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Average Clear-sky Outgoing L
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth when the sky is cloud free. The Earth's rotation and the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles make the Earth roughly uniformin temperature. The most visible features are the cold poles in winter and the significant regions of snow coverage in the northern hemisphere, also in winter. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Outgoing L
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the thermal radiation given off by the warm Earth when the sky is cloud free. The Earth's rotation and the movement of warm air from the equator to the poles make the Earth roughly uniformin temperature. The most visible features are the cold poles in winter and the significant regions of snow coverage in the northern hemisphere, also in winter. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WM
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth on cloud-free days. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions. Oceans have the lowest albedo, and reflect very little of the incoming solar radiation. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WM
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Albedo (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth on cloud-free days. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions. Oceans have the lowest albedo, and reflect very little of the incoming solar radiation. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Scene Identification Compare
…
| Title |
Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
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Scene Identification Compare
…
| Title |
Scene Identification Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-06-21 |
|
Average Total-sky Incoming S
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Incoming Solar Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average incoming solar radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This average data set is contant in longitude because of the Earth's rotation, but clearly shows the seasonal cycle as the sun heats the Northern Hemisphere more in summer than in winter. Note that the polar regions are abnormally bright in the local summer and dark in the local winter because whole day is either light or dark in those seasons. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Incoming S
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Incoming Solar Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average incoming solar radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This average data set is contant in longitude because of the Earth's rotation, but clearly shows the seasonal cycle as the sun heats the Northern Hemisphere more in summer than in winter. Note that the polar regions are abnormally bright in the local summer and dark in the local winter because whole day is either light or dark in those seasons. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Comp
…
| Title |
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003 over infrared cloud images for the same period. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds. |
| Completed |
2005-06-20 |
|
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Comp
…
| Title |
Outgoing Shortwave Flux Compared to Clouds (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003 over infrared cloud images for the same period. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds. |
| Completed |
2005-06-20 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Longw
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the outgoing thermal radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Thermal radiation is longwave radiation and depends on the temperature of the earth, with the most intense radiation coming from the warmest regions and the least from cold clouds in the atmosphere. Although cold clouds and the cold Antarctic night regions can be seen in this data, the Earth radiates pretty uniformly in the longwave bands because the atmosphere distributes the heat of the sun to the whole planet. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Longw
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Longwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the outgoing thermal radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Thermal radiation is longwave radiation and depends on the temperature of the earth, with the most intense radiation coming from the warmest regions and the least from cold clouds in the atmosphere. Although cold clouds and the cold Antarctic night regions can be seen in this data, the Earth radiates pretty uniformly in the longwave bands because the atmosphere distributes the heat of the sun to the whole planet. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Net Radian
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Cloud-free summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that regions that reflect a lot of sunlight, such as the polar ice sheets and the Sahara desert are almost always in equilibrium or are cooling regions. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Net Radian
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Cloud-free summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that regions that reflect a lot of sunlight, such as the polar ice sheets and the Sahara desert are almost always in equilibrium or are cooling regions. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Global Sea Surface Temperatu
…
| Title |
Global Sea Surface Temperature from June, 2002 to September, 2003 (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. The AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite measures the temperature of the top 1 millimeter of the ocean every day, even through the clouds. In this visualization sequence covering the period from June, 2002, to September, 2003, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data. Around January 1, 2003, a cooler than normal region of the ocean appears just to the west of Peru as part of a La Nina and flows westward, driven by the trade winds. The waves that appear on the edges of this cooler area are called tropical instability waves and can also be seen in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean about the same time. |
| Completed |
2004-02-12 |
|
Global Sea Surface Temperatu
…
| Title |
Global Sea Surface Temperature from June, 2002 to September, 2003 (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. The AMSR-E instrument on the Aqua satellite measures the temperature of the top 1 millimeter of the ocean every day, even through the clouds. In this visualization sequence covering the period from June, 2002, to September, 2003, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data. Around January 1, 2003, a cooler than normal region of the ocean appears just to the west of Peru as part of a La Nina and flows westward, driven by the trade winds. The waves that appear on the edges of this cooler area are called tropical instability waves and can also be seen in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean about the same time. |
| Completed |
2004-02-12 |
|
