Scene identification for ScaRaB data: the ISCCP approach

A precise scene identification is important for Earth Radiation Budget Experiments to study in more detail cloud radiative effects and also to develop specific angular dependence models for the conversion of measured radiances into radiative fluxes. For this purpose, the ScaRaB radiometer includes two narrow-band channels in addition to the broad- band channels which retrieve earth emitted LW and solar reflected SW radiation. By applying the ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) algorithm on the ScaRaB data, clear sky LW fluxes have been improved compared to ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment), especially in the tropics where atmospheric water vapor is high.