FIRE ASTEX: Weekly Solar Irradiance Data from METEOSAT, 1992

June 1992 data from the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) field campaign. The dataset contains weekly calculations of solar irradiance at the surface, derived from METEOSAT satellite observations. It was created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to improve cloud and radiation parameterizations in climate models.

Use Cases

• Validating solar radiation parameterizations in climate models based on satellite-derived surface irradiance.
• Studying cloud-radiation interactions for marine stratocumulus systems based on the ASTEX field campaign focus.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of solar energy flux at a 0.04-degree resolution over the eastern North Atlantic Ocean.

Strengths

• Data is tied to a specific, coordinated field experiment (ASTEX) combining satellite, airborne, and surface observations.
• Spatial resolution is explicitly defined as 0.04 degrees per pixel.
• Temporal coverage is clearly specified for June 1992.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes a discrepancy between the file header claiming two channels and documentation stating one channel.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Calculations based on observations by the METEOSAT satellite.

Time Range

June 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:55:58.650270; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern North Atlantic Ocean, focused on the ASTEX study region.