GCOM-C Update
TANAKA, Kazuhiro
GCOM project manager
Joint PI Workshop Jan 18, 2021

1

GCOM-C Status◼ Successful launch on Dec. 23, 2017
◼ SGLI First Light on Jan. 1, 2018. → stable operation in 3 years◼ SGLI ALL 29 products are in public since Dec. 20, 2018 as Ver.1.
◼ Ver.2 data release on June 29, 2020 as planned
GCOM-C Launch
H-IIA rocket F-37
01:26:22 UTCOn Dec. 23, 2017

Everything is nominal
as planned.

Japanese name“SHIKISAI”

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GCOM-C Products◼ Approx. 100GB/day data is downlinked via Svalbard Station.
◼ Approx. 1TB/day products in 156 folders are generated in GCOM-C

ground system.
1TB/day

GCOM-C“SHIKISAI”
L1B（１）(per day)
LAND（9）> 1000km
19 channels

Geo＆Radio
ProcessGround
SystemATMOS（8）OCEAN（7）NRT (13)

Statistics Processing … etc

Raw Data
100GByte

L1B (2)L2 (16)

L2 Statics
L2 global (42)CRYOS（4）L3 (83)29 Products

156 folders@ G-Portal

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Satellite operation◆ Satellite system is stable since launch.
Satellite System

NormalTTC-RF, MDHS-RF

NormalMDHS-DH

Tentative stop of MDR operation
on May 21, 2018

TTC-DH

NormalAOCS, RCS

NormalEPS, PDL

NormalTCS

NormalSGLI VNR

Tentative stop of PL Tilt operation
6 times over SAA region.

No tilting for 10-14 hours
Radiation effect is suspected

SGLI IRS

NormalRegular TIR health checkwith 3 months interval

No MDR recording for 10hours
Radiation effect is suspected

Satellite & ground system information such as products, status and obs. plan is available
at “SHIKISAI Portal”. https://shikisai.jaxa.jp/index_en.html
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VN & SW Cal. Coefficients isreflected to products
since Ver.2 data processing

SGLI Calibration• LED(Halogen), Solar & Lunar Cals are consistent for VNR & SWI.



TIR is calibrated using black body & deep space in real time, degradation is very small.
TI01 Gain [%](Normalized at Jan. 30, 2018)

TI02 Gain [%](Normalized at Jan. 30, 2018)

0.0

0.0

-0.5

-0.5

-1.0
2018/1

2019/1

2020/1-1.0
2018/1

2019/1

2020/15Orbital debris avoidance maneuver on March 15 & May 05, 2019.

Acceleration maneuver is planned in early Feb. 2021.

Inclination maneuver for Local Sun Time is planned in June 2021.

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Debris AvoidanceManouver△Accel. Manouver

0-20△ NOW-40
2018/01/01

2018/07/20

2019/02/05

2019/08/24

2020/03/11

2020/09/27

2021/04/15

2021/11/01

10:30:00

10:20:00
10:15:00
10:10:00
2018/01/01△
Inclin. Manouver
2018/07/20

2019/02/05

2019/08/24

2020/03/11

2020/09/27

2021/04/15

2021/11/01← NIGHT

Local Sun Time

▽ NOW
10:25:00

NOON → ←WEST

Ground Track [km]40

EAST →GCOM-C satellite orbit

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Optical thickness of fine-mode aerosols by SGLI polarimetry✓ Aerosol anomalies are clearly captured by the three-year observation of SGLI polarimetry in Australia, Siberia,
California, and Amazon areas✓ SGLI will contribute to understanding of the climate system including the aerosol-cloud-radiation processes
SGLI fine-mode aerosol anomaly (difference from 2018-2020 average)

AOT anomaly averaged in the rectangular area

Australia
2019/12

AOT@500nm

Siberia
California

AmazonAOT@500nm

2020/09

SGLI polarimetry is sensitive to the fine mode aerosols
including fire-smoke and urban aerosols.

