Global Ocean Remote Sensing Reflectance Data from ADEOS-I OCTS

ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Binned Remote-Sensing Reflectance (RRS) Data provides remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) values at specific wavelengths, measured in per steradian units. The dataset, version 2022.0, is produced by OB_CLOUD and contains processed satellite observations from the ADEOS-I mission. Its final update was recorded on June 30, 1997.

Use Cases

• Retrieving chlorophyll-a concentration (chlor_a) from Rrs_443 and Rrs_555 spectral bands.
• Estimating the diffuse attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance (Kd_490) using Rrs_490.
• Developing and validating Inherent Optical Property (IOP) algorithms based on multi-band Rrs_λ data.
• Assessing water quality in coastal regions by analyzing Rrs_412 and Rrs_670 for sediment and dissolved organic matter signals.
• Filtering data for land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol contamination using per-file quality flags.

Strengths

• Provides the foundational observable (Rrs) for deriving multiple ocean biogeochemical products.
• Includes per-file quality flags for land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol to aid data filtering.
• Covers global spatial coverage, supporting large-scale oceanographic studies.

Limitations

• Data is from 1997, making it temporally stale for contemporary climate or ecosystem analysis.
• Documentation warns of potential issues in optically complex coastal and inland waters.
• Specific row count, column count, and sample size are unknown.

Provenance

Source

OB_CLOUD via NASA Earthdata (ADEOS-I OCTS mission).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing measurements processed to Level-3 binned products.

Time Range

Coverage corresponds to the ADEOS-I mission lifetime, culminating in 1997.

Freshness

Final update was 1997-06-30; no ongoing updates.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.