Earth Radiation Budget Experiment Daily Satellite Radiometric Data

ERBE_S8_NAT_1 contains daily processed radiometric measurements from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment's multi-satellite system. The dataset includes scanner and non-scanner measurements, satellite geometry, scene identification, and derived top-of-atmosphere flux estimates for 24-hour periods. Data collection is complete, originating from NASA and NOAA satellites ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10.

Use Cases

• Analyzing shortwave and longwave radiant flux at the top of the atmosphere using scanner pixel estimates.
• Studying diurnal variations in Earth's radiation budget with data divided into 16-second intervals over a 24-hour day.
• Comparing scene-specific radiative properties (e.g., cloud, ocean, land) identified for each scanner pixel.
• Validating climate models using calibrated, multi-satellite measurements from ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10.
• Investigating satellite viewing geometry effects on radiometric measurements in engineering units.

Strengths

• Provides a complete multi-satellite record from three distinct platforms (ERBS, NOAA-9, NOAA-10) for cross-validation.
• Includes both raw measurements in engineering units and derived scientific products like scene identification and TOA flux estimates.
• Offers high temporal resolution with data organized in 16-second intervals over a full 24-hour period.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: the last updated date is reported as both 1990-02-28 and a future date of 2026-03 13.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column schemas are unavailable across all platforms.
• Data is stored in a legacy Native (NAT) format which may require specialized knowledge for processing.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via scanner and non-scanner instrument packages aboard the ERBS, NOAA-9, and NOAA-10 satellites.

Time Range

Data collection period is complete, but specific start and end years are not provided.

Freshness

1990-02-28 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Global coverage from satellite observations.