Significant discrepancies of land surface daily net radiation among ten remotely sensed and reanalysis products

Land surface all-wave net radiation (Rn) is crucial in determining Earth's climate by contributing to the surface radiation budget. This study evaluated seven satellite and three reanalysis long-term land surface Rn products under different spatial scales, spatial and temporal variations, and different conditions. The results showed that during 2000-2018, Global Land Surface Satellite Product (GLASS)-Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) performed the best (RMSE=25.54 Wm-2, bias=-1.26 Wm-2), followed by ERA5 (the fifth-generation of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Reanalysis) (RMSE=32.17 Wm-2, bias=-4.88 Wm-2) and GLASS-AVHRR (Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer) (RMSE=33.10 Wm-2, bias=4.03 Wm-2). During 1983-2018, GLASS-AVHRR and ERA5 ranked top and performed similarly, with RMSE values of 31.70 and 33.08 Wm-2 and biases of -4.56 and 3.48 Wm-2, respectively. The averaged multi-annual mean Rn over the global land surface of satellite products was higher than that of reanalysis products by about 10 & SIM;30 Wm-2. These products differed remarkably in long-term trends variations, particularly pre-2000, but no significant trends were observed. Discrepancies were more frequent in satellite data, while reanalysis products showed smoother variations. Large discrepancies were found in regions with high latitudes, reflectance, and elevation which could be attributed to input radiative components, meteorological variables (e.g., cloud properties, aerosol optical thickness), and applicability of the algorithms used. While further research is needed for detailed insights.

Automated summary

This study evaluated ten long-term land surface net radiation products under different spatial scales, spatial and temporal variations, and different conditions. The results showed that GLASS-MODIS performed the best during 2000-2018, followed by ERA5 and GLASS-AVHRR. During 1983-2018, GLASS-AVHRR and ERA5 ranked top and performed similarly. The differences in net radiation between satellite and reanalysis products may be attributed to radiative components, meteorological variables, and algorithm applicability.