ERBE S-4G MFOV: Earth Radiation Budget Regional Averages

Global and regional data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) satellites, averaged to a 10.0-degree grid. The dataset contains monthly, daily, and hourly averages of radiant flux and albedo, derived from non-scanner, medium field-of-view instruments using a shape factor reduction technique. Measurements cover the spectral range from 0.2 to 5 microns for shortwave radiation and total spectral channels.

Use Cases

• Analyzing regional and global albedo trends based on 10-degree gridded averages.
• Modeling Earth's radiation budget using satellite-derived flux measurements from total and shortwave spectral channels.
• Validating climate model outputs against historical satellite observations from the ERBE mission.
• Studying diurnal cycles of radiation using the monthly hourly average data.

Strengths

• Data collection is explicitly stated as complete, providing a finalized record.
• Derived from high-accuracy active cavity radiometers, designed for spectral flatness.
• Provides multi-temporal aggregation (daily, monthly, hourly) for analysis at different scales.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA and government portals signals its importance and curation.

Limitations

• Column names and precise data structure are unknown, hindering immediate analysis.
• Sources conflict on last update date (1990 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Specific file size and row counts are not provided in any source.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 spacecraft, using non-scanner medium field-of-view (MFOV) instruments.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:40:29.680440

Geography

Global, with ERBS coverage between 67.5 degrees north and south latitude and NOAA satellites providing full global coverage.