Description

CER_AVG_Aqua-FM3-MODIS_Edition2B is a legacy AVG product of computed TOA, surface and in-atmospheric (profile) fluxes consistent and along with the CERES geostationary (GEO)-enhanced temporally interpolated observed TOA fluxes and clouds, MODIS and 3-hourly GEO cloud properties and MODIS aerosols.The Monthly Regional Radiative Fluxes and Clouds (AVG) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The AVG is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. The 1-degree regional flux at the hour of observation from the CERES SYN product and concurrent diurnal data from geostationary satellites are used to estimate the regional flux, which is averaged to yield the monthly average flux. Adjusted fluxes at the four atmospheric levels defined by the CERES SYN product are also estimated for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. In addition, four cloud height categories are defined by dividing the atmosphere into four intervals with boundaries at the surface, 700-, 500-, 300-hPa, and the Top-of-the-Atmosphere. The cloud layers from SYN, which are in cloud height categories, are averaged. The cloud properties are also column averaged. The AVG also contains for each region the hourly average fluxes for the month and an overall monthly average. The companion product, ZAVG, contains zonal and global averages.CERES is a key component of the Earth Observing System (EOS) program. The CERES instruments provide radiometric measurements of the Earth's atmosphere from three broadband channels. The CERES missions are a follow-on to the successful Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission. The first CERES instrument (PFM) was launched on November 27, 1997 as part of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Two CERES instruments (FM1 and FM2) were launched into polar orbit on board the EOS flagship Terra on December 18, 1999. Two additional CERES instruments (FM3 and FM4) were launched on board EOS Aqua on May 4, 2002. The newest CERES instrument (FM5) was launched on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite on October 28, 2011.

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