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Abstract. The Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM-SAF) aims at the provision of satellite-derived geophysical parameter data sets suitable for climate monitoring. CM-SAF provides climatologies for Essential Climate Variables (ECV), as required by the Global Climate Observing System implementation plan in support of the UNFCCC. Several cloud parameters, surface albedo, radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface as well as atmospheric temperature and humidity products form a sound basis for climate monitoring of the atmosphere. The products are categorized in monitoring data sets obtained in near real time and data sets based on carefully intercalibrated radiances. The CM-SAF products are derived from several instruments on-board operational satellites in geostationary and polar orbit as the Meteosat and NOAA satellites, respectively. The existing data sets will be continued using data from the instruments on-board the new joint NOAA/EUMETSAT Meteorological Operational Polar satellite. The products have mostly been validated against several ground-based data sets both in situ and remotely sensed. The accomplished accuracy for products derived in near real time is sufficient to monitor variability on diurnal and seasonal scales. The demands on accuracy increase the longer the considered time scale is. Thus, interannual variability or trends can only be assessed if the sensor data are corrected for jumps created by instrument changes on successive satellites and more subtle effects like instrument and orbit drift and also changes to the spectral response function of an instrument. Thus, a central goal of the recently started Continuous Development and Operations Phase of the CM-SAF (2007–2012) is to further improve all CM-SAF data products to a quality level that allows for studies of interannual variability.

Abstract. The Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM-SAF) aims at the provision of satellite-derived geophysical parameter data sets suitable for climate monitoring. CM-SAF provides climatologies for Essential Climate Variables (ECV), as required by the Global Climate Observing System implementation plan in support of the UNFCCC. Several cloud parameters, surface albedo, radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere and at the surface as well as atmospheric temperature and humidity products form a sound basis for climate monitoring of the atmosphere. The products are categorized in monitoring data sets obtained in near real time and data sets based on carefully intercalibrated radiances. The CM-SAF products are derived from several instruments on-board operational satellites in geostationary and polar orbit, i.e., the Meteosat and NOAA satellites, respectively. The existing data sets will be continued using data from the instruments on-board the new EUMETSAT Meteorological Operational satellite (MetOP). The products have mostly been validated against several ground-based data sets both in situ and remotely sensed. The accomplished accuracy for products derived in near real time is sufficient to monitor variability on diurnal and seasonal scales. Products based on intercalibrated radiance data can also be used for climate variability analysis up to inter-annual scale. A central goal of the recently started Continuous Development and Operations Phase of the CM-SAF (2007–2012) is to further improve all CM-SAF data sets to a quality level that allows for studies of inter-annual variability.

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A three-week continuous record from 21 September to 5 October 1988 of solar and terrestrial downward and upward radiation flux densities (1 data set per minute) obtained during the Atlantic Ocean cruise of the R/V Polarstern (ANT VII/l) along 30 ° W between 30 ° N and 30 ° S is evaluated. As the cruise crossed both subtropics and tropics of the Atlantic Ocean, characteristic daily cycles and meridional distributions of the radiation components and atmospheric turbidity were obtained. Special attention is given to the ultraviolet component of global radiation. The influence of cloudiness on the radiation quantities is discussed. As the knowledge of the spatial and temporal distribution of solar and longwave atmospheric radiation at the sea surface is important for numerous meteorological, oceanographic, and physico-ehemical investigations, this data set is compared with other measurements of the cruise. This work is the continuation of the measurements made during the cruise ANT V/5 of R/V Polarstern along 30* W between 40* S and 40 ° N in March/April 1987.

A 4‐week continuous record from March 21 to April 15, 1987, of solar and terrestrial downward and upward radiation flux densities (1 data set per minute) obtained during the Atlantic Ocean cruise of the R/V Polarstern (ANT V/5) along 30°W between 40°S and 40°N is evaluated. Meridional and frequency distributions of radiation balance components are calculated for the range of climatological zones traversed. Interhemispherical differences are shown. The variation of the sea‐surface albedo with solar elevation angle and weather conditions is also shown. The results are in good agreement with the parameterization reported by Coakley (1979).