Daily Solar Irradiance Data from the Atlantic ASTEX Campaign

Daily solar irradiance calculations at the surface derived from METEOSAT satellite observations during the 1992 ASTEX field campaign. The data consists of gridded images with 376 pixels per row and 326 rows, each pixel representing a 0.04-degree spatial resolution. This dataset was produced by the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center from observations in June 1992.

Use Cases

• Validate general circulation model (GCM) cloud/radiation parameterizations using the daily surface solar irradiance flux data.
• Analyze the spatial distribution of solar energy at the surface across the eastern North Atlantic Ocean using the 0.04-degree resolution pixel grid.
• Study the interaction between marine stratocumulus clouds and surface radiative fluxes during the June 1992 intensive field observation period.
• Correlate satellite-derived daily irradiance values with coordinated airborne and surface observations from the FIRE ASTEX campaign.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated intensive field observation (IFO) campaign combining satellite, airborne, and surface measurements.
• Provides high spatial resolution imagery with 122,576 pixels (376 x 326) per daily file.
• Covers a focused, scientifically significant 28-day observation period in June 1992.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to a single month from a campaign over 30 years ago.
• Documentation indicates a discrepancy regarding the number of data channels per file.
• The dataset's exact row count, file size, and complete column schema are unknown.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Calculated from METEOSAT satellite observations.

Time Range

June 1, 1992 to June 28, 1992.

Freshness

null

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, specifically the ASTEX study region.