2018

2019

2020

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Year-to-year change of NDVI
Jan

2018

52N, 124E

2020

2019
July

Target area

July

July

NDVI around 52N, 124E

FebAugAugSep

SepAug2018,2019,2020

MarSepleafing
Increase of NDVIby snow melt

AprOct

Oct

Oct

May

2018
Nov

Nov

Nov

Dec

Dec

Dec

melted

2019

2020

Jun

Snow cover of 30 Mar - 7 Apr around 52N, 124E

In the northeast Asia, the spring leafing in 2019 was later than one in 2018 by about 1-2
weeks corresponding to the late melting of snow cover in the early spring✓ SGLI will contribute to understanding of the earth system including the vegetation-carbon processes andimprovement of the related parameters in ecosystem models

8Year-to-year change of coastal ocean color(Total suspended matter concentration)

river outflow

TyphoonFrequent rainbands

Ocean color (Total suspended matter concentration,TSM) in Tokyo bay seems influenced by the river
outflow increased by heavy rainfall in the drainage
basin, e.g., the end of Sep. 2018, Oct. 2019, and theend of Jul. 2020
The river outflow data is obtained from JAXA's land surface & river simulation
system, "Today's Earth (TE)“: https://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/water/✓ SGLI will contribute to understanding of the coastal land-ocean interaction and improvement of the relatedparameters in coastal numerical models

9GCOM Mission✓ GCOM mission is in the execution phase.
GCOM Mission

Sat Obs.
GCOM-W

GCOM-C

Model

GCOM Obs.

Earth System ModelRadiation• Cloud, Aerosol• Reflectance （LULC)• Snow & Ice• Surface Temp

Carbon Cycle• Vegetaion• Land Cover• Chllophyl-a• Coastal Change

GlobalObservation

Data
Utilization

Water Cycle• Water Vaper, Cloud• Precipitation• Soil Moisture• Snow and Ice• Surface Temp. Winds

Climate Change
Model Pred.

雪氷Temperature
Sea Level
Snow & Ice
Env. Change

陸 海• Precipitation• Extreme Weather• Land Use Change

大気対流圏界面

datacompModeling
Parameterization
Prediction

Env. Monitoring
Process StudyECVs

Earth SystemModel10

Data utilization on platform（tellus, GEE）
✓ Data delivery to tellus since 2019.
✓ Level-3 data delivery to Google EarthEngine (GEE) since Nov. 2020.
✓ Data application activities are encouraged.

Chrollophl a

Sea Surface Temp

Leaf Area Index

Land Surface Temp.

https://developers.google.com/earth-engine/datasets/tags/gcom-c

SGLI SST on
GEE Code Editor

11Schedule

Three years from first light→ Such as seasonal change data analysis is encouraged

2017

2018

Dec.23▲ ▲Jan.01
Launch Fist Light

2019
▲
Ver.1

2020
▲
Ver.2

2021

2022

NOW▽

▲
Ver.3(TBD)

2023

Routine Phase (5 years)
Dec.20 △GCOM Sympo.

Data Processing
Data Re-Processing

Ver.1
Ver.1

△PI W.S. 2020

△PI W.S. 2021

Ver.2

Ver.3

Ver.2

Ver.3

12Summary GCOM-C satellite and SGLI are stable.
 GCOM-C data has been provided to the public

continuously since Dec. 20, 2018.
 GCOM-C routine phase operations for 5 years(Dec. 2017 – Dec. 2022)
 GCOM mission is in the execution phase Encouragement to the practical use for the social benefits.
 Encouragement to the climate research for GCOM mission.
 Thank you

Shikisai@ml.jaxa.jp
https://shikisai.jaxa.jp/index_en.html
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BACKUP

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Promotion activities
Offshore / Pelagic Fishery◼ oceanographic condition◼ With Microwave Obs.
◼ etc

Coastal Activities◼ Local coastal needs◼ Expectation for remotesensing data
◼ Continuous Observation◼ Support for user activities◼ Portal site for data use◼ etc◼ Collaboration withspecialized information
provider is essentialUniv.
ResearcherCompaniesAquaculture Activity◼ Harmful Algal Bloom◼ Environmental monitoring

RegionalResearchGovernment

CollaborationCycle◼ Private sector or local
company activities◼ Collaboration with others

NationalResearchJAFIC

JAXA

PrivateSectors
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