OCO-2 Level 1A: Satellite Raw Spectrometry for Atmospheric CO2

Version 11.2 is the current version of this dataset, superseding all older versions. The dataset contains depacketized raw data numbers from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite, formatted as Level 1A products for input to the Level 1B process. It provides calibrated engineering data from three high-resolution spectrometers measuring reflected sunlight at specific near-infrared wavelengths to characterize atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Use Cases

• Calibrating the OCO-2 Level 1B retrieval process based on raw data numbers (DN) and engineering data.
• Analyzing spectral signatures of CO2 and O2 based on measurements at 1.61, 2.06, and 0.76 micrometers.
• Studying instrument performance and stability using the independently calibrated data from three spectrometers.
• Preprocessing raw satellite observations for subsequent atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration retrievals.

Strengths

• Represents the first NASA mission designed specifically for space-based atmospheric CO2 measurements.
• Provides high-resolution spectral data, with each of the three spectrometer bands having 1016 spectral elements.
• Data is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (NASA EarthData, Data.gov), indicating its importance and reliability.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (rows, file size) are not provided in any source, limiting immediate usability assessment.
• A version conflict exists: one source lists 'Version 11' as current, while others specify 'Version 11.2'.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission, processed by GES DISC.

Collection Method

Space-based measurements from the LEOStar-2 spacecraft carrying three high-resolution spectrometers.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:34:36.081218

Geography

Global, from satellite orbit.