OCO-2: NASA Satellite Data for Atmospheric Carbon and Solar Fluorescence

OCO-2 Level 2 spatially ordered geolocated retrievals screened using the IMAP-DOAS Preprocessor (IDP) Retrospective Processing V11.2r is a NASA dataset from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission. It contains outputs from the IMAP-DOAS preprocessor, which screens the official XCO2 product and retrieves Solar-Induced Fluorescence from the 0.76 micrometer O2 A-band. The data is produced by three high-resolution spectrometers on the LEOStar-2 spacecraft measuring reflected sunlight at specific near-infrared wavelengths.

Use Cases

• Screening atmospheric carbon dioxide (XCO2) retrievals based on IMAP-DOAS preprocessor outputs.
• Retrieving Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF) measurements from the 0.76 micrometer O2 A-band.
• Analyzing global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations using space-based spectrometer data.
• Studying the relationship between plant photosynthesis and atmospheric carbon via coincident SIF and CO2 measurements.

Strengths

• Data is from a dedicated NASA mission (OCO-2) designed for high-precision atmospheric CO2 measurement.
• Version 11.2r represents a current, retrospective processing standard, superseding older versions.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals its importance and official status.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown across all sources.
• The license is listed as 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov but is 'None' on NASA EarthData, indicating a conflict or lack of clarity.
• Documentation of the data's exact structure and available variables is absent from the provided descriptions.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission.

Collection Method

Collected via the LEOStar-2 spacecraft carrying three high-resolution spectrometers measuring reflected sunlight.

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:32:44.793150

Geography

Global, from satellite orbit.