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    • EPIC-view satellite composites for DSCOVR, Version 1

    Metadata Updated: April 10, 2026

    In DSCOVR_EPIC_L2_composite_01, cloud property retrievals from multiple imagers on low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites (including MODIS, VIIRS, and AVHRR) and geostationary (GEO) satellites (including GOES-13 and -15, METEOSAT-7 and -10, MTSAT-2, and Himawari-8) are used to generate the composite. Based on the Ceres cloud detection and retrieval system, all cloud properties were determined using a standard set of algorithms, the Satellite ClOud and Radiation Property Retrieval System (SatCORPS). Cloud properties from these LEO/GEO imagers are optimally merged together to provide a seamless global composite product at 5-km resolution by using an aggregated rating that considers five parameters (nominal satellite resolution, pixel time relative to the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) observation time, viewing zenith angle, distance from day/night terminator, and sun glint factor) and selects the best observation at the time nearest to the EPIC measurements. About 72% of the LEO/GEO satellite overpass times are within one hour of the EPIC measurements, while 92% are within two hours of the EPIC measurements. The global composite data are then remapped into the EPIC Field of View (FOV) by convolving the high-resolution cloud properties with the EPIC point spread function (PSF) defined with a half-pixel accuracy to produce the EPIC composite. PSF-weighted radiances and cloud properties averages are computed separately for each cloud phase. Ancillary data (i.e., surface type, snow and ice map, skin temperature, precipitable water, etc.) needed for anisotropic factor selections are also included in the composite. These composite images are produced for each observation time of the EPIC instrument (typically 300 to 600 composites per month).

    Access & Use Information

    Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: See this page for license information.

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    Dates

    Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
    Metadata Updated Date April 10, 2026

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NASA Data.json

    Other Data Resources

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Created Date April 11, 2025
    Metadata Updated Date April 10, 2026
    Publisher NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC
    Maintainer
    Identifier 10.5067/EPIC/DSCOVR/L2_COMPOSITE_01
    Data Last Modified 2026-04-06
    Category Earth Science
    Public Access Level public
    Bureau Code 026:00
    Metadata Context https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
    Schema Version https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
    Catalog Describedby https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
    Harvest Object Id b24de890-63e3-4311-9e3b-f8ce0b98c2f6
    Harvest Source Id 58f92550-7a01-4f00-b1b2-8dc953bd598f
    Harvest Source Title NASA Data.json
    License https://www.usa.gov/government-works
    Old Spatial "CARTESIAN",{"Boundary":{"Points":{"Latitude":-90,"Longitude":-180},{"Latitude":-90,"Longitude":180},{"Latitude":90,"Longitude":180},{"Latitude":90,"Longitude":-180},{"Latitude":-90,"Longitude":-180}}}
    Program Code 026:000
    Source Datajson Identifier True
    Source Hash bc6b981a10b01b049cef6093cb01496fe7d6345b6edf20d168fee7fd5fe9761d
    Source Schema Version 1.1
    Spatial
    Temporal 2015-06-12/2017-12-31

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