Surface Solar Radiation Data Set - Heliosat (SARAH) - Edition 2

Abstract:
The second edition of the Surface Solar Radiation Data Set - Heliosat (SARAH-2) is a satellite-based climate data record of the solar surface irradiance, the surface direct irradiance (direct horizontal and direct normalized), the sunshine duration, spectral information, and the effective cloud albedo derived from satellite-observations of the visible channels of the MVIRI and the SEVIRI instruments onboard the geostationary Meteosat satellites. The data are available from 1983 to 2015 and cover the region ±65° longitude and ±65° latitude (±60° longitude and ±60° latitude for the spectral information). The products are available as monthly and daily means, and as 30-min instantaneous data (sunshine duration is available as monthly and daily sum) on a regular latitude/longitude grid with a spatial resolution of 0.05° x 0.05° degrees. The data record is complemented with a comprehensive documentation of the algorithms used and the generation of the data record. Validation report and user guidance are available as well. This is a Thematic Climate Data Record (TCDR). An updated version of this data record is available. Users are recommended to use the edition 2.1 of this TCDR (SARAH-2.1, EO:EUM:CM:MULT:SARAH_V002_2).