Global Phytoplankton Carbon Concentration from ENVISAT Satellite

ENVISAT MERIS Level-4 data provides a global, mapped product for phytoplankton carbon concentration derived from NASA ocean-color observations. The dataset, version 2022.0, is produced by OB_CLOUD and was last updated in the system on May 9, 2012. It quantifies phytoplankton biomass as carbon stocks in milligrams per cubic meter.

Use Cases

• Quantify global ocean biomass and carbon stocks using the carbon_phyto concentration field.
• Assess marine ecosystem productivity by analyzing spatial and temporal trends in the carbon_phyto variable.
• Drive biogeochemical models by using carbon_phyto as a key biological input parameter.
• Provide biological context for environmental studies by correlating carbon_phyto with concurrent chlorophyll, PAR, and SST data.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage enabling hemispheric and basin-scale analysis.
• Derived from the ENVISAT MERIS mission, a dedicated ocean-color sensor.

Limitations

• Data last updated in 2012, indicating potential staleness for contemporary climate studies.
• Algorithm performance may be degraded in optically complex coastal and inland waters, as noted in documentation.
• Specific row count, temporal range, and resolution details are not provided in the input.

Provenance

Source

NASA ocean-color observations from the ENVISAT MERIS mission, processed by OB_CLOUD.

Collection Method

Derived product (Level-4) generated from satellite remote sensing data using a specific algorithm for phytoplankton carbon.

Freshness

Last updated 2012-05-09; update frequency is null.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.