The WMO guidelines on user preparations urges the: – Provision of proxy datasets, tools, and products; The information in this section responds to this need. Different categories of test data are provided to the users:
- Synthetic data: No scientific value, but realistic sizes and formats. Used for dataflow testing
- Proxy data: Data simulated by forward Radiative Transfer Model calculations, to test processing and visualisation tools
- Heritage data: Actual data sets from relevant precursor instruments, i.e. 2.5 min data from Meteosat-10 for MTG-FCI, 1 min super rapid scanning data from GOES for GOES-R ABI or IASI/AIRS data for MTG-IRS
- Pre-operational data: Live data generated as part of the commissioning activities, but before full validation has been completed.
These categories of test data will be provided by the operators during the pre-launch development and during the post-launch commissioning activities. This section provides information about the different test data sets available, as well as the different software tools provided for the use of the simulated test data, as well as software tools provided for problems that require specific changes in user processing and other software tools like tools to merge and interpolate gridded data from different acquisitions.