ERBE_S4GN_WFOV_SF_ZG_1: Earth Radiation Budget Zonal and Global Averages

ERBE_S4GN_WFOV_SF_ZG_1 contains gridded, monthly-averaged estimates of radiant flux at the top-of-the-atmosphere from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. The data is derived from non-scanner instruments on three satellites and is organized by parameter across 10.0-degree zonal and global regions. This dataset provides processed measurements without scene identification from the scanner, using a numerical filter cross-track enhancement.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in Earth's albedo and outgoing longwave radiation based on gridded, monthly-averaged radiant flux data.
• Validating climate model outputs of top-of-the-atmosphere energy fluxes using satellite-derived zonal and global averages.
• Studying the spatial distribution of atmospheric radiative energy using the 10.0-degree zonal gridded data structure.
• Comparing non-scanner instrument data processed with a numerical filter against other ERBE data products.

Strengths

• Data collection is explicitly stated as complete across all platform descriptions.
• Derived from a multi-satellite system (ERBS, NOAA-9, NOAA-10), providing a consolidated observational record.
• Provides a specific, gridded data product (S-4GN) organized by parameter, which differs from region-grouped alternatives.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: column names, row counts, and dataset size are unknown on all platforms.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist: one source shows 1995-11-30, while others show 2026-04-10, indicating potential metadata inconsistency.
• The dataset's temporal coverage (start and end dates) is not specified in the provided input.

Provenance

Source

NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC), with data from the ERBE mission on ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 satellites.

Collection Method

Satellite observations from non-scanner instrument packages, processed into monthly, gridded zonal and global averages.

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:39:42.891784

Geography

Global coverage, with data averaged into 10.0-degree zonal bands.