ENVISAT MERIS Level-2 Regional Reduced Resolution Inherent Optical Properties (IOP) Data, version 2022.0, provides per-pixel optical properties of seawater derived from satellite remote sensing. The dataset includes geophysical variables such as total absorption and backscattering coefficients, phytoplankton absorption, and associated uncertainties. It is sourced from the NASA Earthdata platform and was last updated in May 2012.
Use Cases
- Water-type classification based on inherent optical properties like absorption and backscattering coefficients.
- Water-clarity assessment using the total absorption and backscattering coefficients.
- Biogeochemical studies leveraging phytoplankton absorption coefficients at specific wavelengths.
- Forward and adjoint radiative-transfer applications utilizing the spectral optical property data.
Strengths
- Provides per-pixel inherent optical properties, which are independent of illumination and viewing geometry.
- Includes specific geophysical variables such as aph_443 (phytoplankton absorption at 443 nm) and bbp_443 (particulate backscattering at 443 nm).
- Supports more robust cross-sensor comparisons than purely apparent optical property products, as stated in the description.
Limitations
- Last updated 2012-05-09 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earthdata (nasa_earthdata), organization OB_CLOUD.
- Collection Method
- Retrieved from spectral Remote Sensing Reflectance (Rrs) using the default configuration of the Generalized Inherent Optical Properties (GIOP) model framework from ENVISAT MERIS satellite.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2012-05-09 00:00:00
- Geography
- Regional coverage (specific regions not stated), likely global ocean areas observed by the ENVISAT MERIS sensor.