OCO-2: Space-Based Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Measurements

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) Level 2 dataset provides geolocated atmospheric carbon dioxide (XCO2) retrievals and diagnostic information from satellite-based spectrometers. The data collection includes diagnostic fields such as aerosol optical depth, albedo, fluorescence, and XCO2 uncertainties. Version 11.2 is the current and superseding version of this dataset.

Use Cases

• Quantifying regional carbon fluxes based on XCO2 column-averaged dry-air mole fraction retrievals.
• Analyzing the impact of aerosols on CO2 measurements using aerosol optical depth and albedo diagnostic fields.
• Validating terrestrial biosphere models using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) data.
• Assessing retrieval quality and uncertainty for specific surface types using the averaging kernel and diagnostic flags.

Strengths

• Data is from a dedicated NASA mission (OCO-2) designed for high-precision, space-based CO2 measurements.
• The dataset is actively maintained, with Version 11.2 superseding all older versions as of April 2026.
• Includes multiple diagnostic variables (e.g., fluorescence, aerosol depth) enabling detailed analysis of retrieval quality.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all listed platforms.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.
• One platform entry shows missing tags, license, and update information, indicating inconsistent metadata reporting.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the OCO-2 spacecraft's three high-resolution spectrometers.

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:21:37.614577

Geography

Global