Temporal Coverage: March 2000 – December 2016
The CERES Surface CRE Net Longwave | Shortwave | Total Flux layers show Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) Monthly Mean Flux (W/m2), for the longwave (3.5-50 µm), shortwave (0.2-5 µm) and total broadband wavelength at the earth’s surface corresponding to Cloud Radiative Effects (CRE). CRE, also referred to as cloud forcing, is defined for surface measurements as the difference between all-sky and clear-sky pixels. Net flux is the sum of the incoming and outgoing radiative fluxes at the surface, corresponding to the specified spectral band.
The CERES Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) layers are derived from CERES SYN1Deg products, and provide monthly mean radiative fluxes corresponding to collection either at the Earth’s surface (EBAF-Surface) or top-of-the-atmosphere (EBAF-TOA). EBAF-products were designed for climate model evaluation, estimating the Earth's global mean energy budget, and to infer meridional heat transport. For some climate modelers, the products address the need for a net imbalance constrained to the ocean heat storage term.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record.
The CERES Surface CRE Net Longwave | Shortwave | Total Flux layers are available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters:
sfc_cre_net_lw_mon - Surface CRE Net Longwave Flux, Monthly means
sfc_cre_net_sw_mon - Surface CRE Net Shortwave Flux, Monthly means
sfc_cre_net_tot_mon - Surface CRE Net Total Flux, Monthly means
Data product: CERES_EBAF-Sfc_Edition4.0
Temporal coverage: March 2000 - December 2016
The CERES Surface Longwave | Shortwave Flux (Monthly, Energy Balanced and Filled, Up | Down, All-Sky | Clear-Sky) layers show the EBAF Monthly Mean parameterized broadband (thermal longwave or shortwave) downwelling (down, defined as positive), or upwelling (up, defined as positive) flux at the Earth’s surface, for either all-sky or clear-sky conditions (W/m2). CERES footprints (20 km nominal resolution) are classified as clear if they contain 99% of pixels identified as clear by the CERES-MODIS clear-sky mask.
The CERES Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) layers are derived from CERES SYN1Deg products, and provide monthly mean radiative fluxes corresponding to collection either at the Earth’s surface (EBAF-Surface) or top-of-the-atmosphere (EBAF-TOA). EBAF-products were designed for climate model evaluation, estimating the Earth's global mean energy budget, and to infer meridional heat transport. For some climate modelers, the products address the need for a net imbalance constrained to the ocean heat storage term.
For EBAF surface fluxes, all-sky and clear-sky fluxes are calculated at all hourly increments during the month, regardless of cloud amount. For the all-sky condition, corresponding cloud type is specified for each pixel (e.g. ITCZ, maritime stratus, etc.). In regions with frequent cloudiness, it is possible that no clear-sky observations exist over a given month. Whereas the SSF1deg product, from which this product originates, does not attempt to fill in these non-measured clear-sky regions and default values are placed where there are no CERES observed clear-sky footprints in the spatial or temporal domain, the EBAF clear-sky filled product is a spatially complete clear-sky product.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record.
The CERES Longwave | Shortwave Flux (Monthly, Energy Balanced and Filled, Up | Down, All-Sky | Clear-Sky) layers are available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters:
Sfc_lw_up_all_mon - Surface Longwave Flux Up, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_lw_up_clr_mon - Surface Longwave Flux Up, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Sfc_lw_down_all_mon - Surface Longwave Flux Down, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_lw_down_clr_mon - Surface Longwave Flux Down, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Sfc_sw_up_all_mon - Surface Shortwave Flux Up, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_sw_up_clr_mon - Surface Shortwave Flux Up, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Sfc_sw_down_all_mon - Surface Shortwave Flux Down, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_sw_down_clr_mon - Surface Shortwave Flux Down, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Data product: CERES_EBAF-SFC_Edition4.0
Temporal Coverage: March 2000 - December 2016
The EBAF Surface Net Flux layers show the parameterized broadband (longwave, shortwave, total) downwelling minus upwelling flux at the surface (W/m2), from the CERES EBAF product. The parameters are further specified for both all-sky or clear-sky conditions (whereas the Surface CRE Net parameters show the difference between the two). CERES footprints (20 km nominal resolution) are classified as clear if they contain 99% of pixels identified as clear by the CERES-MODIS clear-sky mask.
Surface Net Flux aids in calculating the energy budget at Earth’s surface, an indicator of how much energy is available to evaporate water and moisten the atmosphere. It also allows study of air-sea energy interactions, which set the thermal structure of the oceans and in turn results in the redistribution of energy around the planet, with many important consequences for climate.
The CERES Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) layers are derived from CERES SYN1Deg products, and provide monthly mean radiative fluxes corresponding to collection either at the Earth’s surface (EBAF-Surface) or top-of-the-atmosphere (EBAF-TOA). EBAF-products were designed for climate model evaluation, estimating the Earth's global mean energy budget, and to infer meridional heat transport. For some climate modelers, the products address the need for a net imbalance constrained to the ocean heat storage term.
For EBAF surface fluxes, all-sky and clear-sky fluxes are calculated at all hourly increments during the month, regardless of cloud amount. For the all-sky condition, corresponding cloud type is specified for each pixel (e.g. ITCZ, maritime stratus, etc.). In regions with frequent cloudiness, it is possible that no clear-sky observations exist over a given month. Whereas the SSF1deg product, from which this product originates, does not attempt to fill in these non-measured clear-sky regions and default values are placed where there are no CERES observed clear-sky footprints in the spatial or temporal domain, the EBAF clear-sky filled product is a spatially complete clear-sky product.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record.
