SNPP VIIRS Satellite Data: Daily Chlorophyll-a Concentration (OCI Model)

The SNPP satellite platform carries a VIIRS sensor observing sunlight reflected from the ocean surface layer. These multi-spectral measurements infer chlorophyll-a concentration, typically from phytoplankton, using the OCI algorithm recommended by NASA's Ocean Biology Processing Group. The data is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated on 2026-07-10.

Use Cases

• Monitoring phytoplankton blooms based on satellite-derived chlorophyll-a concentration.
• Studying marine primary productivity patterns based on inferred chlorophyll-a data.
• Validating ocean biogeochemical models based on OCI algorithm chlorophyll-a estimates.
• Assessing water quality and ocean health indicators based on chlorophyll-a concentration.

Strengths

• Uses the NASA-recommended OCI algorithm (Hu et al 2012) for chlorophyll-a retrieval.
• Data is sourced from the VIIRS sensor on the SNPP satellite platform.
• Last updated on 2026-07-10 03:58:02.124667, indicating recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic or temporal bias inherent to the satellite's coverage and the data_gov_au source.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au, using NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group methodology.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the VIIRS sensor on the SNPP platform, processed with the SeaDAS l2gen software using the OCI algorithm.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 03:58:02.124667

Geography

Likely covers ocean areas observed by the SNPP/VIIRS satellite.