Optimal estimation retrieval framework for daytime clear-sky total column water vapour from MTG-FCI near-infrared measurements

El Kassar, Jan; Carbajal Henken, Cintia; Calbet, Xavier; Rípodas, Pilar; Preusker, Rene; Fischer, Jürgen

doi:10.5194/amt-19-135-2026

Articles | Volume 19, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-135-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-135-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 19, issue 1

Research article

|

07 Jan 2026

Research article |

| 07 Jan 2026

Optimal estimation retrieval framework for daytime clear-sky total column water vapour from MTG-FCI near-infrared measurements

Jan El Kassar, Cintia Carbajal Henken, Xavier Calbet, Pilar Rípodas, Rene Preusker, and Jürgen Fischer

Data sets

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service and Climate Data Store https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

Aerosol properties gridded data from 1995 to present derived from satellite observation Copernicus Climate Change Service and Climate Data Store https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.239d815c

Short summary

Water vapour (WV) is a key ingredient in virtually all meteorological processes. We present an algorithm which uses observations of the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) to estimate the total column of WV (TCWV) over sun-lit, clear-sky pixels. FCI is a satellite instrument, and every 10 min it takes an image which covers Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic with a resolution of 1 km. Such high-resolution WV fields will provide valuable information for weather forecasters and researchers.