Global Monthly Satellite Map of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter

Satellite-derived maps of colored dissolved organic matter concentration in the global ocean, measured in inverse meters. The dataset is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency from the SGLI sensor onboard the GCOM-C satellite, launched in December 2017. It provides monthly statistics at a 1/24-degree spatial resolution.

Use Cases

• Modeling global ocean carbon flux using the colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentration field.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal trends in CDOM by examining the monthly average (AVE) statistic.
• Assessing data quality for specific regions by filtering pixels based on the quality flag (QA_flag).
• Correlating CDOM levels with other oceanographic variables using the 1/24-degree geospatial grid.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage from a satellite with a 1150-1400 km swath.
• Provides data at a 1/24-degree spatial resolution.
• Includes multiple statistical periods: 1-day, 8-day, and 1-month products.
• Data is available in Version 3, with Version 2 also accessible for comparison.

Limitations

• Specific row count, sample size, and temporal coverage range are not provided.
• Relies on atmospheric correction and satellite retrieval algorithms which can introduce uncertainty.
• The 1-month temporal resolution may miss shorter-term biogeochemical events.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Derived from Level 1B and Level 2 products of the SGLI sensor on the GCOM-C satellite, statistically processed in time and space.

Freshness

Satellite launched in December 2017; product update frequency is not specified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.