The CERES 8-12 micron window channel

The CERES (Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System) scanning radiometer has 3 channels: a shortwave channel for measuring solar radiation reflected from the Earth, a total channel, which combined with the shortwave channel gives the outgoing longwave radiation, and a channel for measuring radiances in the 8 to 12 mu window of the atmosphere. The CERES instrument aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) spacecraft provided 8 months of data. This paper discusses the 8-12 mu channel of the CERES. In order to compute fluxes from radiance measurements, limb-darkening functions are required. These limb-darkening functions are also computed from CERES measurements and are then used to compute fluxes from the measured radiances. Finally, maps are examined to show features of radiation in the window channel. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.