Near-global monitoring of surface solar radiation through the construction of a geostationary satellite network observation system
Chong Shi, Husi Letu, Takashi Y. Nakajima, Teruyuki Nakajima, Lesi Wei, Xu Ri, Feng Lu, J. Riédi, Kazuhito Ichii, Jiangyuan Zeng, Huazhe Shang, Run Ma, Shuai Yin, Jiancheng Shi, Anthony J. Baran, Jian Xu, Ao Li, Gegen Tana, Wenwu Wang, Na Qin, Qixiang Sun, Wei Yang, Liangfu Chen, Guangyu Shi
Abstract
Surface solar radiation (SSR) refers to the solar shortwave radiation (SWR) that reaches the Earth’s surface, serving as the primary energy source for life on our planet and the major force in land surface models.1,2 Variations in SSR can affect climate change, plant photosynthesis, and solar energy utilization.3 Satellite remote sensing, characterized by its robust data continuity and extensive coverage, stands out as one of the most effective means for monitoring changes in SSR.4 However, even the current state-of-the-art satellite SSR products, such as Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, have spatial resolutions that are limited to only a few hundred kilometers, which significantly hinders the refined observation and application of SSR.