Satellite-derived inherent optical properties of seawater from the ENVISAT MERIS instrument. The data likely covers a time range up to its last update in May 2012 and is produced by the OB_CLOUD organization. It includes per-pixel coefficients for absorption and backscattering.
Use Cases
- Water-type classification based on inherent optical properties.
- Water-clarity assessment based on absorption and backscattering coefficients.
- Biogeochemical studies based on phytoplankton and particulate absorption coefficients.
- Forward/adjoint radiative-transfer applications based on total absorption and backscattering coefficients.
- Cross-sensor comparisons based on the IOP suite derived from spectral Remote Sensing Reflectance.
Strengths
- Provides per-pixel inherent optical properties, enabling pixel-level analysis.
- Includes specific geophysical variables such as total absorption coefficient (a) and total backscattering coefficient (bb).
- Contains uncertainty estimates for key variables like aph_unc_443 and bbp_unc_443.
- Supports more robust cross-sensor comparisons than purely apparent optical property products.
Limitations
- Last updated 2012-05-09 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- OB_CLOUD
- Collection Method
- Retrieved from spectral Remote Sensing Reflectance using the Generalized Inherent Optical Properties (GIOP) model framework.