Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?

@article{Pinker2005DoSD,
  title={Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?},
  author={Rachel T. Pinker and B. Zhang and Ellsworth G. Dutton},
  journal={Science},
  year={2005},
  volume={308},
  pages={850 - 854}
}
Long-term variations in solar radiation at Earth's surface (S) can affect our climate, the hydrological cycle, plant photosynthesis, and solar power. Sustained decreases in S have been widely reported from about the year 1960 to 1990. Here we present an estimate of global temporal variations in S by using the longest available satellite record. We observed an overall increase in S from 1983 to 2001 at a rate of 0.16 watts per square meter (0.10%) per year; this change is a combination of a… Expand
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