Description:
The Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System, or CERES, instrument measures reflected sunlight and thermal radiation emitted by the Earth. Data products from CERES include both solar-reflected and Earth-emitted radiation from the top of the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface. These measurements, called radiative fluxes, represent the amount of energy radiated through a given area within a given time range. CERES provides the only global top of atmosphere energy budget dataset. In addition, the CERES science team uses measurements from a high spatial resolution visible/infrared imager flying alongside CERES to infer a variety of cloud properties, including cloud amount, altitude, thickness, and the size of cloud particles. Data from CERES FM6 will help scientists further develop a quantitative understanding of the links between the Earth’s energy budget and the properties of atmosphere and surface that define it.