DSCOVR NISTAR: Daytime Earth Radiation Budget Time Series

Global daytime Earth radiation budget data is derived from the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite's NISTAR radiometer. The dataset is a time series of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes, calculated by applying angular distribution models to NISTAR radiance measurements using scene-type information from EPIC camera composites. This product is designed to measure the radiation budget for an entire hemisphere.

Use Cases

• Validating global climate model simulations of Earth's energy budget based on hemispheric radiation flux measurements.
• Analyzing temporal trends in shortwave and longwave radiative forcing using the derived flux time series.
• Studying the anisotropy of Earth's reflectance and emittance by applying the angular distribution models (ADMs) described.
• Integrating satellite-derived radiation budget data with other climate observation records for holistic climate monitoring.

Strengths

• Derived from a satellite instrument (NISTAR) explicitly designed for hemispheric radiation budget measurement.
• Utilizes a sophisticated methodology integrating data from multiple sensors (NISTAR, EPIC) and models (CERES ADMs).
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata indicates recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Metadata is sparse; specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting update timestamps exist: one source lists a future date (2026-04-10), while another lists 2017-12-31, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the DSCOVR spacecraft's NISTAR radiometer and EPIC camera, processed with angular distribution models.

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:59:28.080861 (Note: This is a future date, which conflicts with another source listing 2017-12-31.)

Geography

Global (entire sunlit hemisphere)