EO·Atlas
FY-4B Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager
Compiled from public sources on 2026-06-16. Not independently verified by China Meteorological Administration.
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Fifteen-channel FY-4B geostationary VIS/NIR/SWIR/MWIR/TIR imager used for multi-purpose meteorological imagery, cloud and water-vapour tracking, SST, precipitation, and fire monitoring.
Overview
The FY-4B Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) is a 15-channel passive optical imager operating from geostationary orbit aboard the FY-4B satellite, launched 2021-06-02.[1] It covers the visible, near-infrared, shortwave infrared, mid-wave infrared, and thermal infrared spectrum from 450 nm to 12,500 nm,[2] supporting meteorological observation, cloud and water-vapour tracking, sea surface temperature retrieval, precipitation estimation, and fire monitoring.
Spectral design
AGRI carries two focal-plane groups. Six VIS/NIR/SWIR channels span 450-2,300 nm at 500 m to 2 km ground sampling distance (GSD), and nine MWIR/TIR channels span 3,500-12,500 nm at 4 km GSD.[2] The full 15-channel layout, as documented in the SSEC Polar2Grid reader and WMO OSCAR records, is:[3][2]
| Channel | Centre wavelength | GSD |
|---|---|---|
| C01 | 0.47 µm | 1 km |
| C02 | 0.65 µm | 0.5 km |
| C03 | 0.825 µm | 1 km |
| C04 | 1.379 µm | 2 km |
| C05 | 1.61 µm | 2 km |
| C06 | 2.25 µm | 2 km |
| C07 | 3.75 µm (high gain) | 2 km |
| C08 | 3.75 µm (low gain) | 4 km |
| C09 | 6.25 µm | 4 km |
| C10 | 6.95 µm | 4 km |
| C11 | 7.42 µm | 4 km |
| C12 | 8.5 µm | 4 km |
| C13 | 10.8 µm | 4 km |
| C14 | 12.0 µm | 4 km |
| C15 | 13.5 µm | 4 km |
Channel 11 at 7.42 µm (low-level water vapour) is new to FY-4B.[2] The 1.379 µm channel (C04) targets NIR cirrus cloud detection; channels C07 and C08 provide dual split-gain coverage at 3.75 µm.[3] The instrument operates on a 3-axis stabilised geostationary platform with east-west continuous scanning and south-north stepping, enabling full-disk imagery every 15 minutes with shorter-interval regional scans over China.[1]
Observation applications
Atmospheric motion vectors derived from consecutive AGRI imagery have been demonstrated on FY-4B.[2] Sea surface temperature retrieval using AGRI thermal channels has been demonstrated on FY-4B.[2] Satellite precipitation retrieval has been demonstrated using AGRI data from FY-4B.[4] Thermal anomaly detection for active fire and hotspot identification has been demonstrated on FY-4B.[2] Land surface temperature and emissivity retrieval has been demonstrated on FY-4B.[4] Burned area mapping is demonstrated using AGRI multi-spectral data.[5]
Water vapour assimilation studies using FY-4B AGRI radiances in channels C09-C11 have demonstrated positive impact on numerical weather prediction.[6]
Heritage
AGRI descends from the S-VISSR instruments flown on the FY-2 series (FY-2A through FY-2H), which provided 5-channel imaging. AGRI expanded to 14 channels on FY-4A (2016) and to 15 channels on FY-4B (2021).[5]
Compositional position
- Atmospheric motion vectors (AMV)via FY-4B
AGRI supports wind derivation by tracking clouds and water-vapour features.
- Sea-surface temperature retrievalvia FY-4B
WMO lists sea-surface temperature retrieval as high relevance for AGRI MWIR/TIR window channels.
- Satellite precipitation retrievalvia FY-4B
WMO lists precipitation intensity retrieval from AGRI TIR, SWIR, and MWIR channels with microwave-calibration caveats.
- Thermal anomaly detectionvia FY-4B
WMO identifies AGRI MWIR/TIR channels as suitable for fire radiative power and fire temperature retrieval.
- Land-surface temperature - emissivity retrievalvia FY-4B
FY-4B AGRI TIR channels (C12-C14: 8.5, 10.8, 12.0 µm) support LST retrieval; application documented in AGRI product literature.
- Multi-temporal burned-area mappingvia FY-4B
FY-4B AGRI MWIR channels (C07-C08: 3.75 µm) demonstrated for active fire and burned area detection; application documented in FY-4A/AGRI comparison literature (Frontiers 2018).
None on record.
- [1]WMO OSCAR instrument record: Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imageragency doc-2026-06-16
- [2]NSMC FY-4B satellite pageagency doc-2026-06-16
- [3]SSEC Polar2Grid FY-4B AGRI L1 reader documentation (channel listing)community-2026-06-16
- [4]General Comparison of FY-4A/AGRI With Other GEO/LEO Instruments (Frontiers Earth Sci., 2018)peer reviewed2018-01-012026-06-16
- [5]Quality Assessment of AGRI Aerosol Product from FY-4B (Remote Sensing 2024)peer reviewed2024-01-012026-06-16
- [6]Added Value of Assimilating FY-4B AGRI Water Vapor Radiances (Remote Sensing 2025)peer reviewed2025-01-012026-06-16