Daily Downward Longwave Irradiance from Meteosat Satellite

Downward Longwave Irradiance (DLI) estimates reaching the Earth's surface, derived from the 0.6µm visible channel of the SEVIRI instrument on the Meteosat geostationary satellite. EUMETSAT produces this data by remapping hourly values onto a 0.05-degree regular grid and integrating them into daily values expressed in watts per square meter (W/m²). The algorithm uses a bulk parameterization that incorporates Numerical Weather Prediction model outputs and satellite-derived cloud information.

Use Cases

• Model surface energy balance by integrating daily DLI values with other flux measurements.
• Validate and calibrate climate models using the 0.05-degree gridded DLI estimates.
• Analyze cloud radiative effects by comparing clear-sky DLI calculations with cloud-corrected satellite values.
• Study diurnal and seasonal cycles of thermal radiation using the integrated hourly data underlying the daily product.
• Assess regional climate variability by mapping DLI across the Meteosat field of view.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the operational SEVIRI instrument on the Meteosat geostationary satellite, providing consistent observation.
• Products are remapped onto a standardized 0.05-degree regular latitude-longitude grid.
• Algorithm integrates Numerical Weather Prediction outputs with satellite cloud data for physical consistency.

Limitations

• Specific temporal coverage, spatial resolution beyond 0.05 degrees, and validation metrics are not provided.
• The description lacks concrete metrics on dataset size, record count, or explicit error estimates.
• Reliance on model outputs for clear-sky calculation introduces dependencies on NWP accuracy.

Provenance

Source

EUMETSAT, derived from the Meteosat satellite's SEVIRI instrument.

Collection Method

Derived via a bulk parameterization algorithm using NWP model outputs and satellite-derived cloud information from the 0.6µm channel, remapped to a 0.05° grid.

Geography

Coverage area of the Meteosat geostationary satellite (primarily Europe, Africa, and parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans).