Satellite-based estimates of downwelling solar radiation in the 400–700 nm range available for photosynthesis at the ocean surface. The data quantifies daily usable light energy in moles of photons per square meter (Einstein m⁻²). It is produced by OB_CLOUD from the NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor.
Use Cases
- Estimate marine primary production based on daily photosynthetically available radiation.
- Interpret phytoplankton bloom dynamics based on available light energy.
- Provide context for optical and biogeochemical measurements based on surface PAR.
- Support ecosystem models based on satellite-derived light availability.
Strengths
- Provides a specific geophysical variable (par) measured in mol photons m⁻² d⁻¹.
- Derived from the NOAA-20 VIIRS satellite sensor, a known data source.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect geographic or temporal bias inherent to satellite remote sensing.
Provenance
- Source
- OB_CLOUD via nasa_earthdata platform.
- Collection Method
- Satellite remote sensing from the NOAA-20 VIIRS sensor.
- Geography
- Global ocean surface.