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NOAA/ESRL/GMD Radiometers (NOAARAD)

Information updated on June 26, 2007, 5:34 pm GMT


General Data Description

NOAA/ESRL GMD (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / Earth System Research Laboratory, Global Monitoring Division) provides surface radiation data from Barrow, AK, part of a long-term surface solar irradiance monitoring network of globally remote sites (G-Rad). Data are available from 1976-02-18 to present.

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Data Stream Names

Measurement Description

(See Data User Notes Section below for more details on measurement availability.)
  • Shortwave direct normal irradiance, pyrheliometer, W/m^2
  • Downwelling shortwave hemispheric irradiance, pyranometer, W/m^2
  • Downwelling shortwave hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) irradiance, pyranometer, W/m^2
  • Downwelling shortwave diffuse hemispheric irradiance, pyranometer, W/m^2
  • Downwelling longwave hemispheric irradiance, shaded pyrgeometer, W/m^2
  • Downwelling pyrgeometer case thermistor temperature, shaded pyrgeometer, C
  • Downwelling pyrgeometer dome thermistor temperature, shaded pyrgeometer, C
  • Battery #1 Voltage, V
  • Sum of shortwave direct normal irradiance*cos(SZA) + downwelling shortwave diffuse hemispheric irradiance
  • Upwelling shortwave hemispheric irradiance, pyranometer, W/m^2
  • Upwelling longwave hemispheric irradiance, pyrgeometer, W/m^2
  • Upwelling pyrgeometer case thermistor temperature, pyrgeometer, C
  • Upwelling pyrgeometer dome thermistor temperature, pyrgeometer, C
  • Battery #2 Voltage, V

Temporal Coverage

The data began on 1976-02-18.

The newest data are available with a 4 or 5 day delay.

Area Covered

Only the data for Barrow, Alaska, are collected and archived in this data-stream.

Notification Form Link

Notification form

Related Links

Quality assured hourly averaged data, that went into Dutton et al. 2006, are available from NOAA/ESRL GMD Radiation Group (G-Rad), or from the ARM Archive Special Data Holdings

Contacts

Data Source

Processing History

The data were re-released by Ells Dutton on 2006-01-10.

Data User Notes

The number of instruments and measurements taken has varied throughout the years.

All irradiances are 3 minute averages before 1998-01-01, 1 minute averages after this date.

Here are the date ranges and available measurements:
(Note: *** indicates new measurement when compared to the previous time period)

1976-02-18 / 1984-12-31:

  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance

1985-01-01 / 1993-04-19:
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m ***
  • Battery #1 Voltage ***

1993-04-20 / 1995-07-05:
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance ***
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature ***
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature ***
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance ***
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature ***
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature ***
  • Battery #1 Voltage

1995-07-06 / 1998-03-27:
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance ***
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #1 Voltage
  • Sum of short_direct_normal*cos(SZA) + down_short_diffuse_hemisp ***

1998-03-28 / 2002-10-28:
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 20m ***
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #1 Voltage
  • Sum of short_direct_normal*cos(SZA) + down_short_diffuse_hemisp

2002-10-29 / 2003-11-27:
Note: Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 20m has been removed.
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #1 Voltage
  • Sum of short_direct_normal*cos(SZA) + down_short_diffuse_hemisp

2003-11-28 / 2006-08-13:

Note: Upwelling data (see variables, Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance,Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature, Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature, including Battery #2 Voltage) is being recorded from a new albedo rack, which is at a higher location than the previous albedo rack.

  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #1 Voltage
  • Sum of short_direct_normal*cos(SZA) + down_short_diffuse_hemisp
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #2 Voltage

2006-08-13 / present:

Additional measurements Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance and Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance were added for redundancy.

  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance
  • Shortwave Direct Normal Irradiance, redundant
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Near-IR (695nm) Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Shortwave Diffuse Hemispheric Irradiance, redundant
  • Downwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #1 Voltage
  • Sum of short_direct_normal*cos(SZA) + down_short_diffuse_hemisp
  • Upwelling Shortwave Hemispheric Irradiance mounted at 2m
  • Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
  • Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
  • Battery #2 Voltage

Example Data

This is a sample data record for the input data file as provided by NOAA.

Sample entry for 20060801, 001000 GMT:

2006 8 1 0 10 1.77 190.79 87.40 191.29 324.03 3.98 4.15 13.21 192.31 30.79 346.92 5.65 5.58 13.5500

2006 8 1Date, YYYY MM DD
0 10GMT TIME, HH mm
1.77 Shortwave direct normal irradiance
190.79 Downwelling shortwave hemispheric irradiance
87.40 Downwelling shortwave hemispheric near-IR (695nm) irradiance
191.29 Downwelling shortwave diffuse hemispheric irradiance
324.03Downwelling longwave hemispheric irradiance
3.98 Downwelling pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
4.15 Downwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
13.21 #1 Battery Voltage
192.31 Sum of shortwave direct normal irradiance*cos(SZA) + downwelling shortwave diffuse hemispheric irradiance
30.79 Upwelling shortwave hemispheric irradiance
346.92Upwelling Longwave Hemispheric Irradiance, Pyrgeometer
5.65Upwelling Pyrgeometer Case Thermistor Temperature
5.58Upwelling Pyrgeometer Dome Thermistor Temperature
13.5500#2 Battery Voltage

Citable References

  • Dutton, E. G., D. W. Nelson, R. S. Stone, D. Longenecker, G. Carbaugh, J. M. Harris, and J. Wendell (2006), Decadal variations in surface solar irradiance as observed in a globally remote network. Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres) 111, 19101, 2006JGRD..11119101D