CarbonTracker-Lagrange: OCO-2 Satellite Vertical Footprint Profiles for South America

CMS_CTL_SA_OCO2_FOOTPRINTS provides Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) particle trajectory data products. The data set quantifies the influence of upwind surface fluxes on greenhouse gas concentrations at 14 discrete vertical levels co-located with OCO-2 satellite column observations over South America. It was produced by the NASA Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) program and was last updated on 2026-03 13.

Use Cases

• Quantifying regional carbon fluxes based on Lagrangian particle dispersion model footprints.
• Analyzing the influence of upwind surface emissions on atmospheric column concentrations based on receptor vertical profiles.
• Validating and improving carbon cycle models using satellite-derived observation footprints.
• Supporting policy development for carbon management based on quantified flux uncertainties.

Strengths

• Data is derived from NASA's OCO-2 satellite observations and the WRF meteorological model.
• Footprints are computed for 14 discrete vertical levels per observation location.
• Produced under the NASA Carbon Monitoring System program designed for policy-relevant accuracy and utility.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the South American focus and the OCO-2 satellite's observational pattern.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

WRF-STILT Lagrangian particle dispersion model applied backwards from OCO-2 satellite column observation receptors.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 09:45:05.728816; freshness should be verified.

Geography

South America