Global Ocean Remote Sensing Reflectance Data from ADEOS-I OCTS

Remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) data provides the ratio of water-leaving radiance to downwelling irradiance just above the ocean surface, measured in units of sr⁻¹. This Level-3 global mapped dataset from the ADEOS-I Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) mission is produced by the OB_CLOUD organization. The data version is 2022.0, derived from the original satellite mission that ended in 1997.

Use Cases

• Retrieving chlorophyll-a concentration (chlor_a) from Rrs_443 and Rrs_555 band values.
• Estimating the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (Kd_490) using Rrs_490 and other spectral bands.
• Developing and validating algorithms for inherent optical properties (IOPs) based on multi-spectral Rrs_λ data.
• Assessing coastal water quality by analyzing Rrs values in optically complex waters, applying quality flags for cloud and sun glint.
• Supporting marine ecosystem applications by using Rrs_412 and Rrs_670 for studying colored dissolved organic matter and sediment transport.

Strengths

• Data is provided as a globally mapped (Level-3) product, offering a spatially consistent view.
• Includes per-pixel quality flags for land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol conditions to guide analysis.

Limitations

• The underlying satellite mission (ADEOS-I) ended in June 1997, making the data temporally stale for contemporary studies.
• Documentation advises caution when using data in optically complex coastal and inland waters, indicating potential retrieval inaccuracies in these regions.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata (OB_CLOUD organization), from the ADEOS-I Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (OCTS) instrument.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing measurements processed to Level-3 global mapped remote sensing reflectance (Rrs).

Time Range

Coverage corresponds to the ADEOS-I mission operational period, culminating on 1997-06-30.

Freshness

The dataset version is 2022.0, but it reprocesses raw data from the ADEOS-I mission, which collected data until 1997-06-30.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.