The Radiation Budget Science Project (RBSP)/Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Science Team released the Edition 4B Level 3, SYN1-deg (synoptic, 1-degree gridded) data product suite. The Edition 4B product suite is a revised version of the previous Edition 4A. The revision includes improved GMS-5, Met-5, and Met-7 cloud retrievals (especially at night); consistent Met-8 through Met-11 cloud retrievals; and improved computed surface fluxes during twilight. The dataset switches from hourly Terra, Aqua, and GEO observations to NOAA-20 and GEO observations starting in April 2022. The dataset also switches from GMAO’s GEOS 5.4.1 to its MERRA-2 reanalysis, used to obtain cloud properties and computed surface fluxes, starting in April 2022.
These products contain gridded, regionally averaged data of CERES-observed and geostationary imager-derived reflected shortwave (SW), emitted longwave (LW), and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) fluxes. In addition, they contain computed SW and LW surface, TOA, and in-atmosphere fluxes. They also include cloud properties derived from either Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) or Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), as well as from geostationary satellite imagers. They include aerosol optical thickness derived from MODIS or VIIRS imagers and an aerosol transport model, and they include meteorological information from reanalysis data products.
The products additionally include the following computed information: direct and diffuse fluxes at the surface, UV fluxes and index, Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) fluxes, and entropy produced by radiative heating and cooling.
The hourly product resolves diurnal cycles.
The data are available at three temporal scales:
- Hourly: CER_SYN1deg-1Hour_Terra-Aqua-NOAA20_Edition4B
- Daily: CER_SYN1deg-Day_Terra-Aqua-NOAA20_Edition4B
- Monthly:
- Averaged 24 hours per month: CER_SYN1deg-MHour_Terra_Aqua_NOAA20_Edition4B
- Average of all daily values per month: CER_SYN1deg-Month_Terra_Aqua_NOAA20_Edition4B
These products are available from March 2000 to June 2025, with more data becoming available as forward-processing continues.
Users can access these products from NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) via Earthdata Search and OPeNDAP as described below.
Earthdata Search Direct Data Download:
- https://asdc.larc.nasa.gov/data/CERES/SYN1deg-1Hour/
- https://asdc.larc.nasa.gov/data/CERES/SYN1deg-Day/
- https://asdc.larc.nasa.gov/data/CERES/SYN1deg-Month/
OPeNDAP:
- https://opendap.larc.nasa.gov/opendap/CERES/SYN1deg-1Hour/contents.html
- https://opendap.larc.nasa.gov/opendap/CERES/SYN1deg-Day/contents.htm
- https://opendap.larc.nasa.gov/opendap/CERES/SYN1deg-Month/contents.html…;
Learn more by visiting the CERES project page at ASDC.