Fast Longwave And SHortwave Fluxes (FLASHflux) Clouds and Radiative Swath (SSF) Aqua-FM3-MODIS data in HDF Version 4A

CERES is currently producing world-class climate data products derived from measurements taken aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua spacecrafts. While of exceptional fidelity, these data products require a considerable amount of processing time to assure quality, verify accuracy, and assess precision. The result is that CERES data are typically released up to six months after acquisition of the initial measurements.

For climate studies, such delays are of little consequence especially considering the improved quality of the released data products. Thus, FLASHFlux products are not intended to achieve climate quality. FLASHFlux data products were envisioned as a resource whereby CERES data could be provided to the community within a few days of the initial measurements, with some calibration accuracy requirements relaxed to gain speed.

The SSF TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds product contains one hour of instantaneous FLASHFlux data for a single CERES scanner instrument. The SSF combines instantaneous CERES data with scene information from a higher-resolution imager such as Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra and Aqua satellites and meteorological and ozone information from the GEOS-5 FP-IT Atmospheric Data Assimilation System (GEOS-5 ADAS).

Scene identification and cloud properties are defined at the higher imager resolution and these data are averaged over the larger CERES footprint. For each CERES footprint, the SSF contains Top-of-Atmosphere fluxes in SW, LW, and NET, surface fluxes using the Langley parameterized shortwave and longwave algorithms, and clouds information. 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 mission is 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.