ERBE Satellite Earth Radiation Budget Zonal and Global Averages

Global satellite measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) provide zonal and global averages of radiation parameters. Data from three satellites (ERBS, NOAA-9, NOAA-10) were processed using a shape factor technique and averaged into 10-degree latitudinal zones and global totals. The dataset includes monthly, daily, and hourly averages stored as integers in HDF format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing latitudinal variations in Earth's albedo and outgoing longwave radiation using 10-degree zonal averages.
• Modeling global energy budget trends by examining the globally averaged total spectral and shortwave radiation parameters.
• Investigating diurnal cycles of radiation using the monthly hourly average data products.
• Validating climate model outputs against historical satellite observations of the Earth's radiation budget.

Strengths

• Data collection is complete, providing a definitive record from the ERBE mission.
• Spatial coverage is global, with data from three satellites ensuring broad observational coverage.
• Temporal resolution includes daily, monthly, and hourly averages, allowing analysis at multiple scales.
• Data is processed using a specific shape factor reduction technique for consistent derivation of averages.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date (1990-02-28 vs. 2026-03-13), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite measurements from the ERBE non-scanner wide field-of-view (WFOV) instruments, processed with a shape factor data reduction technique.

Time Range

Coverage from the operational period of the ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 satellites (exact dates not specified).

Freshness

2026-03 13 02:59:21.471148

Geography

Global coverage, with specific coverage between 67.5 degrees north and south latitude from the ERBS satellite.