Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?
Top Cited Papers
- 6 May 2005
- journal article
- other
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 308 (5723) , 850-854
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103159
Abstract
Long-term variations in solar radiation at Earth's surface (S) can affect our climate, the hydrological cycle, plant photosynthesis, and solar power. Sustained decreases in S have been widely reported from about the year 1960 to 1990. Here we present an estimate of global temporal variations in S by using the longest available satellite record. We observed an overall increase in S from 1983 to 2001 at a rate of 0.16 watts per square meter (0.10%) per year; this change is a combination of a decrease until about 1990, followed by a sustained increase. The global-scale findings are consistent with recent independent satellite observations but differ in sign and magnitude from previously reported ground observations. Unlike ground stations, satellites can uniformly sample the entire globe.Keywords
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