NOAA-20 FLASHFlux Radiative and Cloud Swath Data

FLASHFlux NOAA-20 SSF Version1B data provide near real-time top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes, cloud properties, and parameterized surface fluxes. This rapid-release product from the NASA CERES project processes measurements from the CERES scanner and VIIRS imager on the NOAA-20 satellite within one week of acquisition. It is designed for applications requiring timely data, with calibration accuracy relaxed compared to the final climate-quality CERES products.

Use Cases

• Analyzing shortwave and longwave radiative flux at the top of the atmosphere using CERES scanner measurements.
• Investigating cloud properties and their radiative effects by combining CERES data with VIIRS scene identification.
• Assessing surface energy budget estimates derived from parameterized surface fluxes.
• Studying diurnal or synoptic-scale variations in Earth's radiation budget with data processed within a week of measurement.
• Integrating meteorological context from GEOS-5 ADAS assimilation data for atmospheric analysis.

Strengths

• Data is processed and released within one week of satellite measurement, enabling near real-time analysis.
• Combines measurements from multiple instruments: CERES scanner for fluxes, VIIRS for high-resolution scene context, and GEOS-5 for meteorological data.
• Built on algorithms developed for the established, world-class NASA CERES climate project.

Limitations

• The product is not officially calibrated and is explicitly stated as not intended to achieve climate data quality.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column schema are unavailable from the provided sources.
• A conflict exists: one platform lists a last updated date of 2026-03-13, which is a future date and may indicate a metadata error.

Provenance

Source

NASA Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy Systems (CERES) project, Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the CERES FM6 instrument and VIIRS imager aboard the NOAA-20 satellite, combined with GEOS-5 atmospheric assimilation data.

Freshness

2026-03-13 20:34:59.415708

Geography

Global swath coverage from the NOAA-20 satellite orbit.