Contributors: G.E. Thomas(UKRI-STFC RAL Space)
Issued by: RAL Space (UKRI-STFC)
Date: 16/11/2020
Ref: C3S_D312b_Lot1.1.5.4-v3.1_202011_ATBD_CCIEarthRadiationBudget_v1.0
Official reference number service contract: 2018/C3S_312b_Lot1_DWD/SC1
History of modifications
List of datasets covered by this document
Related documents
Acronyms
Scope of the document
This Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) describes the generation of the Climate Data Record (CDR) on Earth Radiation Budget, which is a brokered service from ESA’s Cloud_cci, and its extension with an interim-CDR (ICDR) derived from the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR) on the Sentinel-3 platform. This extension of the ESA Cloud_cci dataset is generated specifically for C3S by RAL Space, but is derived using the same algorithm and processing chain. Therefore, this document refers to several Cloud_cci documents (see Related documents), namely the Cloud_cci ATBD [D1], the Broadband Radiative Flux Retrieval ATBD [D5] and the ESA Cloud_cci Product User Guide (PUG) [D2]. These documents describe the data processing chain and the algorithms used to generate the Earth radiation products and the cloud products on which they are based. The assessment described in this document is carried out within the scope of C3S, whereas the intellectual property rights of the products themselves remain with the Cloud_cci, in the case of the CDR, or lie with STFC RAL Space, in the case of the ICDR. This document is not part of the official Cloud_cci documentation, but produced solely in the scope of the brokering to the CDS.
Executive summary
The CDR on Earth Radiation Budget is a brokered product of the CC4CL dataset produced by ESA's Cloud_cci project, and the SLSTR ICDR is an extension to the brokered product. Accordingly, this document largely refers to the ESA Cloud_cci documentation, with additional information specific to SLSTR included.
The Cloud_cci record comprises 17 years (1995-2012) of satellite-borne observations derived from measurements of the ATSR series of satellites on board the ESA ERS-2 and ENVISAT satellites. The CDR provided here comprises monthly means (0.5° x 0.5° resolution) of Earth radiation on a regular global latitude-longitude grid. The SLSTR ICDR continues this record, with a 5-year gap, with version v3.x providing cloud and radiation budget products from SLSTR from 2017 on.
The Earth Radiation Budget products are top-of-atmosphere reflected solar (shortwave) flux and outgoing longwave (thermal-IR) radiation. Note that the brokered service within Copernicus provides only a subset of the original CCI cloud properties and radiation dataset, thus the mentioned products do not cover the entire range of Earth Radiation Budget products contained in the original dataset provided by Cloud_cci.
1. Instruments
The brokered Cloud_cci cloud dataset is derived from the ATSR-2 and AATSR instruments, which are described in the Cloud_cci ATBD [D1], Section 2.2.
ICDR data is derived from the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer (SLSTR), flown on board the Copernicus Sentinel-3 platform. SLSTR is an improved version of the ATSR instruments, providing additional spectral channels, improved spatial resolution for the visible and shortwave-infrared channels and a considerably wider swath (1,400 km nadir swath, compared to 512 km for AATSR). As part of the Copernicus operational observation system, two SLSTR instruments are kept operational, with a backup instrument also to be in orbit (although not yet launched). The two operational instruments were launched on Sentinel-3A on 16th February 2016 and Sentinel-3B on 25th April 2018. The two platforms fly in identical, interleaved sun-synchronous orbits, such that the two SLSTR instruments provide nearly global coverage twice daily (with one day and one night overpass). Orbital characteristics of Sentinel-3A are summarised in Table 1‑1.
Table 1‑1: The orbital characteristics of the Sentinel-3 satellites. Note that these characteristics are very similar to the ERS-2 and ENVISAT platforms which carried the preceding ATSR instruments.
Altitude | Inclination | Period | Repeat Cycle | Ground-track deviation | Local Time at Descending node |
814.5 km | 98.65° | 100.99 min | 27 days | ±1 km | 10:00 |
The SLSTR instrument is described in detail by the Sentinel-3 SLSTR User Guide [D11], but an overview of its specifications is given in Table 1‑2.
Table 1‑2: The specifications of the SLSTR instruments (taken from the SLSTR User Guide [D11]).
