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NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Solar Spectral Irradiance (SSI), NRLSSI Version 2.1 (Version Superseded)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: October 09, 2026 at 10:22 PM | Dataset Last Updated: December 01, 2017 at 12:00 AM
*This version has been superseded by a newer version. It is highly recommended for users to access the current version. Users should only access this superseded version for special cases, such as reproducing studies. If necessary, this version can be accessed by contacting NCEI.* This Climate Data Record (CDR) contains solar spectral irradiance (SSI) as a function of time and wavelength created with the Naval Research Laboratory model for spectral and total irradiance (Version 2.1). Version 2.1 improves the scientific quality of the earlier Version 2.0 based on new research to achieve high accuracy and improved understanding of uncertainties with the Solar Irradiance CDR. Solar spectral irradiance is the wavelength-dependent energy input to the top of the Earth's atmosphere, at a standard distance of one Astronomical Unit from the Sun. Its units are W per m2 per nm. Also included is the value of total (spectrally integrated) solar irradiance in units W per m2. The dataset was created by Judith Lean (Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory), Odele Coddington and Peter Pilewskie (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Science, University of Colorado). The daily- and monthly-averaged SSI data range from 1882 to 2024, and annual-averaged SSI data begin in 1610. The data file format is netCDF-4 following CF metadata conventions. The dataset is accompanied by algorithm documentation, data flow diagram and source code for the NOAA CDR Program.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:solar_contacts@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-stream
description *This version has been superseded by a newer version. It is highly recommended for users to access the current version. Users should only access this superseded version for special cases, such as reproducing studies. If necessary, this version can be accessed by contacting NCEI.* This Climate Data Record (CDR) contains solar spectral irradiance (SSI) as a function of time and wavelength created with the Naval Research Laboratory model for spectral and total irradiance (Version 2.1). Version 2.1 improves the scientific quality of the earlier Version 2.0 based on new research to achieve high accuracy and improved understanding of uncertainties with the Solar Irradiance CDR. Solar spectral irradiance is the wavelength-dependent energy input to the top of the Earth's atmosphere, at a standard distance of one Astronomical Unit from the Sun. Its units are W per m2 per nm. Also included is the value of total (spectrally integrated) solar irradiance in units W per m2. The dataset was created by Judith Lean (Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory), Odele Coddington and Peter Pilewskie (Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Science, University of Colorado). The daily- and monthly-averaged SSI data range from 1882 to 2024, and annual-averaged SSI data begin in 1610. The data file format is netCDF-4 following CF metadata conventions. The dataset is accompanied by algorithm documentation, data flow diagram and source code for the NOAA CDR Program.
distribution 
[
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    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Landing page for the dataset.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI CDR Information Page",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/climate-data-records/solar-spectral-irradiance",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "CDR overview and documentation.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Contact NCEI",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Contact NCEI for more information and to request access to the archived data. Requests are subject to NCEI order fulfillment constraints.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Registry of Open Data on AWS",
    "accessURL": "https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-cdr-atmospheric/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information on AWS data access.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
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    "accessURL": "https://microsoft.github.io/AIforEarthDataSets/data/noaa-cdr.html",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information on Microsoft Azure data access.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page for the Current Version",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.25921/esjz-1w61",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Landing page for the Current Version.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
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    "title": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V56W985W",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V56W985W",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Landing page for the related dataset.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Keywords",
    "accessURL": "https://earthdata.nasa.gov/about/gcmd/global-change-master-directory-gcmd-keywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "The information provided on this page seeks to define how the GCMD Keywords are structured, used and accessed. It also provides information on how users can participate in the further development of the keywords.",
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]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/aim/iso/xml/C01542.xml
issued 2017-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "Earth Science > Sun-Earth Interactions > Solar Activity > Solar Irradiance",
  "NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) Program",
  "Satellite",
  "SORCE > Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment",
  "Geographic Region > Global",
  "NOAA OneStop Project",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "UCO/LASP/LISIRD > Lasp Interactive Solar IRradiance Datacenter, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado"
]
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2017-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://doi.org/10.25921/esjz-1w61",
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/V56W985W"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-90.0,-180.0,90.0
temporal 1882-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/2024-03-31T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Solar Spectral Irradiance (SSI), NRLSSI Version 2.1 (Version Superseded)

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