GEWEX SRB Longwave Radiation Fluxes Over Oceans

GEWEXSRB_Rel4_1-IP_Longwave_daily_oceanonly_local provides ocean-only global fields of 26 longwave radiative parameters. The dataset, produced by NASA's LARC ASDC, contains daily averages derived from 3-hourly values for fluxes at the surface, multiple atmospheric pressure levels, and the top of the atmosphere. Its temporal coverage spans from January 1988 to June 2017, combining the ocean-only extension (2010-2017) with the preceding global UTC product (1988-2009).

Use Cases

• Analyzing trends in outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) over ocean surfaces from 1988 to 2017.
• Comparing all-sky, clear-sky, and pristine-sky radiative fluxes at the tropopause, 200hPa, 500hPa, and surface levels.
• Validating climate models using derived longwave parameters based on inputs from ISCCP, SeaFlux, and MERRA-2.
• Investigating cloud radiative effects using the included status flag for filled cloud properties.
• Studiating the surface radiation budget specifically for oceanic regions, excluding land data.

Strengths

• Provides a long-term record of 26 distinct longwave radiative parameters from January 1988 to June 2017.
• Derives fluxes from multiple established input sources including ISCCP HXS cloud data and MERRA-2 meteorology.
• Distinguishes between all-sky, clear-sky, and pristine-sky conditions for upward and downward fluxes.

Limitations

• The ocean-only product is an extension created due to a missing key input from the main dataset.
• Exact row count, file size, and complete column names are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (2026 vs. 2009), suggesting metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC) under the WCRP/GEWEX Surface Radiation Budget Project.

Collection Method

Parameters derived using the GEWEX SRB Longwave algorithm from 3-hourly values averaged to daily local solar time, with inputs from ISCCP, SeaFlux, and MERRA-2.

Time Range

January 1988 through June 2017

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:42:01.450545

Geography

Global, ocean-only surfaces