Errors in satellite-based global horizontal irradiance retrievals due to three-dimensional  cloud-radiation interactions

Wiltink, Job I.; Trees, Victor J. H.; van Heerwaarden, Chiel C.; Meirink, Jan Fokke

doi:10.5194/acp-26-7207-2026

Articles | Volume 26, issue 10

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7207-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-7207-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 26, issue 10

Research article

|

27 May 2026

Research article |

| 27 May 2026

Errors in satellite-based global horizontal irradiance retrievals due to three-dimensional cloud-radiation interactions

Job I. Wiltink, Victor J. H. Trees, Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, and Jan Fokke Meirink

Data sets

Code and data used for Errors in satellite-based global horizontal irradiance retrievals due to three-dimensional cloud-radiation interactions Job I. Wiltink https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17987194

Rapid Scan High Rate SEVIRI Level 1.5 Image Data - MSG Schmetz et al. https://data.eumetsat.int/data/map/EO:EUM:DAT:MSG:MSG15-RSS

FCI Level 1c Normal Resolution Image Data - MTG - 0 degree Holmlund et al. https://data.eumetsat.int/data/map/EO:EUM:DAT:0662

Level-1 and Atmosphere Arcive \& Distribution System Distributed Active Archive Center Justice et al. https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/search/order/1/MOD02QKM--61

Model code and software

MONKI (Monte Carlo KNMI) Victor Trees https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15380811

Monte Carlo Raytracer Veerman et al. https://github.com/microhh/rte-rrtmgp-cpp

Short summary

Retrievals of surface solar radiation from passive satellite instruments normally neglect the three-dimensional (3D) interaction between clouds and radiation. This study identifies error sources arising from this neglect and demonstrates their influence on retrieval accuracy across a range of spatial resolutions. At the resolution of current geostationary satellites, 3D interactions can already introduce considerable errors, underscoring the need to develop corrections that account for them.