigator(Note 2) with whom an AO1 has concluded anagreement solely for the purpose of carrying out the above-mentioned
activities and who is recognized by the Three Parties is regarded as amember of the AO1.
Of AO1s, an organization which has signed a cooperative agreement withthe Three Parties concerning the collaboration in the aspect of research onalgorithm, calibration, or validation.

validation)(AO1*)
Organizations An organization which has signed a cooperative agreement with the Three(data distribution)(AO2) Parties concerning the collaboration in the aspect of distribution of theGOSAT data.
Alliance

General User (GU)All data users other than the above-defined users.

(Note 1) PI stands for Principal Investigator representing a research theme approved by the ThreeParties as a result of the RA selection. CI stands for Co Investigator participating in a
research theme approved by the Three Parties as a result of the RA selection.
(Note 2) An investigator here may be a user of higher-level data processed by an AO1.

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11. Release of GOSAT data productsThis section of the document defines the timing of data release as follows:(1) Release of data products(a) Standard products
Figure 1 overleaf shows a timeline for releasing Level 1 and Level 2 products.

Figure 1 Release of Level 1 and Level 2 products

As for Level 1 products, unchecked products are scheduled to be released to PS, RA*, ST,and AO1, three (3) months after the launch, and calibrated products to RA six (6) months
after the launch when the calibration is completed.

Confirmed products will be released toAO2 and GU, targeting nine (9) months after the launch.
Level 2 products are planned to be released to PS, RA*, ST*, and AO1* four (4) months
after the launch with respect to preliminarily checked products, to RA, ST, and AO1 nine(9) months after the launch as to validated products, and to AO2 and GU twelve (12)months after the launch regarding confirmed products.
Level 3 and Level 4 products will be released as their comparison works are completed.
(b) Research products
Level 2-4 products, to an extent necessary for research activities, will be provided to PS,
RA, ST, and AO1 at an appropriate time.
(c) Internal products
Level 1A products, to an extent necessary, will be provided to special users approved by7

JAXA at an appropriate time.

(2) Release of Level 1, Level 2 products after the confirmation stage
Confirmed Level 1 and Level 2 products will be released targeting eight (8) hours and three (3)days, respectively, at the latest after the data acquisition in the normal operation.

12. Pricing of GOSAT data products(1) For research purposes in the fields of earth observing system development and Earth science
Users will be charged actual expenses necessary for reproduction of the data, etc.

In case of

on-line distribution, however, the data will be provided free of charge.
Incidentally, a limited number of products will be distributed for free for the purposes ofpromotion and education that contribute to the activities of the Three Parties.

(2) For purposes other than those that fall under (1) above (commercial purposes)
Users will be charged, in addition to actual expenses necessary for reproduction of the data,etc., usage fees in accordance with the number of products provided.

13. Rights associated with the GOSAT data
(1) The Three Parties shall own all intellectual property rights including but not limited tocopyrights in relation to all the data they provide.
(2) When a user has generated a higher-level, value-added data product(Note 3), the Three Parties
shall not exercise their copyrights, i.e., rights as the copyright holders of the original data, tothe derivative data and the user may use the value-added data based on his/her own copyrights
as the developer of the data.

However, a certain payment shall be collected as a license fee or

the like for a commercial use of such a product, as described in 12．(2) above.
(3) The Three Parties shall be entitled to use the higher-level, value-added data products generated
by RA or AO1 for non-commercial purposes only when the Three Parties use such data for thedevelopment of Earth-observing systems or Earth science research.

(Note 3) High-level, value-added products are, of modified products, those that have been
modified by applying high-level data processing and which
original data.

are irreversible to theHigh-level data processing here includes data analyses or a combination ofsatellite data acquired by different missions, image processing based on external
information other than the original data, conversion to physical quantities, and so forth.

14. Terms and conditions concerning the use of the GOSAT data
(1) The use of the data for any purpose in opposition to peaceful use is prohibited.
(2) The use of the data for any other purpose than the user’s purpose of data use is prohibited8

(3) Redistribution of the data to any third party is prohibited.

(The data distributors who havesigned a data distribution agreement with JAXA or NIES may redistribute the data to thirdparties, but the third parties who obtained the GOSAT data from such a data distributor areprohibited to redistribute the data to any third party.)(4) Any publication of outcomes obtained in consequence of the use of the data must be
accompanied by any one of the following indications.
(a) ©JAXA/NIES/MOE(b) Copyright: JAXA/NIES/MOE(c) ©Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency / National Institute for Environmental Studies/ Ministry of the Environment(d) Copyright: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency / National Institute forEnvironmental Studies / Ministry of the Environment
Incidentally, the user is also required to indicate that the original data are provided by
JAXA/NIES/MOE, if he or she has generated higher-level, value-added data and wishes toprovide a third party with the value-added data or publish them.
(5) Use of the GOSAT data and/or higher-level, value-added data under the mechanisms of theKyoto Protocol, namely the Joint Implementation (Article 6 thereof), Clean Development
Mechanism (Article 12 thereof), and the International Emissions Trading (Article 17 thereof),is prohibited without consent of the Three Parties. Any use for such a purpose may beallowed if the PI obtains an approval of and concludes a contract with the Three Parties inadvance.
(6) Users who obtain the GOSAT data for the purposes of earth observing system development
and geoscience research are required to report on or publish their research results. In a casewhere a user wishes to publish his/her outcomes from the use of the data from three (3) to nine(9) months after the launch, he or she is required to send a copy of the outcomes to the ThirdParties.
(7) The Three Parties shall not be liable for any missing data, degradation of data quality, delay indata delivery, or any other situation in which the data cannot be provided, as a result ofproblems that occur to the spacecraft or the ground facilities.

15. JAXA and NIES shall not exchange the personal information of their users with each other. If
necessary, JAXA or NIES will inform the other of statistical information on the types of users
and products with regard to the data provided.

End of Document9