Visualization and Quality Control Web Tools for CERES Products

Abstract:

The CERES project continues to provide the scientific community a wide variety of satellite-derived data products such as observed TOA broadband shortwave and longwave observed fluxes, computed TOA and Surface fluxes, as well as cloud, aerosol, and other atmospheric parameters. These datasets encompass a wide range of temporal and spatial resolutions, suited to specific applications. Now in its 15-year, CERES products are mostly used by climate modeling communities that focus on global mean energetics, meridianal heat transport, and climate trend studies. However, CERES products are now beginning to be used by an even broader audience, like the green energy, health and environmental agencies. With its well-established web-oriented Ordering and Visualization Tool (OVT), CERES products are now much more assessable to users of all communities. The OVT Team introduced a series of specialized functions such as 1- and 2-D histogram, anomaly, deseasonalization, temporal and spatial averaging, side-by-side parameter comparison, and others that made the process of Quality Control far easier and faster. Over time increasingly higher order temporal and spatial resolution products are being made available to the public through the CERES OVT’s web-pages. Moreover, ground site observed surface fluxes are being integrated into the OVT to facilitate the CERES project to QC the CERES computed surface fluxes. These features will give users the opportunity to perform their own comparisons of the CERES computed surface fluxes and observed ground site fluxes. An overview of the CERES OVT basic functions and its QC capabilities, new developments, as well as future steps in expanding its capabilities will be presented at the meeting.