IMOS MODIS Optical Water Types: 8 Ocean Color Classes from Satellite

Eight optical water types derived from MODIS sensor data on the Aqua satellite using the Moore et al. 2009 clustering algorithm. The product 'owt_csiro' is produced by a CSIRO implementation that closely reproduces the original NASA SeaDAS results. Production of contemporary MODIS data ceased at 2024-12-26, with users directed to VIIRS instruments for data beyond that date.

Use Cases

• Classifying ocean water masses based on optical properties derived from satellite reflectance spectra.
• Validating and comparing optical water type algorithms, such as the CSIRO implementation versus the original NASA SeaDAS package.
• Transitioning ocean color analysis workflows from MODIS to VIIRS sensor data as suggested in the description.

Strengths

• Algorithm is based on a peer-reviewed 2009 method by Moore et al. that identifies 8 discrete optical water types.
• The CSIRO implementation was tested and shown to closely reproduce results from the original NASA SeaDAS package.
• Provides clear guidance on data continuity, noting the cessation of MODIS data in 2024 and pointing to VIIRS alternatives.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; the metadata was last updated 2026-07-10 but the primary MODIS data stream ended in 2024.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) via the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the MODIS sensor on the Aqua platform, processed using a CSIRO implementation of the Moore et al. (2009) clustering algorithm.

Time Range

Covers the operational period of MODIS on Aqua up to 2024-12-26.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 20:20:36.634933; primary MODIS data production ceased 2024-12-26.

Geography

Likely covers ocean areas observed by the MODIS sensor, specific coverage is not stated.