The Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB-2) Level 2 High Resolution (L2HR) dataset contains accurate measurements of the Earth Radiation Budget. Broadband measurements of earth-leaving radiances are made from which the emitted thermal and reflected solar components of the Earth Radiation Budget are derived. These data are available at a time resolution of 15 minutes for the region 60E to 60W, 60N to 60S and area are ideal for studying fast variations in the radiation budget such as those associated with changing cloud conditions, aerosol events and the diurnal cycle. Time and pixel centres matched with METEOSAT imager SEVIRI.

The level 2 HR (High Resolution) data are resolution enhanced snapshots of the top of atmosphere radiances and fluxes every 15 minutes. They are provided at the product acquisition time of the METEOSAT narrowband SEVIRI imager on a fixed equal viewing angle grid matched to 3x3 SEVIRI pixel grid-boxes. This gives the HR product a temporal resolution of 15 minutes and a grid spacing of 9 km at the sub-satellite point. The time in the product name is the same as the SEVIRI product name time. Instantaneous accuracy at the HR scale is expected to be lower than for the lower spatial resolution GERB products as additional noise is introduced by the resolution enhancement, particularly for very inhomogeneous scenes and extreme angles. However, the HR product is recommended as the basis for users wishing to create custom averages over time and space and its production ensures that after appropriate averaging its accuracy is commensurate with the other GERB products

The GERB instrument was specifically designed to be mounted on a geostationary satellite and was carried onboard the Meteosat Second Generation satellite operated by European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The first GERB instrument, GERB-2, was onboard Meteosat Second Generation satellite, MSG-1, and covers the period March 2004 to May 2007.

Users must read the quality summary associated with these data and will find details of user applied correction that are recommended to be applied to these datasets before using. Please cite Harries et al., 2005: The Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget Project, Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., Vol. 86, 945-960, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-86-7-945.