The CERES Surface Net Longwave | Shortwave | Total Flux (Monthly, Energy Balanced and Filled, All-Sky | Clear-Sky) layer is available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters:
Sfc_net_lw_all_mon - Surface Net Longwave Flux, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_net_lw_clr_mon - Surface Net Longwave Flux, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Sfc_net_sw_all_mon - Surface Net Shortwave Flux, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_net_sw_clr_mon - Surface Net Shortwave Flux, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Sfc_net_tot_all_mon - Surface Net Total Flux, Monthly Means, All-Sky conditions
Sfc_net_tot_clr_mon - Surface Net Total Flux, Monthly Means, Clear-Sky conditions
Data product: CERES_EBAF-SFC_Edition4.0
Temporal coverage: March 2000 - June 2002
This set of layers show CERES-observed temporally interpolated and spatially gridded surface incoming and outgoing observed flux or radiance (W/m2) contained within the SYN1deg product, which is a primary input to the EBAF product. Each layer is specific to a broadband channel (longwave: 3.5-50 µm, shortwave: 0.2-5 µm), under all-sky conditions or clear-sky conditions. CERES footprints (20 km nominal resolution) are classified as clear if they contain 99% of pixels identified as clear by the CERES-MODIS clear-sky mask.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record. For observations derived from the Terra and Aqua satellite instruments, the measurements are diurnally averaged using ERBE (constant meteorology) flux temporal interpolation algorithm to interpolate between the instruments, which make passes over the earth at varying times.
The Untuned Longwave | Shortwave Surface Flux, Up | Down, All-Sky | Clear-Sky layers are available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters:
Untuned_Total_Sky_LW_Surface_Down - Untuned Longwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Down, All-Sky)
Untuned_Clear_Sky_LW_Surface_Down - Untuned Longwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Down, Clear-Sky)
Untuned_Total_Sky_LW_Surface_Up - Untuned Longwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Up, All-Sky)
Untuned_Clear_Sky_LW_Surface_Up - Untuned Longwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Up, Clear-Sky)
Untuned_Total_Sky_SW_Surface_Down - Untuned Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Down, All-Sky)
Untuned_Clear_Sky_SW_Surface_Down - Untuned Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Down, Clear-Sky)
Untuned_Total_Sky_SW_Surface_Up - Untuned Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Up, All-Sky)
Data product: CER_SYN1deg-Month_Terra-MODIS_Edition4A
Temporal coverage: March 2000 - June 2002
This set of layers show CERES-observed temporally interpolated and spatially gridded diffuse and direct observed shortwave flux (W/m2) contained within the SYN1deg product, which is a primary input to the EBAF product. These layers are for the shortwave broadband channel (0.2-5 µm), under all-sky conditions or clear-sky conditions. CERES footprints (20 km nominal resolution) are classified as clear if they contain 99% of pixels identified as clear by the CERES-MODIS clear-sky mask.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record. For observations derived from the Terra and Aqua satellite instruments, the measurements are diurnally averaged using ERBE (constant meteorology) flux temporal interpolation algorithm to interpolate between the instruments, which make passes over the earth at varying times.
The Diffuse | Direct Shortwave Surface Flux (All-Sky | Clear-Sky) layers are available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters:
Total_Sky_SW_Surface_Flux_Diffuse - Diffuse Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, All-Sky)
Clear_Sky_SW_Surface_Flux_Diffuse - Diffuse Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Clear-Sky)
Total_Sky_SW_Surface_Flux_Direct - Direct Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, All-Sky)
Clear_Sky_SW_Surface_Flux_Direct - Direct Shortwave Surface Flux (Monthly, Clear-Sky)
Data product: CER_SYN1deg-Month_Terra-MODIS_Edition4A
Temporal coverage: March 2000 - June 2002
The Surface UV Index (Monthly, All-Sky) layer shows CERES-observed temporally interpolated and spatially gridded observed Surface UV Index under all-sky conditions contained within the SYN1deg product, which is a primary input to the EBAF product.
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments are a collection of instruments carried on different satellites, the first launched in 1999 (Terra) as a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission, and as a flagship component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The second satellite (Aqua) was launched in 2002. There are two identical CERES instruments aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites, that measure the Earth's total radiation budget and provide cloud property estimates that enable scientists to assess clouds' roles in radiative fluxes from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. One of the instruments operates in a cross-track scan mode and the other in a biaxial scan mode. The cross-track mode data is what is used to align the CERES measurements with ERBE and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), essentially extending the data record. For observations derived from the Terra and Aqua satellite instruments, the measurements are diurnally averaged using ERBE (constant meteorology) flux temporal interpolation algorithm to interpolate between the instruments, which make passes over the earth at varying times.
The Surface UV Index (Monthly, All-Sky) layer is available from the CERES instruments on the Terra satellite. The sensor resolution is 1 degree, imagery resolution is 2 km, and the temporal resolution is monthly.
Data parameters: Total_Sky_Surface_UV_Index
Data product: CER_SYN1deg-Month_Terra-MODIS_Edition4A