Fourier: A Small Satellite Mission To Detect Global Warming

The forecasting of future climatic scenarios is done using Global Circulation Models. At the moment, the results of such predictions give such a large variety of scenarios that it is difficult to use them both for scientific purposes and for policy makers. We propose a satellite mission for creating a validated and calibrated dataset, a bench- mark, which can be used to validate the global circulation models in order to improve their physical characterisation of the atmospheric phenomena and the used parame- terisations. The mission will be based on the use of a Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) and a GPS for radio occultation measurements, supported by a multispectral camera (HyCAM). PFS will be able to perform atmospheric radiance measurements in the spectral range 200-8000 cm-1 with accuracy better than 0.2 K and a spectral resolu- tion better that 2 cm-1. GPS will perform atmospheric refractivity measurements on vertical profiles with a resolution better that 1 km between 0 and 60 km. HyCAM will be used for a better characterisation of aerosol and clouds. The scientific justifications and the technical concepts of the mission will be presented.