OCO-2: Satellite-Based Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Measurements

Version 11r is the current version of this dataset, superseding all older versions. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) is the first NASA mission designed to collect space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide with the precision, resolution, and coverage needed to characterize the processes controlling its buildup. Its instrument incorporates three high-resolution spectrometers making coincident measurements of reflected sunlight at specific near-infrared wavelengths for CO2 and molecular oxygen.

Use Cases

• Tracking global carbon dioxide sources and sinks based on space-based column-averaged CO2 dry-air mole fraction (XCO2) measurements.
• Validating and improving terrestrial biosphere and ocean carbon flux models using global, high-resolution atmospheric data.
• Assimilating satellite observations of CO2 into atmospheric transport models to refine estimates of surface fluxes.
• Monitoring regional and seasonal variations in atmospheric CO2 concentrations from the OCO-2 satellite's global coverage.

Strengths

• Data is from a dedicated NASA satellite mission (OCO-2), implying a controlled, scientific collection process.
• The dataset is actively maintained, with Version 11r noted as the current version across multiple platforms.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData suggests recognized importance and utility.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: no column names, row counts, or file sizes are provided in any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-04-09 on Data.gov vs. 2024-04-01 on NASA EarthData).
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without further details.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the OCO-2 satellite's three high-resolution spectrometers measuring reflected sunlight.

Freshness

2026-04-09 (from Data.gov, though this future date may be an error)

Geography

Global