FIRE ASTEX: Hourly Solar Irradiance from METEOSAT over the Atlantic

The First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) dataset provides hourly solar irradiance calculations at the surface. These calculations are based on observations from the METEOSAT satellite during the June 1992 intensive field observation in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. The data was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and is formatted as I2 pixel grids with a spatial resolution of 0.04 degrees.

Use Cases

• Validating solar irradiance parameterizations in climate models based on the satellite-derived flux data.
• Analyzing the interaction between marine stratocumulus clouds and surface radiation during the 1992 ASTEX field campaign.
• Investigating spatial and temporal variability of surface solar energy based on the 0.04-degree resolution pixel grids.
• Correlating satellite-observed irradiance with coordinated airborne and surface observations mentioned in the experiment design.

Strengths

• Data is derived from coordinated satellite observations during a designed intensive field observation period.
• Spatial resolution is specified as 0.04 degrees per pixel.
• Files provide hourly temporal resolution, with time calculated from the file slot number.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and the discrepancy between header and documentation on channels must be inferred after download.
• Row count and total dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes a discrepancy where file headers claim two channels but documentation states only one.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Calculations based on observations by the METEOSAT satellite.

Time Range

Covers the June 1 - June 28, 1992 intensive field observation period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:48:10.346805; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers the ASTEX region in the eastern North Atlantic Ocean.