The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) offers text descriptions of composite, individual and archival Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) data from various satellites. TSI describes the radiant energy emitted by the sun over all wavelengths that falls each second on one square meter outside the earth's atmosphere. Data is gathered as this radiant energy is absorbed into a cavity on a satellite and is converted into heat energy that is in turn converted into an electrical voltage and measured as Watts/square meter, a quantity proportional to the solar constant. TSI variations are of interest in solar physics and because of the possible effect of radiative forcing on the Earth's climate.
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Part of the Starting Point collection. The Starting Point collection includes resources addressing the needs of faculty and graduate students designing, developing, and delivering entry-level undergraduate courses in geoscience.
