CERES Clouds and Computed Flux Profile uses radiative transfer code to model
in atmosphere as well as surface fluxes. Treatment of clouds using VIRS/MODIS
retrieved cloud properties, multi-constituent aerosols with satellite retrieved
optical depths, scene and spectrally dependent surface boundary conditions.
Time-space averaging using geostationary based cloud properties and grid scale
radiative transfer.
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The Clouds and Radiative Swath (CRS) product contains one hour of instantaneous
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner
instrument. The CRS contains all of the CERES SSF product data. For each CERES
FOV on the SSF, the CRS also contains vertical flux profiles evaluated at
five levels in the atmosphere: the surface, 500 hPa, 200 hPa, 70 hPa, and
the TOA. After an initial pass through the radiative transfer model, the input
parameters to the model are adjusted and a constrained pass through the model
is made for both clear sky and total sky. If the FOV is overcast, clear sky
fluxes are still calculated.
File Temporal Coverage:
Instantaneous
File Spatial Coverage:
CERES FOV
Product Type:
Clouds and Computed Flux Profile
Product Level:
2
File Frequency:
1/hour
Nominal Size/File:
85 MB
Applicable Studies:
Cloud and aerosol properties comparison
Cloud and aerosol radiative forcing estimate or comparison with other estimate
Comparison of radiation, aerosol and cloud properties with model other then
GCM (ie. LES, CRM)
Flux calculation with simple transfer model
In situ Flux comparison over particular region
Interpretation of radiation cloud and aerosol property variability
The Monthly Gridded Radiative Fluxes and Clouds (FSW) archival data product
contains hourly single scanner flux and cloud parameters averaged over 1.0-degree
regions. Input to the FSW Subsystem is the Clouds and Radiative Swath (CRS)
archival data product. Each FSW covers a single month swath from a single
CERES instrument mounted on one satellite. The product is written in HDF and
contains metadata as well as gridded science data. The HDF product for TRMM
consists of eight files, each containing data for ten 1.0-degree equal-angle
zones. The HDF product for Terra and Aqua consists of 60 files, each containing
data for three 1.0-degree equal-angle zones. Each record contains spatially
averaged data for an individual region.
File Temporal Coverage:
Hourly
File Spatial Coverage:
Gridded regional
Product Type:
Clouds and Computed Flux Profile
Product Level:
3
File Frequency:
#zones/month
Nominal Size/File:
100 MB
Applicable Studies:
Cloud and aerosol properties comparison
Cloud and aerosol radiative forcing estimate or comparison with other estimate
Comparison of radiation, aerosol and cloud properties with model other then
GCM (ie. LES, CRM)
Comparison with GCMs
Flux calculation with simple transfer model
In situ Flux comparison over particular region
Interpretation of radiation cloud and aerosol property variability
The Synoptic Radiative Fluxes and Clouds (SYN) product contains a day of
space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES)
data for a single scanner instrument. The 1-degree regional flux at the hour
of observation from the CERES FSW product and concurrent diurnal data from
geostationary satellites are used to estimate the regional flux at 3-hour GMT
based intervals. Also at 3-hour intervals are estimates of the adjusted
(tuned) fluxes at the five atmospheric levels as defined by the CERES CRS
product for both clear-sky and totalsky scenes, estimates of the average
cloud parameters in four cloud height categories, and averaged cloud
parameters.
File Temporal Coverage:
3 Hourly Average
File Spatial Coverage:
Gridded regional
Product Type:
Clouds and Computed Flux Profile
Product Level:
3
File Frequency:
1/day
Nominal Size/File:
256 MB
Applicable Studies:
Cloud and aerosol properties comparison
Cloud and aerosol radiative forcing estimate or comparison with other estimate
Comparison of radiation, aerosol and cloud properties with model other then
GCM (ie. LES, CRM)
Comparison with GCMs
Flux calculation with simple transfer model
In situ Flux comparison over particular region
Interpretation of radiation cloud and aerosol property variability
The monthly Regional Radiative and Clouds (AVG) product contains monthly
and monthly hourly (3-hour) averages of the Synoptic Radiative Fluxes and
Clouds (SYN) product. This product is the CERES equivalent of the monthly
regional averages in the ERBE ES-4 product of the CERES untuned and tuned
radiative transfer modeled fluxes. This product is written in HDF_EOS and
contains meta data as well as gridded science data.
File Temporal Coverage:
Monthly
File Spatial Coverage:
Globally averaged, Gridded regional
Product Type:
Clouds and Computed Flux Profile
Product Level:
3
File Frequency:
1/month
Nominal Size/File:
630 MB
Applicable Studies:
Cloud and aerosol properties comparison
Cloud and aerosol radiative forcing estimate or comparison with other estimate
Comparison of radiation, aerosol and cloud properties with model other then
GCM (ie. LES, CRM)
Comparison with GCMs
Flux calculation with simple transfer model
In situ Flux comparison over particular region
Interpretation of radiation cloud and aerosol property variability
The Monthly Zonal and Global Radiative Fluxes and Clouds (ZAVG) product
are the zonal and global averages of the monthly Regional Radiative and
Clouds (AVG) product. This product is the CERES equivalent of the zonal and
global averages in the ERBE ES-4 product of the CERES untuned and tuned
radiative transfer modeled fluxes. This product is written in HDF_EOS and
contains meta data as well as gridded science data.
File Temporal Coverage:
Monthly
File Spatial Coverage:
Zonally averaged
Product Type:
Clouds and Computed Flux Profile
Product Level:
3
File Frequency:
1/month
Nominal Size/File:
4 MB
Applicable Studies:
Cloud and aerosol properties comparison
Cloud and aerosol radiative forcing estimate or comparison with other estimate
Comparison of radiation, aerosol and cloud properties with model other then
GCM (ie. LES, CRM)
Comparison with GCMs
Flux calculation with simple transfer model
In situ Flux comparison over particular region
Interpretation of radiation cloud and aerosol property variability