Average Total-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by clouds, ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth. Although clouds are very reflective, they come and going during the month, so more reflection is seen on average from ice sheets, which change very little during a monthly period. Note that the cloud-free parts of the ocean are relatively dark, indicating that oceans absorb more sunlight than they reflect. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by clouds, ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth. Although clouds are very reflective, they come and going during the month, so more reflection is seen on average from ice sheets, which change very little during a monthly period. Note that the cloud-free parts of the ocean are relatively dark, indicating that oceans absorb more sunlight than they reflect. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Net Radian
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly clear-sky average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that the Earth's ice sheets are almost always regions of cooling. On average, the heating and cooling amounts must balance, or the Earth will change temperature and the climate will change. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Net Radian
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Net Radiant Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly clear-sky average net radiant flux from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the incoming radiation minus the outgoing reflected or thermal energy given off by areas of the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. Regions in red and yellow have a net incoming flux and are being heated. Regions in blue have a net outgoing flux and are being cooled. Regions in black are in rough equilibrium. Summertime oceans are heated the most, while high latitude winter regions are cooled the most, probably because of the longer winter nights. Note that the Earth's ice sheets are almost always regions of cooling. On average, the heating and cooling amounts must balance, or the Earth will change temperature and the climate will change. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Scene Identifi
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Scene Identification (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to th e climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Scene Identifi
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Scene Identification (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to th e climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the scene identification as measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. By comparing the incoming solar radiation with the outgoing reflected and thermal radiation, it is possible to identify the type of area being viewed, whether it be land, clouds, ocean, or ice. This scene identification is used together with the radiation flux measurements to build up a complete picture of the Earth's energy budget over time. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Sea Surface Temperature, 200
…
| Title |
Sea Surface Temperature, 2005 (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The temperature of the surface of the world's oceans provides a clear indication of the state of the Earth's climate and weather. In this visualization sequence covering the period from January to June, 2005, the most obvious effects are the north-south movement of warm regions across the equator due to the seasonal movement of the sun and the seasonal advance and retreat of the sea ice near the North and South poles. It is also possible to see the Gulf Stream, the warm river of water that parallels the east coast of the United States before heading towards northern Europe, in this data. |
| Completed |
2005-07-11 |
|
Average Total-sky Albedo (WM
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Albedo (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions and regions where there is significant cloud cover during the year. Oceans have the lowest albedo. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Total-sky Albedo (WM
…
| Title |
Average Total-sky Albedo (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average albedo from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the fraction of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected back into space by regions of the Earth. The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions and regions where there is significant cloud cover during the year. Oceans have the lowest albedo. It is not possible to measure the albedo during the winter months at the poles, since there is no incoming solar radiation during these times. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. The ice sheets can be clearly seen to reflect the most sunlight, with desert areas next. Oceans absorb the most sunlight, more than the vegetated land areas such as the tropical rain forest and temperate forests and plains. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Average Clear-sky Outgoing S
…
| Title |
Average Clear-sky Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The average amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate, because the absorbed energy heats up the Earth until it is radiated away as thermal radiation. This animation shows the monthly average clear-sky outgoing shortwave radiation from July, 2002 through June, 2004 as measured by the CERES instrument. This is the sunlight that is directly reflected back into space by ice, desert, and other physical areas on the Earth when the sky is cloud-free. The ice sheets can be clearly seen to reflect the most sunlight, with desert areas next. Oceans absorb the most sunlight, more than the vegetated land areas such as the tropical rain forest and temperate forests and plains. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Short
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds, followed by ice. Land reflects only a small amount of radiation, but ocean reflects the least, which is the reason that the sun heats the oceans so effectively. Of course, there is no reflected solar radiation in regions of night. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
Instantaneous Outgoing Short
…
| Title |
Instantaneous Outgoing Shortwave Flux (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Earth's climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun to the Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere. As the Earth rotates, the sun lights up only part of the Earth at a time, and some of that incoming solar energy is reflected and some is absorbed, depending on type of area it lights. The amount of reflection and absorption is critical to the climate. An instrument named CERES orbits the Earth every 99 minutes and measures the reflected solar energy. This animation shows the reflected solar radiation measured by CERES during 29 orbits on June 20 and 21 of 2003. Reflected solar radiation is shortwave radiation, and the most intense reflection comes from clouds, followed by ice. Land reflects only a small amount of radiation, but ocean reflects the least, which is the reason that the sun heats the oceans so effectively. Of course, there is no reflected solar radiation in regions of night. |
| Completed |
2005-02-01 |
|
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