CERES’s Science Objectives

The CERES sensors are designed to help scientists understand the fate of sunlight after it enters the Earth's environment. Some sunlight is reflected by clouds or the surface back up into space, while some is absorbed and then stored as heat. Subsequently, this energy is emitted as longwave radiation, much of which gets trapped in the Earth's atmosphere by clouds and greenhouse gases.

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Susan Gonnelli, NASA TV GSFC

Published December 7, 1999
Data acquired December 7, 1999

Source:

Terra > CERES

Topic:

Atmosphere > Radiation Budget > Longwave Radiation