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Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) ERBE-like Monthly Regional Averages (ES-9) Data Set Abstract |
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The ERBE-like Monthly Regional Averages (ES-9) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The ES-9 is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave and longwave fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) from the CERES ES-8 product for a month are sorted by 2.5-degree spatial regions, by day number, and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-day-hour bin is determined and recorded on the ES-9 along with other flux statistics and scene information. For each region, the daily average flux is estimated from an algorithm that uses the available hourly data, scene identification data, and diurnal models. This algorithm is "like" the algorithm used for the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). The ES-9 also contains hourly average fluxes for the month and an overall monthly average for each region. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes.
The ES-9 archival data product is created as an HDF file with Scientific Data Sets (SDS) which contain data for each 2.5-degree region observed during a month. There are 10,368 possible regions; a given region is viewed by the scanner several times as the spacecraft passes overhead. For each region, data are stored for each hour that is viewed by the CERES scanner during the month. SDS data include the mean estimates of shortwave and longwave radiant flux at the TOA, the standard deviations of these estimates, the maximum and minimum estimate, and scene information or cloud condition. Similar parameters are determined for those scanner measurements that are identified as clear-sky areas. In addition to the hourbox data, Daily, Monthly Hourly, and monthly averages are also stored (see figure below).
The ES-9 contains Scientific Data Sets written as six HDF vgroups:
The Regional Summary Data vgroup contains information such as region number, geographic scene type, and cloud cover for each of the possible 10,368 2.5-deg regions on the ES-9 product. The remaining vgroups contain clear-sky and total-sky parameters such as solar incidence, net radiant flux, longwave flux, shortwave flux, and albedo.
Additional information about the format and content of the ES-9 can be found in the CERES Data Products Catalog (PDF). Details concerning the science parameters and how they are calculated can be found in the CERES Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Subsystem 3.0 and in the ES-9 Collection Guide.
The CERES Data Management Team and the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at Langley use a Sampling Strategy, a Production Strategy, and a Configuration Code (CCode) to track versions of CERES archival data products. In general, minor reprocessing changes are tracked by increasing the Configuration Code while major reprocessing changes result in a new Production Strategy. The Sampling Strategy identifies the satellite(s) and instrument(s) which acquired the data in the product.
A summary of changes made to the ES-9 HDF product is shown in the following table.
Modification History for: Aqua | Terra | TRMM | Terra+Aqua | TRMM+Terra
Sampling Strategy and Production Strategy |
CCode | Available at ASDC |
Impact on the ES-9 Product |
---|---|---|---|
Aqua-FM3_Edition1-CV3 Aqua-FM4_Edition1-CV3 |
024030 | 04/2006 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition1-CV3 Aqua-FM4_Edition1-CV3 |
024029 | 04/2006 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition13 Aqua-FM4_Edition13 |
024026 | 03/2005 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition23 Aqua-FM4_Edition23 |
024025 | 06/2004 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition13 Aqua-FM4_Edition13 |
024025 | 05/2004 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition23 Aqua-FM4_Edition23 |
024024 | 02/2004 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition13 Aqua-FM4_Edition13 |
024024 | 02/2004 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition13 Aqua-FM4_Edition13 |
023023 | 09/2003 |
|
Aqua-FM3_Edition13 Aqua-FM4_Edition13 |
023022 | 08/2003 |
|
Modification History for: Aqua | Terra | TRMM | Terra+Aqua | TRMM+Terra
Sampling Strategy and Production Strategy |
CCode | Available at ASDC |
Impact on the ES-9 Product |
---|---|---|---|
Terra-FM1_Edition1-CV3 Terra-FM2_Edition1-CV3 |
024030 | 04/2006 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition1-CV3 Terra-FM2_Edition1-CV3 |
024029 | 04/2006 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition23 Terra-FM2_Edition23 |
024026 | 03/2005 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 |
024026 | 03/2005 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 Terra-FM1_Edition23 Terra-FM2_Edition23 |
024025 | 05/2004 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 |
024024 | 02/2004 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition23 Terra-FM2_Edition23 |
023023 | 09/2003 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 |
023023 | 09/2003 |
|
FM1+FM2_Edition12 | 023022 | 07/2003 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition22 Terra-FM2_Edition22 |
023021 | 07/2003 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 |
023021 | 07/2003 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition23 Terra-FM2_Edition23 FM1+FM2_Edition23 |
021020 | 09/2002 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition23 Terra-FM2_Edition23 |
021019 | 08/2002 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 FM1+FM2_Edition13 |
021019 | 08/2002 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 FM1+FM2_Edition13 |
019018 | 11/2001 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition12 Terra-FM2_Edition12 FM1+FM2_Edition12 |
018016 | 04/2001 |
|
Terra-FM1_Edition13 Terra-FM2_Edition13 FM1+FM2_Edition13 |
017015 | 11/2000 |
|
Modification History for: Aqua | Terra | TRMM | Terra+Aqua | TRMM+Terra
Sampling Strategy and Production Strategy |
