Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
190637 
Journal Article 
Clouds and the Earth’s radiant energy system (CERES): An Earth observing system experiment 
Wielicki, B; Barkstrom, B; Harrison, E; Lee, R; Smith, G; Cooper, J 
1996 
Yes 
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
ISSN: 0003-0007
EISSN: 1520-0477 
77 
853-868 
Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) is an investigation to examine the role of cloud/radiation feedback in the Earth's climate system. The CERES broadband scanning radiometers are an improved version of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) radiometers. The CERES instruments will fly on several NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites starting in 1998 and extending over at least 15 yr. The CERES science investigations will provide data to extend the ERBE climate record of top-of-atmosphere shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiative fluxes. CERES will also combine simultaneous cloud property data derived using EOS narrowband imagers to provide a consistent set of cloud/radiation data, including SW and LW radiative fluxes at the surface and at several selected levels within the atmosphere. CERES data are expected to provide top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes with a factor of 2 to 3 less errors than the ERBE data. Estimates of radiative fluxes at the surface and especially within the atmosphere will be a much greater challenge but should also show significant improvements over current capabilities