NOAA20 Satellite Chlorophyll-a Concentration via OCI Model

The NOAA20 satellite platform carries a VIIRS sensor observing sunlight reflected from the ocean surface layer at multiple wavelengths. These multi-spectral measurements infer the concentration of chlorophyll-a, most typically due to phytoplankton, present in the water. The data uses the OCI method recommended by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group and implemented in SeaDAS processing software.

Use Cases

• Monitor phytoplankton biomass and distribution based on chlorophyll-a concentration estimates.
• Study temporal changes in ocean productivity based on daily satellite observations.
• Validate and calibrate ocean color algorithms based on the OCI method described.
• Analyze spatial patterns of chlorophyll-a for environmental monitoring and fisheries management.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the NOAA20 satellite's VIIRS sensor, a specific and advanced remote sensing platform.
• Uses the OCI algorithm recommended by NASA's Ocean Biology Processing Group, suggesting a standardized methodology.
• Last updated 2026-07-09 23:43:23.513829, indicating recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and spatial/temporal coverage are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the NOAA20 platform's VIIRS sensor, processed with the OCI algorithm in SeaDAS software.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-09 23:43:23.513829; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely covers ocean areas observed by the NOAA20 satellite, but specific spatial coverage is not stated.