The monthly Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) Climate Data Record (CDR) measures the amount of terrestrial radiation released into space, as well as the amount of cloud cover and water vapor that intercepts that radiation in the atmosphere.
Input data for the monthly OLR record primarily comes from the high-resolution infrared radiation sounder (HIRS) radiance observations and new generation infrared hyperspectral sounded radiance data, including from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).
The final record was developed through a combination of statistical techniques, including OLR regression, instrument ambient temperature prediction coefficients, and inter-satellite bias corrections. The dataset period of record is 1979–present.
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Input Data
- High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) radiance observations: 1979–Present
- New generation infrared hyperspectral sounded radiance data from:
- Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI): 2007–Present
- Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS): 2012–Present