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More details on the estimation of errors and uncertainty parameters are given in the Report on Updated KPIs (D3). 

Product requirements

Depending on the data record producer, different product requirements may be applied and they are used to evaluate validation results. An often-used way to handle this is to define several levels of requirements where each level is linked to specific needs or priorities. A three-level approach like the following is rather common:

Satellite product levels

Satellite-based products are often described as belonging to the following condensed description of processing levels, each one with different complexity and information content:

A more comprehensive definition of all processing levels is given here:

https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/engage/open-data-services-and-software/data-information-policy/data-levels.

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This document provides relevant information on requirements and gaps for the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) Essential Climate Variable (ECV).

 The document is divided into three parts. Part 1 describes products the present document refers to. Part 2 provides target requirements for the products. Part 3 provides a past, present, and future gap analysis for the products and covers both gaps in the data availability and scientific gaps that could be addressed by further research activities (outside C3S).

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Four different ERB data records are provided. These are

1. Earth Radiation Budget CERES TCDR v1.0 and v2.0 + ICDR v2.x
2. The HIRS OLR TCDR v1.0 and v2.0
3. Earth Radiation Budget ESA_CCI_AATSR TCDR v3.0 + SLSTR-based ICDR v3.1.1 + v4.0
4. Earth Radiation Budget TSI TOA ICDR v2.x + TCDR v3.0

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1.1.1 The CERES EBAF CDR

The CERES Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) data is “brokered” in the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS). The EBAF product is based on the data acquired by the Cloud and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments (Figure 1‑1). The CERES instruments are broadband radiometers developed as part of the NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) program. Wielicki et al. (1996) provide a description of the CERES instrument as well as of the CERES mission.

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Figure 1‑1: CERES instrument (left) and program logo (right).

The Top-of-Atmosphere (TOA) EBAF file provides a total of 14 parameters which are given in Table 1‑2. Among those, only the shortwave and longwave fluxes in all-sky condition are accessible via the CDS. The incoming solar flux is also available via the CDS but as an ancillary field of the RSF. It is worth mentioning that these fluxes are provided at a reference level of 20km, to ease the comparison with climate/NWP models (see Loeb et al, 2002).

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table1_2 table1_2

Table 1‑2: Content of the CERES EBAF file. Variables used in the C3S product are marked in green.

1.1.2 Input data

Table 1‑3 details the instrument names and platforms on which the 7 CERES instruments have been launched. The CERES EBAF edition 4.1 relies on the FM1 to FM4 instruments from the EOS Terra and Aqua satellites. The edition 4.2 add data from FM6 on NOAA-20.

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A brief summary of the input data is given in Table 1‑4, while a comprehensive description is provided by Loeb et al. (2018) [D1].

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table1_4 table1_4

Table 1‑4: Main input and auxiliary data used in processing the CERES EBAF edition 4 CDR.

1.1.3 Algorithm name and version, bias correction

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1.3.3 General characteristics of the product

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2.3.2 Discussion of requirements with respect to GCOS and other requirements

Concerning the incoming solar energy, the GCOS considers 2 products as essential for the global climate: the Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) and the Solar Spectral Irradiance (SSI). The TSI is defined as the “Flux density of solar radiation at TOA (Wm^-2)” while the SSI is defined as “the solar irradiance measured as a function of wavelength (Wm^-2μm^-1)”. The GCOS requirements are given in Table 2‑7. Currently, the CDS only provides TSI data.

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2.4.2 Summary of target requirements (KPIs) - ICDR

The Cloud_cci (A)ATSR products are brokered from the ESA CCI programme and cannot be altered within the scope of C3S_312b_Lot1. Therefore, target requirements are in this case set identical to the achieved results in previous validation efforts (Table 2‑9).

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Table 2‑9: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or target requirements (i.e., fulfilled requirements by the ESA-CCI-CLOUDS project) for OLR and RSF products from the ESA_CCI_AATSR TCDR v3.0. 

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2.4.3 Discussion of requirements with respect to GCOS and other requirements

Requirements are consistent with GCOS. See Section 2.4.1.

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Wielicki, B. A., Barkstrom, B. R., Harrison, E. F., Lee III, R. B., Smith, G. L., & Cooper, J. E., 1996: Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES): An earth observing system experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77(5), 853-868.

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This document has been produced with funding by the European Union in the produced in the context of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), operated . The activities leading to these results have been contracted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, operator of C3S on behalf on of the European Union (Delegation Agreement signed on 11/11/2014 and Contribution Agreement signed on 22/07/2021). All information in this document is provided “as is” "as is" and no guarantee of or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular purpose. The  The users thereof use the information at their sole risk and liability. For the avoidance of all doubt , the European Commission and the European Centre for Medium - Range Weather Forecasts have no liability in respect of this document, which is merely representing the author’s author's view.

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