The Surface Temperatures, Reflected and Emitted Radiation, and PAR from UNL Data Set contains surface temperatures at different view zenith and azimuth angles, net radiation, incoming and reflected photosynthetically active radiation, incoming and reflected shortwave radiation, and reflected and emitted longwave radiation. Surface temperatures were measured at a 30 degree view zenith angle with an Everest infrared thermometer (IRT) Model 112C and at approximately a 60 degree view zenith angle with a Scheduler Plant Stress Monitor at 4 view azimuths (predominantly 90 degree increments from the solar azimuth). The Scheduler also measured air temperature, relative humidity, and vapor pressure deficit. Net radiation was measured with a Radiation and Energy Balance Systems (REBS) net radiometer Model Q*3. Incoming shortwave radiation was measured with a horizontally mounted Eppley Precision Pyranometer Model PSP. Reflected shortwave radiation was measured with two (2) Eppley Precision pyranometers Model PSP usually mounted horizontally (at site 966 (2437-PSP) one PSP was mounted horizontally and the other was inclined parallel to the slope). Reflected and emitted longwave radiation were measured with a horizontally mounted Eppley Precision Infrared Radiometer Model PIR.

Surface temp. measured w/ Everest IRT, multiple angles & Eppley IR Radiometer

Site specifice radiance, exoatmospheric reflectance & surface reflectance

Temperature & humidity profile data derived from Brutsaert's radiosonde data

The Surface Temperatures from UNL Data Set contains surface temperatures collected between July 15 and August 11, 1989 at three FIFE area sites. These surface temperatures were measured with an Everest multiplexed infrared thermometer (IRT) Model 4000 predominantly in the solar principal plane, with nadir and off-nadir, view-zenith angles (mounted on the portable mast with the Barnes Model 12-1000 Modular Multiband Radiometer (MMR)). The purpose of this study was to determine the variability of emitted fluxes as a function of topography, vegetative community and management practice. Spatial and temporal sampling at sites 906 (2133-EVN), 916 (4439-EVN), and 966 (2437-EVN) was achieved. Measurements were typically coordinated with aircraft and/or satellite overpasses.

This long-term satellite data record contains observations of atmospheric temperature and humidity at multiple pressure levels. The data set is produced primarily using input from infrared radiation (IR) sounder instruments such as High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS). Current data holdings span 1984-12-26 to 2021-12-31 with data derived from HIRS instruments onboard the NOAA and Metop polar-orbiting satellite series. Future holdings are planned to also include data derived from other IR sensors (e.g. CrIS and IASI). The data product is global and at the native sensor spatial resolution (e.g. 10, 20 km at nadir) with observations up to twice daily. The temperature variable is available at the surface, 2 meter, 1000 hPa, 850 hPa, 700 hPa, 600 hPa, 500 hPa, 400 hPa, 300 hPa, 200 hPa, 100 hPa, and 50 hPa levels. The specific humidity variable is available at the 2 meter, 1000 hPa, 850 hPa, 700 hPa, 600 hPa, 500 hPa, 400 hPa, and 300 hPa levels. This data is most reliable under clear-sky conditions, and as such cloudy pixels have been removed and/or marked with quality flags.

This Albedo and BRDF (Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function) data set contains three files containing BRDF parameters, white- sky albedo and black-sky albedo at solar noon for three bands ((350-680nm, 680-3000nm, and 350-30000nm)derived from AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer). These data are available at spatial resolutions of quarter, half, and one degree. Black-sky albedo (direct beam contribution) and white-sky (Completely diffuse contribution) can be linearly combined as a function of the fraction of diffuse skylight (itself a function of optical depth) to provide an actual or instantaneous albedo at local solar noon.

The SRRL was established at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now NREL) in 1981 to provide continuous measurements of the solar resources, outdoor calibrations of pyranometers and pyrheliometers, and to characterize commercially available instrumentation. The SRRL is an outdoor laboratory located on South Table Mountain, a mesa providing excellent solar access throughout the year, overlooking Denver. Beginning with the basic measurements of global horizontal irradiance, direct normal irradiance and diffuse horizontal irradiance at 5-minute intervals, the SRRL Baseline Measurement System now produces more than 130 data elements at 1-min intervals that are available from the Measurement & Instrumentation Data Center Web site. Data sources include global horizontal, direct normal, diffuse horizontal (from shadowband and tracking disk), global on tilted surfaces, reflected solar irradiance, ultraviolet, infrared (upwelling and downwelling), photometric and spectral radiometers, sky imagery, and surface meteorological conditions (temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, precipitation, snow cover, wind speed and direction at multiple levels). Data quality control and assessment include daily instrument maintenance (M-F) with automated data quality control based on real-time examinations of redundant instrumentation and internal consistency checks using NREL's SERI-QC methodology. Operators are notified of equipment problems by automatic e-mail messages generated by the data acquisition and processing system. Radiometers are recalibrated at least annually with reference instruments traceable to the World Radiometric Reference (WRR).