SURFRAD

To understand the global surface energy budget is to understand climate. Because it is impractical to cover the earth with monitoring stations, the answer to global coverage lies in reliable satellite-based estimates. Efforts are underway at NASA and universities to develop algorithms to do this, but such projects are in their infancy. In concert with these ambitious efforts, accurate and precise ground-based measurements in differing climatic regions are essential to refine and verify the satellite-based estimates, as well as to support specialized research. To fill this niche, the Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) was established in 1993 through the support of NOAA's Office of Global Programs.

洞悉全球地表能量收支，便是把握气候之奥秘。鉴于在地球表面部署监测站点的实际操作性存在局限，全球覆盖的解决方案依赖于基于可靠卫星估计的方法。美国宇航局（NASA）及各大学正在努力开发相关算法以实现此目标，然而此类项目尚处于起步阶段。与这些雄心勃勃的努力相辅相成，精准且细致的地面测量在各个气候区域不可或缺，这不仅有助于精炼和验证卫星估计，亦为特定研究领域提供支持。为了填补这一空白，地表辐射预算网络（SURFRAD）于1993年成立，得益于美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）全球计划办公室的支持。