CERES SYN1deg: Hourly Top-of-Atmosphere and Surface Fluxes with Clouds and Aerosols

Global satellite data providing one-hourly, 1-degree resolution measurements of Earth's radiative energy budget. The dataset combines observations from CERES and MODIS instruments on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites with geostationary satellite data, processed using the Langley Fu-Liou radiative transfer model. Data collection for this Edition4A product is ongoing.

Use Cases

• Modeling diurnal variability of radiative fluxes based on the one-hourly temporal resolution.
• Analyzing cloud and aerosol impacts on atmospheric heating based on provided clear-sky, all-sky, and aerosol-condition fluxes.
• Validating climate models using CERES-observed TOA fluxes normalized with geostationary data.
• Studying regional energy balance based on the 1-degree spatial scale and computed surface fluxes.

Strengths

• Integrates data from multiple satellite platforms (Terra, Aqua, geostationary) and instruments (CERES, MODIS).
• Provides computed fluxes for multiple sky conditions (all-sky, clear-sky, pristine).
• Uses a normalization technique to ensure consistency between CERES and geostationary satellite TOA fluxes.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data collected by CERES and MODIS instruments on Terra and Aqua satellites, combined with geostationary satellite radiances cross-calibrated with MODIS.

Time Range

Data collection is ongoing; specific temporal coverage is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 08:01:03.556285; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage on a 1-degree equal-angle grid.