Abstract
The goal of the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) program is to produce a long-term record of radiation budget at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA), within the atmosphere, and at the surface with consistent cloud and aerosol properties at climate accuracy. CERES consists of an integrated instrument-algorithm-validation science team that provides development of higher-level products (Levels 1-3) and investigations. It involves a high level of data fusion, merging inputs from 25 unique input data sources to produce 18 CERES data products. Over 90% of the CERES data product volume involves two or more instruments.
At the heart of the CERES program are the CERES instruments. Thus far, six CERES instruments (PFM, FM1-FM5) have flown on four different spacecraft: TRMM, Terra, Aqua and Suomi NPP. Flight Model 6 is scheduled to fly on the first JPSS spacecraft in the 2017 timeframe. Each CERES instrument is a scanning broadband radiometer that measures filtered radiances in the reflected solar region (wavelengths between 0.3-5 μm), total (TOT) (wavelengths between 0.3-200 μm) and emitted thermal region (wavelengths between 8-12 μm) regions. A Rigorous pre-launch radiometric ground calibration is performed on each CERES sensor to ensure accuracy requirements of 1% and 0.5% (1-sigma) for SW and LW radiance observations respectively are met. Any ground to flight or in-flight changes in radiometric response are monitored using a protocol employing both onboard and vicarious calibration sources and experiments.
This workshop will describe the pre- and post-launch radiometric calibration protocols, as well as lessons learned, utilized by the CERES Instrument Working Group to produce the Fundamental Record which is used by the CERES Science Team to produce the Earth Radiation Budget Climate Data Record.
Enabling Continuity in Earth Radiation Budget Observations by application of a Rigorous Calibration and Validation Protocol to the Observations of the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Instruments
The goal of the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) program is to produce a long-term record of radiation budget at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA), within the atmosphere, and at the surface with consistent cloud and aerosol properties at climate accuracy. CERES consists of an integrated instrument-algorithm-validation science team that provides development of higher-level products (Levels 1-3) and investigations. It involves a high level of data fusion, merging inputs from 25 unique input data sources to produce 18 CERES data products. Over 90% of the CERES data product volume involves two or more instruments.
At the heart of the CERES program are the CERES instruments. Thus far, six CERES instruments (PFM, FM1-FM5) have flown on four different spacecraft: TRMM, Terra, Aqua and Suomi NPP. Flight Model 6 is scheduled to fly on the first JPSS spacecraft in the 2017 timeframe. Each CERES instrument is a scanning broadband radiometer that measures filtered radiances in the reflected solar region (wavelengths between 0.3-5 μm), total (TOT) (wavelengths between 0.3-200 μm) and emitted thermal region (wavelengths between 8-12 μm) regions. A Rigorous pre-launch radiometric ground calibration is performed on each CERES sensor to ensure accuracy requirements of 1% and 0.5% (1-sigma) for SW and LW radiance observations respectively are met. Any ground to flight or in-flight changes in radiometric response are monitored using a protocol employing both onboard and vicarious calibration sources and experiments.
This workshop will describe the pre- and post-launch radiometric calibration protocols, as well as lessons learned, utilized by the CERES Instrument Working Group to produce the Fundamental Record which is used by the CERES Science Team to produce the Earth Radiation Budget Climate Data Record.