Capability | SLSTR Specifications | |
Swath | Nadir view | 1,400 km |
Oblique view | 740 km | |
Global Coverage Revisit Times | 1 satellite | 1 day (mean) |
2 satellites | 0.5 day (mean) | |
Spatial Sampling interval at Sub-satellite point (km) | VIS-SWIR | 0.5 km |
IR-Fire | 1 km | |
Spectral channel centre (µm) | VIS | 0.554 (S1); 0.659 (S2) 0.868 (S3) |
SWIR | 1.374 (S4); 1.613 (S5); 2.25 (S6) | |
MWIR/TIR | 3.742 (S7); 10.85 (S8); 12.02 (S9) | |
Fire 1/2 | 3.742 (F1); 10.85 (F2) | |
Radiometric Resolution | VIS (Albedo =0.5%) | Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) > 20 |
SWIR (Albedo =0.5%) | Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) > 20 | |
MWIR (T =270K) | NEΔT < 80 mK | |
TIR (T=270K) | NEΔT < 50 mK | |
Fire 1 (<500 K) | NEΔT < 1 K | |
Fire 2 (<400 K) | NEΔT < 0.5 K | |
Radiometric Accuracy | VIS-SWIR (Albedo = 2-100%) | < 2% (Beginning of Life) |
<5% (End of Life) | ||
MWIR –TIR(265 – 310 K) | < 0.2 K (0.1 K goal) | |
Fire (< 500 K) | < 3 K |
2. Input and auxiliary data
This section summarises the required input data used in the retrieval algorithms.
2.1 Fundamental climate data record
The input data for the Cloud_cci dataset is the so-called AATSR-multi-mission level 1b data record, and this forms the Fundamental Climate Data Record (FCDR) for this product. The processing of measured radiances to level 1b is described in the ESA AATSR Detailed Processing Model Level 1b [D9] and ENVISAT-style products for ATSR-1 and ATSR-2 data [D10] documents.
The input data for the Cloud_cci extension ICDR is the (non near-real-time) ESA Observation mode SLSTR level-1 archive, hosted by the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA). At time of writing, no reprocessing of the SLSTR level-1 archive has been undertaken, and improvements in instrument calibration, pixel colocation/geolocation and minor product details have continued to evolve throughout the lifetime of the mission. It is likely that some variation in ERB product quality will be attributable to this inconsistency in the level-1 input data.
The Broadband Radiative Flux Retrieval (BRFR) module of the CC4CL processor operates on level 2 Cloud_cci cloud products, as well as level 2 aerosol optical depth products produced for the Aerosol_cci project and C3S 312b Lot2, also using the ORAC retrieval scheme applied to (A)ATSR and SLSTR data. Details of the Aerosol retrieval scheme employed for Aerosol_cci and C3S can be found in the Aerosol_cci ORAC ATBD [D6].
2.2 Specific input and auxiliary data
The specific spectral channels used in producing the (A)ASTR and SLSTR Earth Radiation Budget product are detailed in Table 2 1, which were chosen to match the so-called "heritage-channels" provided by the long-running AVHRR instrument series. The cloud retrieval only makes use of the nadir view of the (A)ATSR and SLSTR instruments.
Table 2-1: (A)ATSR and SLSTR channels used to produce the Cloud_cci Earth Radiation Budget v3.0 TCDR and SLSTR v3.x ICDR
(A)ATSR Channel number | SLSTR Band name | Nominal wavelength |
2 | S2 | 0.67 µm |
3 | S3 | 0.87 µm |
4 | S5 | 1.6 µm |
6 | S8 | 10.8 µm |
7 | S9 | 12.0 µm |
In addition to (A)ATSR or SLSTR level 1 data, the CC4CL retrieval scheme, and BRFR module, also rely on a range of auxiliary datasets, which are detailed in Table 2 2.
Table 2-2: Auxiliary data used in generating the SLSTR cloud properties and radiation ICDRs.
Dataset | Description |
ECMWF ERA-5 | ECMWF reanalysis products provide pressure, temperature, humidity and ozone profiles, as well a priori surface temperature, sea ice extent and near-surface wind speed for ocean surface reflectance calculation. |
MODIS MCD43A1 V006 | The MODIS BRDF product provides land-surface reflectance. |
IREMIS UW Baseline Fit | The Global Infrared Land Surface Emissivity (IREMIS) University of Wisconsin-Madison Baseline Fit to the MODIS MOD11 emissivity product provides land-surface emissivity. |
RTTOV | The standard coefficient and database files provided with RTTOV v 12.1 are used, where not superseded by other auxiliary data (as is the case with the emissivity and surface reflectance atlases) |
SOHO and SORCE | Information on incoming total solar irradiance is supplied by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) satellite records. |
Further details of the auxiliary data used are provided in the Cloud_cci CC4CL ATBD [D3], Section 3. Full details of input data to the BRFR module are given in Section 2.1 of the BRFR ATBD [D5].
3. Algorithms
This section describes the algorithms used to derive the final Earth Radiation Budget products.
3.1 Retrieval of swath-based Earth radiation (level-2 data)
The algorithm used to derive top-of-atmosphere (and surface) radiation is described in Section 2.1 of the Cloud_cci BRFR ATBD [D5].
3.2 Generation of final products (level-3 data)
The generation of the final level-3 products (monthly means) is outlined in Cloud_cci ATBD [D1], Section 4.
4. Output data
This section summarises information on the output files.
