Baseline Surface Radiation Network (original) (raw)

The Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) has provided the world's highest-accuracy surface radiation measurements across a global network of stations since 1992. The central archive, the World Radiation Monitoring Center (WRMC), stores all radiation measurements together with collocated surface and upper-air meteorological observations and station metadata in an integrated database.

BSRN is a project of the Data and Analysis Panel from the Global Energy and Water Exchange (GEWEX) aimed at detecting changes in the Earth's surface radiation budget that may be related to climate change. Small persistent changes in the surface radiation budget can drive large climatological responses - BSRN was established to measure these with sufficient accuracy and temporal resolution to detect anthropogenic influences. The data are of primary importance for validating satellite-derived radiation products and climate model radiation parameterizations.

At ~80 stations in contrasting climatic zones, covering latitudes from 80°N to 90°S, solar (shortwave) and thermal infrared (long-wave) radiation is measured with instruments of the highest available accuracy at 1-minute resolution. Station distribution spans all continents and oceanic environments, from Arctic and Antarctic sites to tropical, desert, and maritime climates.

In 2022 the BSRN renewed its engagement in Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) activities, and has been designated as a GCOS recognized network for global surface radiation measurements. Since 2011 the BSRN and the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) operate under a formal cooperative network agreement.

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