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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) Network 1-Hour Observations

SURFRAD

browse graphicMap of SURFRAD sites.
Radiation measurements at SURFRAD stations cover the range of the electromagnetic spectrum that affects the earth/atmosphere system. Direct solar radiation is monitored with a Normal Incidence Pyrheliometer (or NIP) mounted on the solar tracker. Downwelling global solar radiation is measured by an upward-viewing broadband pyranometer. The diffuse, or sky component, of solar radiation is measured by a shaded Eppley 8-48 pyranometer mounted on a platform that is attached to the solar tracker. A ball shades the sensor of the diffuse pyranometer, thus allowing only the radiation scattered by the atmosphere to be measured. A Precision Infrared Radiometer (PIR), or pyrgeometer, is also mounted on the solar tracker shade platform to measure downwelling thermal infrared radiation. A third broadband pyranometer is mounted facing downward on a cross arm near the top of the 10-meter tower to monitor solar radiation reflected from the surface. Another pyrgeometer, also mounted facing downward on the cross arm of the tower, senses thermal radiation upwelling from the surface. Two instruments on the main platform monitor wavebands of special interest. A UVB radiometer measures the degree of harmful ultraviolet radiation (280-320 nm) that evades the ozone layer and reaches the surface. The other monitors the intensity of the waveband active in photosynthesis (400 to 700 nm). The last radiometer in the SURFRAD suite is the Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) which measures both global and diffuse solar radiation in one broadband channel and six narrow bands of the solar spectrum. Instruments for measuring wind direction and speed, air temperature, and relative humidity are mounted at the top of the tower. Station pressure is measured at the main platform. Campbell Scientific Inc. data logging equipment samples and records signals from all instruments except the MFRSR. The sampling rate for the radiometers and the meteorological instruments is one second, and the logger has been programmed to record one-minute averages of the one-second samples beginning in 2009-01-01. Before 2009-01-01 three-minute averages were recorded. Conversion to physical units through calibration factors is done in post processing. The MFRSR has its own logger that spot samples at 15-second intervals and records one-minute averages of the output voltages. Only one-hour data are archived at NCEI. In 1999 and 2000, total sky imagers (TSI) were installed at all SURFRAD stations. This device documents sky conditions and cloud fraction every minute. These measurements aid in the interpretation of the radiation measurements during the daytime, and also offer ground truth for satellite estimates of cloud fraction. Three stations now have surface latent, sensible, and soil heat flux systems, promoting them to surface energy budget stations. These surface energy budget measurements are welcomed by those who develop new atmospheric and hydrologic models that employ explicit surface physics
  • Cite as: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, 1995: Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) Network Observations. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
  • NCEI DSI 9872_01
  • NCEI DSI 9872_02
  • gov.noaa.ncdc:C00540
gov.noaa.ncdc:C00540
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Distribution Formats
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact John Augustine
Meteorologist
DOC/NOAA/ESRL/GMD > Global Monitoring Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
303-497-6415
john.a.augustine@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact Customer Engagement Branch
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
1-828-271-4800
ncei.orders@noaa.gov
Time Period 1995-01-01 to Present (time interval: 1-hour)
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -125.0
East: -66.0
South: 24.0
North: 50.0
Spatial Coverage Map
Dataset Information
General Documentation
Processing Documents
  • README
    • README
      This is a general README documentation file for all SURFRAD daily data files from ESRL (one- or three-minute data).
Associated Resources
Publication Dates
  • publication: 1995-01-01
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Ongoing - data is continually being updated
Data Update Frequency Daily
Supplemental Information
Station WBAN IDs and abbreviations: 03160 Desert Rock, Nevada (DRA); 04835 Bondville, Illinois (BON); 53830 Goodwin Creek, Mississippi (GWN); 54783 Penn State, Pennsylvania (PSU); 54918 Sioux Falls, South Dakota (SXF); 94044 Table Mountain, Colorado (TBL); 94045 Fort Peck, Montana (FPK);
Purpose The Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) was established in 1993 by NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory through the support of NOAA's Office of Global Programs. It is the first and only national network of its kind. Its primary objective is to support global change research, satellite programs, renewable energy research, and modeling with continuous measurements of the surface radiation budget, which includes upward- and downward-directed shortwave and longwave radiation.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, 1995: Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) Network Observations. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
Cited Authors
  • John Augustine
    DOC/NOAA/ESRL/GMD > Global Monitoring Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/ESRL/GMD > Global Monitoring Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Originators
  • DOC/NOAA/ESRL/GMD > Global Monitoring Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Principal Investigators
  • John Augustine
    DOC/NOAA/ESRL/GMD > Global Monitoring Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Publishers
  • NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Theme keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Net Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Surface Pressure
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Atmospheric Emitted Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Incoming Solar Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Longwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Outgoing Longwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Radiative Flux
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Shortwave Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Solar Irradiance
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Solar Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Ultraviolet Radiation
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Relative Humidity
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Direction
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Speed
Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
  • Atmospheric - Surface - Surface Radiation Budget (including Solar Irradiance)
Keyword Thesaurus Title
  • Surface Radiation Budget (surfrad) Network
Data Center keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Platform keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords
  • Meteorological Stations
Instrument keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
  • Earth Remote Sensing Instruments > Passive Remote Sensing > Spectrometers/Radiometers > Radiometers > BSR > Broadband Solar Radiometer
Place keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Colorado
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Illinois
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Mississippi
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Montana
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Nevada
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > Pennsylvania
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America > South Dakota
Project keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords
  • GCOS > Global Climate Observing System
Data Resolution keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Horizontal Data Resolution Keywords
  • Point Resolution
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Temporal Data Resolution Keywords
  • 1 minute - < 1 hour
Stratum keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Vertical Location > Land Surface
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, 1995: Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) Network Observations. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Access Constraints
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Lineage Statement The original source of the SURFRAD dataset in 1995 was the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory. It was transferred to the NOAA OAR ESRL Global Monitoring Division in 2005. The 1-hour data are archived at NOAA NCEI.
Processor
  • NOAA OAR ESRL GMD
Processing Steps
  • Raw voltages are downloaded and they are converted to physical parameters by applying calibrations on the local UNIX server
    Rationale: Calibrations change as instruments are swapped out each year.
Processing Environment UNIX
Processing Documents
    • README
      • README
        This is a general README documentation file for all SURFRAD daily data files from ESRL (one- or three-minute data).
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Last Modified: 2023-06-23
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