Data Product Description – Rel. 3
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Data Format
Each data file contains an entire month of global fields of the parameters described below. The data files are available in either binary or NetCDF format which can be read using software provided when ordering 
data. Additionally, the NetCDF data are available through OPeNDAP. Data files are named according to the following convention:
| srb_relN.n_WWWWwave_RRRRR_yyyymm.fileformat, where: | ||
|---|---|---|
| srb | - | Project name, Surface Radiation Budget |
| relN.n | - | Release number for these data (e.g. N=3, n=0 --> Release 3.0) |
| WWWWwave | - | Name of the algorithm used to generated the data parameters, (e.g. Longwave or Shortwave) |
| RRRRR | - | Time resolution of the data file, (e.g. RRRRR = "3hrly" for instantaneous values every 3-hours, "daily" for daily averages, or "monthly" for monthly averages.) |
| yyyy | - | 4-digit year |
| mm | - | 2-digit month |
| fileformat | - | binary or nc |
Data Products
| Jump to: [Shortwave] [Langley Parameterized] [Ancillary] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Data File (Temporal Coverage) Parameters available by ordering respective data file names indicated in bold.) |
Parameter | Temporal Resolution |
| Primary Algorithms | ||
| SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) |
Day/Night flag (Day=1, Night=0) |
3 hourly |
| SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY_NC SRB_REL3.1_LW_DAILY SRB_REL3.1_LW_DAILY_NC SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.1_LW_3HRLY_MONTHLY_NC SRB_REL3.1_LW_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.1_LW_MONTHLY_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with each data file. Additional parameters can be calculated using data contained in these files. |
Upward Clear-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Top-of-Atmosphere (W/m2) | (1) 3 hourly (2) Daily averages (3) Monthly averages (4) 3 hourly/monthly |
| Upward Clear-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Earth’s Surface (W/m2) | ||
| Downward Clear-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Earth’s Surface (W/m2) | ||
| Upward All-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Top-of-Atmosphere (W/m2) | ||
| Upward All-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Earth’s Surface (W/m2) | ||
| Downward All-sky Longwave Radiative Flux at Earth’s Surface (W/m2) | ||
| SRB_REL3.0_CLDPROPS_3HRLY (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) These data are provided to enable users to compute fluxes using any algorithms (including the one used in our work), if they so desire. A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with the data file. |
Forty-seven Parameters: 1. GLW Skin Temperature (K) 2. GEOS Skin Temperature (K) 3. ISCCP Skin Temperature (K) 4. Precipitable Water (g/cm2) 5. Snow/Ice Percentage (%) 6. Day/Night flag (daynite; 1=Day, 0=Night) 7. Total Cloud Fraction 8. Total Cloud Top Pressure (hPa) 9. Total Cloud Top Temperature (K) 10. Total Cloud Optical Depth 11. Surface Pressure (hPa) 12. Total Column Ozone 13-17. Cloud Fraction for 5 cloud types 18-22. Cloud Visible Optical Depth for 5 cloud types 23-27. Cloud particle size for 5 cloud types (droplet radius for water clouds; effective diameter for ice clouds) 28-32. Cloud Top Temperature for 5 cloud types 33-37. Cloud Top Pressure for 5 cloud types 38-42. Cloud Base Pressure for 5 cloud types 43-47. Cloud Water or Ice Content for 5 cloud types |
3 hourly |
| SRB_REL3.0_SW_3HRLY SRB_REL3.0_SW_3HRLY_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_DAILY_LOCAL SRB_REL3.0_SW_DAILY_LOCAL_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_DAILY_UTC SRB_REL3.0_SW_DAILY_UTC_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_MONTHLY_LOCAL SRB_REL3.0_SW_MONTHLY_LOCAL_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_MONTHLY_UTC_ SRB_REL3.0_SW_MONTHLY_UTC_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_3HRLY_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.0_SW_3HRLY_MONTHLY_LOCAL_NC SRB_REL3.0_SW_3HRLY_MONTHLY_UTC_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with each data file. Additional parameters can be calculated using data contained in these files. |
All Sky Top of Atmosphere Downward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | (1) 3 hourly (2) Daily averages (3) Monthly averages (4) 3 hourly/monthly |