4.1 File format
Cloud_cci TCDR and SLSTR ICDR products are provided to the CDS in NetCDF (version 4), which are compliant with the conventions CF 1.8 and the NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords vocabulary. Filenames follow the structure:
C3S-312bL1-L3C-MONTHLY-ERB-INSTORACPLATFORM{}YYYYMM{_}_fv3.0.nc,
where INST and PLATFORM refer to the instrument and platform from which data originates (either ATSR2 and ERS2, or AATSR and ENVISAT for TCDR data, or SLSTR and Sentinel-3a or -3b for ICDR data), and YYYYMM provides the year and month covered by the monthly mean product.
Data are provided as monthly means of Earth Radiation Budget, as described in Table 4-1, on a regular latitude-longitude grid, with a spacing of 0.5° in both dimensions (thus grid centres lie at -89.75°, -89.25°, -88.75°, …, 89.75° in latitude and -179.75°, -179.25°, -178.75°, …, 179.75° in longitude).
4.2 File contents
All data arrays, described in Table 4-1, are 720x360 element arrays, on the grid defined by the longitude (lon, with 720 elements) and latitude (lat, with 360 elements) axes. In addition, each file contains the global attributes defined in Table 4-2.
Table 4-1: The data variables included in the Cloud_cci TCDR and SLSTR ICDR Earth Radiation Budget files brokered to, or produced for, the CDS.
Property | Unit | Variable name | Comment |
Latitude | Degrees North | lat | Values correspond to grid centres (-89.75°, -89.25°, -88.75°, …, 89.75°) |
Longitude | Degrees East | lon | Values correspond to grid centres (-179.75°, -179.25°, -178.75°, …, 179.75°) |
Pixel count | - | pixel_count | The total number of level 2 pixels included in the averaging (both cloudy and clear). |
Cloud pixel count | - | cloud_count | The number of level 2 cloud pixels included in the averaging (NB. Does not include number of Aerosol_cci pixels included). |
Top-of-atmosphere reflected solar flux | Wm-2 | rsf | |
Top-of-atmosphere outgoing longwave radiation | Wm-2 | olr |
Table 4-2: List of global attributes included in the Cloud_cci TCDR and SLSTR ICDR Earth Radiation Budget files brokered to, or produced for, the CDS.
Attribute name | Description |
title | Descriptive title of the file contents |
project | "Climate Change Initiative-European Space Agency" |
product_version | The version number of the product |
conventions | Lists the naming and meta data conventions used |
standard_name_vocabulary | Defines the standard name convention used |
institution | The source institution of the data |
source | The source (level 1) data used in the product |
geospatial_lon_resolution | The grid spacing in the longitude axis |
geospatial_lat_resolution | The grid spacing in the latitude axis |
geospatial_lon_min | The minimum longitude covered by the product |
geospatial_lon_max | The maximum longitude covered by the product |
geospatial_lat_min | The minimum latitude covered by the product |
geospatial_lat_max | The maximum latitude covered by the product |
spatial_resolution | Alternative description of the spatial grid used |
geospatial_vertical_min | Definition of vertical grid used (0 indicated no vertical grid) |
geospatial_vertical_max | Definition of vertical grid used (0 indicated no vertical grid) |
platform | Satellite platform from which observations originated |
sensor | Satellite sensor which made the observations used |
creator_email | contact.cloudcci@dwd.de |
creator_url | www.esa-cloud-cci.org |
date_created | ISO date and time string of processing time of the particular file |
creator_name | Alternative for institution |
time_coverage_duration | ISO time string defining temporal coverage of the product |
time_coverage_resolution | ISO time string defining temporal resolution of the product |
references | Link to further information about the product |
history | Brief description of provenance of the product |
summary | Brief description of product contents |
keywords | List of keywords (for data discovery) |
comment | Any further comments on the product not covered by other fields |
license | License conditions of the product |
cdm_data_type | Common Data Model Data Type used in the NetCDF file |
keywords_vocabulary | The standard list from which the keywords have been extracted |
naming_authority | ID string of the institution naming product (and contents) |
tracking_id | An ISO Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) number for the file |
id | A human readable identifier of the product |
time_coverage_start | ISO time string of the start of the product's temporal coverage |
time_coverage_end | ISO time string of the end of the product's temporal coverage |
inputfilelist | List of the primary input files used to create the product |
References
References are listed in ESA Cloud_cci ATBD [D1], Section 5; in ESA Cloud_cci PUG [D2], Section 6; in ESA Cloud_cci CECR [D4], Section 11; in ESA Cloud_cci BRFR ATBD [D5], Section 4; in AATSR Level 1b Detailed Processing Model [D9], Section 3; in ENVISAT-style Products for ATSR-1 and ATSR-2 data [D10], Section 8; and Sus et al. and McGarragh et al. [D7, D8].