CERES
Operations in Orbit
Users of CERES data should be aware that the CERES instrument has three primary scan modes. The Crosstrack scan mode is the same as that used in ERBE. The Rotating Azimuth Plane (RAP or biaxial) scan mode is used by CERES to provide angular coverage for Angular Distribution Models construction. The Alongtrack scan mode is used for validation of CERES instantaneous fluxes. To determine the scan mode a CERES instrument is in on any given day, just click on the scan mode character (e.g. M, X, R) in the month of interest and it will link you to daily information. Given that multiple scan modes can occur on the same day, users of instantaneous data are advised to also check the "azimuth scan plane" flag for each data record when analyzing the data to properly identify the scan mode for each CERES footprint.




CERES SCAN MODES by MONTH: 

Selection of CERES Instrument Data Depends on Science Goals

A.  Long time scale climate signals (monthly to interannual):
        Use data from the same CERES instrument through the interval of interest (Explanation).

B.  Instantaneous to monthly time scale regional data:
         Use the CERES instrument which is scanning in crosstrack mode (Explanation).

C.  Studies of broadband solar and infrared anisotropy of Earth Radiation:
        Use the CERES instrument which is scanning in rotating azimuth mode (Explanation).

The tables below only represent the instrument operation modes and do not reflect the availability of data

X = Crosstrack Scanning     R = Rotating Azimuth (RAP) Scanning 1 , 2     M = Mixed Scanning 
L = Limited Days Available    " - " = Not Available

1998
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
TRMM 3 PFM
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
-
-
-
-

1999
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
TRMM 4 PFM
-
-
L
-
-
L
L
-
-
-
-
-

2000
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
TRMM PFM
-
L
X
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Terra FM1
-
L
M
M
X
X
X
R
R
R
X
X
  FM2
-
L
M
X
M
M
R
X
X
X
R
R

2001
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
R
R
R
X
X
M
R
R
R
X
X
  FM2
R
X
X
X
R
R
R
X
X
X
R
R

2002
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Aqua FM3
-
-
-
-
-
L
M
M
R
R
X
X
  FM4
-
-
-
-
-
L
M
M
X
X
R
R

2003
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
M
  FM2
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
M
Aqua FM3
X
R
M
R
X
X
X
R
R
R
R
M
  FM4
R
X
X
X
R
M
R
X
X
X
X
X

2004
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
R
M
M
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
Aqua FM3
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
R
  FM4
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

2005
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
R
X
X
R
R
X
-
-
X
X
X
X
Aqua FM3
R
R
R
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM45
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

2006
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
-
-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Aqua FM3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM45
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

2007
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Aqua FM3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM45
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

2008
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Aqua FM3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
  FM45
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

2009
SATELLITE INSTRUMENT JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Terra FM1
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
  FM2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
Aqua FM3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
-
  FM45
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
-
-
-

1 About every two weeks, instruments(s) operating in RAP scan mode transition to one day of Alongtrack scanning.
2 To support field experiments, the instrument operating in RAP scan mode may be placed in special scan modes.
3 TRMM has only one CERES scanner, and that scanner usually operated in Crosstrack scan mode for 2 days in crosstrack, followed by 1 day in Rotating Azimuth Plane (RAP) scan mode.
4 TRMM took limited data over special field experiments during 1999.
5 The SW channel on the FM4 instrument stopped functioning on March 30, 2005 at approximately 18:42 UT.


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