CERES CRS Terra FM1 MODIS: Instantaneous Cloud and Radiative Flux Profiles

CERES FM1 instrument on the Terra satellite provides one hour of instantaneous cloud and radiative data. The Clouds and Radiative Swath product contains geolocation, minimal cloud properties, and top-of-atmosphere fluxes, with vertical flux profiles at six atmospheric levels for both clear-sky and total-sky conditions. This Edition4A product is part of NASA's Earth Observing System and follows the legacy of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric radiative transfer based on vertical flux profiles at six pressure levels.
• Analyzing cloud radiative forcing based on clear-sky and total-sky flux comparisons.
• Studying Earth's radiation budget variability based on instantaneous CERES broadband measurements.
• Investigating cloud property impacts on surface and atmospheric heating rates based on included minimal cloud properties.

Strengths

• Data originates from the CERES-FM1 instrument on the flagship Terra satellite, launched December 18, 1999.
• Product provides vertical flux profiles at six specific atmospheric levels: surface, 850-, 500-, 200-, 70-, and 0.01-hPa.
• Is part of a long-term NASA Earth Observing System program with instruments launched across multiple missions from 1997 to 2017.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The product should be used in conjunction with another specific CERES SSF product, as only a few variables from the SSF are included.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected using the CERES-FM1 instrument on the Terra platform.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:03:03.452906; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage from satellite orbit.