| All Sky Top of Atmosphere Upward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| All Sky Surface Downward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| All Sky Surface Upward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| Clear Sky Top of Atmosphere Upward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| Clear Sky Surface Downward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| Clear Sky Surface Upward Shortwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| All Sky Global Photosynthetically Active Radiation Flux (W/m2) | ||
| Cloud Fraction (Dimensionless) | ||
| Cosine Solar Zenith Angle From Satellite (Dimensionless) | ||
| Cosine Solar Zenith Angle From Astronomy (center of 3 hour period) (Dimensionless) |
||
| Langley Parameterized Algorithms | ||
| SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_3HRLY SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_3HRLY_NC SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_DAILY SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_DAILY_NC SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_MONTHLY_NC SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_3HRLY_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_3HRLY_MONTHLY_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with each data file. Additional parameters can be calculated using data contained in these files. |
Surface Downward Longwave Flux (W/m2) | (1) 3 hourly (2) Daily averages (3) Monthly averages (4) 3 hourly/monthly |
| Surface Net Longwave Flux (W/m2) | ||
| Surface Longwave Cloud Radiative Forcing (W/m2) | ||
| SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.0_LPLA_MONTHLY_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with each data file. |
Surface Skin Temperature (K) | Monthly averages |
| Total Column Precipitable Water (kg/m2) | ||
| Total Cloud Amount (%) | ||
| SRB_REL3.0_LPSA_DAILY SRB_REL3.0_LPSA_DAILY_NC SRB_REL3.0_LPSA_MONTHLY SRB_REL3.0_LPSA_MONTHLY_NC (07/01/1983 – 12/31/2007) A detailed description of data (and data format) contained in these files is available in the readme file associated with each data file. Additional parameters can be calculated using data contained in these files. |
TOA insolation (W/m2) | (1) Daily averages (2) Monthly Averages |
| Pristine-sky Surface Downward Shortwave Flux (Surface Insolation without aerosols or clouds)(W/m2) | ||
| Clear-Sky Surface Downward Shortwave Flux (Clear-Sky Surface Insolation) (W/m2) | ||
| All-Sky Surface Downward Shortwave Flux (All-Sky Surface Insolation) (W/m2) | ||
| Surface Absorbed Shortwave Flux (Surface Net SW Flux) (W/m2) | ||
| All-sky surface albedo (fraction) | ||
| Ancillary Data | ||
| Surface Topography | topography on nested grid | |
| topography on 1 deg grid | ||
| Surface Type (IGBP def) | surface type on nested grid | |
| surface type on 1 deg grid | ||
SRB Grid Geometry
The horizontal resolution of the NASA/GEWEX SRB parameters is, to a large degree, dictated by the resolution of the input data to the SRB models. The resulting SRB parameters are generated and available on a nested global grid, which contains 44016 cells. The initial grid has a resolution of 1° latitude globally, and a longitudinal resolution ranging from 1° in the tropics and subtropics to 120° at the poles. The first cell is bounded in latitude from 89°-90° South and by longitude from 0°-120° East. The cells start at the Greenwich meridian and proceed east around the globe, then shift one degree to the north. The number of cells per latitude band starting at the south pole are:
3, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45,
90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90,
180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180,
180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180,
180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 360,
360, 360, 360, 360, 360, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180,
180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180,
180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180, 180,
90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90,
45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 45, 3
The read software provided with each binary data file contains a subroutine to regrid the SRB parameters to a true 1° latitude by 1° longitude grid using replication at higher latitudes where the number of SRB cells per latitude band is less than 360. NetCDF data files present the data already converted to the 1° equal angle grid.