The CoastColour Processors

Summary

The CoastColour Processors were developed within the ESA DUE CoastColour Project, which was launched by the European Space Agency to fully exploit the potential of the MERIS instrument for remote sensing of the coastal zone. The CoastColour project website [1] serves as an entry point to to all kinds of detailed information on the project. A summary of algorithms, processing steps as well as product specifications can be found in the CoastColour Product User Guide [2].

User Interfaces

The CoastColour Processors can be invoked from the VISAT 'Processing --> Thematic Water Processing' sub-menu by selecting the CoastColour Processors (MERIS)... entry, or in batch mode by using the command line tool gpt (Graph Processing Tool) which is located in the BEAM bin directory.

CC tools menu

Algorithms

The 'Pre-Processing and Pixel Classification...' processor (also referred as 'L1P' processor throughout this documentation) provides a refinement of top of atmosphere radiance and a pixel classification. The pixel classification is based on the algorithm used in the IdePix tool which was developed in the frame of the CoastColour project and the ESA OceanColour CCI project [3]. The IdePix tool is available as a separate BEAM processor.

The 'Atmospheric Correction...' processor (also referred as 'L2R' processor) provides an atmosphere and sun glint corection based on a neural network approach.

The 'In-Water Processing...' processor (also referred as 'L2W' processor) provides water properties in Case 2 waters derived from various neural network approaches.


References

[1] CoastColour Project Web Site: www.coastcolour.org

[2] DUE CoastColour Product User Guide. ESA Project Deliverable D-21, Version 2.1, 03 June 2011.

[3] OceanColour Project Web Site: www.esa-oceancolour-cci.org