ERBE Satellite Earth Radiation Budget Gridded Regional Averages

Data collection is complete for this multi-satellite Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) dataset. It provides gridded monthly averages of top-of-atmosphere radiant flux estimates from non-scanner instruments on the ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 satellites. The S-4GN product organizes parameters by region, differing from the region-grouped S-4N product.

Use Cases

• Analyzing regional variations in Earth's albedo using gridded top-of-atmosphere flux data.
• Studying long-term changes in atmospheric radiative flux from multi-satellite monthly averages.
• Comparing gridded parameter data (S-4GN) against region-grouped data (S-4N) for methodological research.
• Modeling the Earth's radiation budget using wide field of view shape factor estimates.

Strengths

• Data originates from a multi-satellite system (ERBS, NOAA-9, NOAA-10), providing multiple observational sources.
• Dataset provides gridded monthly averages, offering a structured spatial and temporal view of radiation parameters.
• Collection is stated as complete, offering a finalized record for the experiment's timeframe.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: last updated date is reported as both 1995-11-30 and 2026-03-13.
• No column names, row counts, or specific file sizes are provided by any source, limiting detailed assessment.
• Data is stored in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF), which may require specialized tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).

Collection Method

Processed from non-scanner instrument data aboard ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 satellites, using a numerical filter cross track enhancement and without scanner scene identification.

Time Range

The experiment timeframe is not explicitly stated, but data collection is noted as complete.

Freshness

2026-03 13 03:06:38.623957

Geography

Global coverage from satellite observations, averaged into 10.0-degree regional grids.