1.2 How to Use MERIS Data

This chapter gives guidelines on the usage of MERIS data using various tools.

1.2.1 Software Tools

General tools, such as EnviView, are applicable to all ENVISAT products, including MERIS but with limited capabilities to take the MERIS-specific characteristics into account. Instrument-specific tools are dedicated to the application of MERIS products and support fully the MERIS products and provide tailored functions.

1.2.1.1 General Tools

Users may wish to decode data in the ENVISAT format themselves, to allow subsequent visualisation and further processing in languages such as C, or in commonly available software packages such as IDL, ENVI, PCIWorks and Erdas Imagine. The MERIS and AATSR Toolbox 1.2.1.3. provides functions and C routines for direct ingestion of MERIS data into commercial software or a user's own programmes.

The EnviView tool can also be used to convert ENVISAT data into hdf files. The data can then be automatically read by any software supporting this format.

1.2.1.2 EnviView

EnviView is a software tool, provided free of charge to Envisat data users, that decodes and displays data from any Envisat data file (levels 1b and 2, and auxiliary processor configuration files). It is able to display the value of any field in the data product, and provide limited visualisation capabilities. It is also able to extract and export data to HDF and plain text files.

For further information refer to http://earth.esa.int/services/tools/enviview/.

1.2.1.3 BEAM

Basic Toolbox for ENVISAT (A)ATSR and MERIS

Overview

The Basic Toolbox for ENVISAT (A)ATSR and MERIS (BEAM) is a collection of executable tools and an application programming interface (API) which has been developed to facilitate the utilisation, viewing and processing of ESA MERIS, (A)ATSR and ASAR data. The purpose of the BEAM is not to duplicate existing commercial packages, but to complement them with functions dedicated to the handling of ENVISAT MERIS and AATSR products.

The main components of the BEAM are:

· VISAT - A visualization, analysing and processing software, entirely written in Java

· A set of scientific tools running either from the command line or invoked by VISAT, also entirely written in Java.

· The BEAM Java API provides software frameworks and helpers for application development and new extension modules

· ENVISAT MERIS/AATSR Product Access API for ANSI C allowing reading access to these data products using a simple programming model.

The development of the BEAM software is targeted as an open source project and comes with full source code.

More information is available from the EnviSat web site at http://envisat.esa.int/beam or from http://www.brockmann-consult.de/beam/ .