Capability of Fengyun-3D Satellite in Earth System Observation

From the viewpoint of earth system science, this paper discusses the observation capability of the second-generation of Chinese polar-orbiting, sun-synchronous operational meteorological satellite observation systems, Fengyun-3 (FY-3), based on the function and performance test results from the FY-3D satellite observation system in orbit. The FY-3 series of satellites have numerous remote sensing instruments and a wide range of imaging and sounding electromagnetic spectrometers onboard. These instruments can obtain reflectivity data for land surface, soil, vegetation, water body, snow cover, ocean color, and sea ice on earth’s surface over a wide spectral range, as well as information on the absorption and scattering radiative transfer of molecules and particles (clouds and aerosols) in earth’s atmosphere. All of these data can be used to retrieve physical and chemical information about the land, ocean, and atmosphere of the earth system. Comprehensive observation of the earth system by the FY-3 meteorological satellites is preliminarily realized.