CCode | Available at ASDC |
Impact on the ES-9 Product |
---|---|---|---|
TRMM-PFM_Edition23 | 021019 | 08/2002 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition23 | 019018 | 11/2001 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition12 | 016014 | 09/2000 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition22 | 015013 | 04/2000 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition22 | 014012 | 03/2000 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition13 | 009001 | 10/1998 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition12 | 008000 | 08/1998 |
|
TRMM-PFM_Edition12 | 007000 | 06/1998 |
|
Modification History for: Aqua | Terra | TRMM | Terra+Aqua | TRMM+Terra
Sampling Strategy and Production Strategy |
CCode | Available at ASDC |
Impact on the ES-9 Product |
---|---|---|---|
FM1+FM3_Edition23 FM1+FM4_Edition23 |
024025 | 06/2004 |
|
FM1+FM3_Edition23 FM1+FM4_Edition23 |
024024 | 02/2004 |
|
FM1+FM2+FM3+FM4_Edition13 | 023023 | 09/2003 |
|
FM1+FM2+FM3+FM4_Edition13 | 023022 | 08/2003 |
|
Modification History for: Aqua | Terra | TRMM | Terra+Aqua | TRMM+Terra
Sampling Strategy and Production Strategy |
CCode | Available at ASDC |
Impact on the ES-9 Product |
---|---|---|---|
PFM+FM1_Edition23 PFM+FM2_Edition23 PFM+FM1+FM2_Edition23 |
021020 | 09/2002 |
|
PFM+FM1_Edition13 PFM+FM2_Edition13 PFM+FM1+FM2_Edition13 |
019018 | 11/2001 |
|
PFM+FM1_Edition13 PFM+FM2_Edition13 PFM+FM1+FM2_Edition13 |
017015 | 11/2000 |
|
At the present time there are no graphics available over the Web for the ES-9 product; however, the six quality control images (gif files) that are generated and made available on the Web for the ES-4 product are representative of the ES-9. Examples of albedo, shortwave, and longwave (clear-sky and total-sky for each) images from the January 1998 ES-4 TRMM data set follow.
Additional images and ancillary data sets (such as Directional Models) are available from the CERES ERBE-like Data Validation - Public Page.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Data Management System Software Requirements Document, ERBE-like Inversion to Instantaneous TOA Fluxes (Subsystem 2.0), Release 1 Version 1, November 1994.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Data Management System Software Requirements Document, ERBE-like Averaging to Monthly TOA Fluxes (Subsystem 3.0), Release 1 Version 1, January 1995.
Smith, G.L.; Green, R. N.; Raschke, E.; Avis, L. M.; Suttles, J. T.; Wielicki, B. A., and Davies, R.: Inversion Methods for Satellite Studies of the Earth's Radiation Budget: Development of Algorithms for the ERBE Mission. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 407-421, May 1986.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, ERBE-like Inversion to Instantaneous TOA Fluxes (Subsystem 2.0), Rel. 2.2, June 2, 1997.
ERBE Data Management System Reference Manual, Volume V(a) and V(b) (PDF), Inversion, August 1987.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, ERBE-like Averaging to Monthly TOA Fluxes (Subsystem 3.0), Rel. 2.2, June 2, 1997.
ERBE Data Management System Reference Manual, Volume VI (PDF), Daily Data Base, Monthly Time/Space Averaging, November 1986.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Data Management System Data Products Catalog (PDF), Release 3, Version 2, March 2000.
TRW DRL 64, 55067.300.008E; In-flight Measurement Analysis (Rev. E), March 1997.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document, Instrument Geolocate and Calibrate Earth Radiances (Subsystem 1.0), Release 2.2, June 1997.
Brooks, D. R.; Harrison, E. F.; Minnis, P.; Suttles, J. T., and Kandel, R. S.: Development of Algorithms for Understanding the Temporal and Spatial Variability of the Earth's Radiation Balance. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 24, pp. 422-438, May 1986.
ERBE Data Management System, The Regional, Zonal, and Global Averages, S-4, User's Guides, June 1993.
Brooks, D. R. and P. Minnis, "Comparison of Longwave Diurnal Models Applied to Simulations of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment," Journal of Climate and Applied Meteorology, 23, 155-160, 1984.
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Validation Plan, ERBE-like Averaging to Monthly TOA Fluxes (Subsystem 3.0), Release 3.0, February 1999.
Dr. Bruce A. Wielicki
CERES Principal Investigator
Atmospheric Sciences Competency
NASA Langley Research Center
E-mail: b.a.wielicki@nasa.gov
David F. Young, TISA Working Group Chair
Mail Stop 420
Atmospheric Sciences Competency
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199
USA
Telephone: (757) 864-5740
FAX: (757) 864-7996
E-mail: david.f.young@nasa.gov
User and Data Services Office
Atmospheric Science Data Center
NASA Langley Research Center
Mail Stop 157D
Hampton, Virginia 23681-2199
USA
Telephone: (757) 864-8656
FAX: (757) 864-8807
E-mail: larc@eos.nasa.gov
URL: http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov
Acknowledgment: The requested form of acknowledgment for any publication in which these data are used is:
"These data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center."
The Langley Data Center requests a reprint of any published papers or reports or a brief description of other uses (e.g., posters, oral presentations, etc.) of data that we have distributed. This will help the Data Center determine the use of data distributed, which is helpful in optimizing product development. It also helps us to keep our product related references current.
Reference: The CERES Team has gone to considerable trouble to remove major errors and to verify the quality and accuracy of these data. Please provide a reference to the following paper when you publish scientific results with the CERES data:
Wielicki, B. A., B. R. Barkstrom, E. F. Harrison, R. B. Lee III, G. L. Smith, and J. E. Cooper, "Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES): An Earth Observing System Experiment," Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 77, 853-868, 1996.
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