CERES ERBE-like Instantaneous TOA Estimates from Terra FM2

CERES ERBE-like Instantaneous Top-of-the-Atmosphere Estimates are satellite-derived measurements of Earth's radiant energy. The data product is collected by the CERES-FM2 instrument on the Terra spacecraft, with collection ongoing since its launch on December 18, 1999. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and provides filtered and unfiltered radiances converted to fluxes.

Use Cases

• Model Earth's climate system based on top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes.
• Analyze shortwave and longwave radiation patterns based on channel-specific radiances.
• Validate satellite-derived climate data based on ERBE-like scene identification and angular models.
• Study temporal changes in atmospheric energy based on ongoing, instantaneous data collection.

Strengths

• Data collection is ongoing, providing a continuous record.
• Product uses established ERBE-like Angular Distribution Models (ADMs) for flux conversion.
• Includes measurements from three broadband channels: total, shortwave, and window.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected using the CERES-FM2 instrument on the Terra spacecraft.

Time Range

Ongoing collection since launch on December 18, 1999.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:00:09.390651; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage from polar orbit.