Surface radiant and energy flux densities inferred from satellite data for the BALTEX watershed

To study the energy and water cycle at different spatial and temporal scales, the satellite data analysis scheme SESAT (Strahlungs- und Energieflüsse aus SATellitendaten) has been developed for passive remotely sensed data, like NOAA-AVHRR, ERS-1/2 ATSR, Envisat AATSR and MSG SEVIRI data. SESAT consists of several modules to compute cloud properties (types as well as geometrical, optical and microphysical properties), land surface properties (radiometrical and bio-geophysical properties), surface radiant and energy flux densities. SESAT could be applied to different data sets, especially for the BALTEX watershed, to infer surface radiant flux densities and also, as a first estimation, surface energy flux densities with sufficient accuracy. Most of the parameters needed for this computation can be derived from meteorological satellite data. Comparisons of net radiation, inferred from satellite data and measured at the surface, do show sufficient accuracy, but for energy flux densities more observations at the ground will have to be carried out to quantify the achievable accuracy.