ADEOS-I OCTS: Global Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) Data

ADEOS-I OCTS Level-3 Global Mapped Photosynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) Data provides satellite-based estimates of downwelling solar radiation in the 400–700 nm range at the ocean surface. The data quantifies daily usable light energy in moles of photons per square meter (mol photons m⁻² d⁻¹). This version 2022.0 dataset was last updated in 1997.

Use Cases

• Estimating marine primary production based on daily photosynthetically available radiation (PAR).
• Interpreting phytoplankton bloom dynamics based on satellite-derived light availability.
• Providing environmental context for optical and biogeochemical measurements based on PAR data.
• Supporting ecosystem models of light–biology interactions in the ocean.

Strengths

• Data is derived from satellite remote sensing, providing a global perspective.
• Focuses on the specific 400–700 nm wavelength range critical for photosynthesis.

Limitations

• Last updated 1997-06-30 23:59:59; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

OB_CLOUD via nasa_earthdata.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the ADEOS-I OCTS instrument.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated, but data was last updated in 1997.

Freshness

Last updated 1997-06-30 23:59:59.

Geography

Global mapped data.