OCO-3: Calibrated Spectra for Atmospheric CO2 Monitoring

Version 10 supersedes all previous versions of this dataset. The OCO-3 instrument, deployed to the International Space Station in May 2019, collects Level 1B calibration data from three high-resolution spectrometers measuring reflected sunlight at specific near-infrared wavelengths. This product differs from the science product by providing boresight vector direction for calibration observations like Lunar, Solar, and Dark measurements.

Use Cases

• Calibrating the OCO-3 spectrometers based on Lunar, Solar, and Dark observation data.
• Validating atmospheric carbon dioxide retrieval algorithms using Level 1B calibrated radiance spectra.
• Analyzing instrument performance over time using the 1016 spectral elements per measurement band.
• Comparing calibration methodologies between the OCO-3 and its predecessor, OCO-2.

Strengths

• Represents the current, authoritative version (V10), superseding all older data.
• Provides high-resolution spectral data from three independently calibrated spectrometers, each with 1016 spectral elements.
• Data originates from a dedicated NASA mission designed for precise, space-based CO2 measurement.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided across any source.
• The dataset's geolocation information is limited to boresight vector direction, unlike the science product which provides per-sounding geolocation.
• Sources show a conflict in the 'last updated' date, with entries for 2023-11-12 and 2026-04-09.

Provenance

Source

NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) instrument, hosted by GES DISC.

Collection Method

Space-based measurements from three high-resolution spectrometers on the International Space Station.

Time Range

Data collection began after deployment in May 2019; specific end date not provided.

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: one source lists 2026-04-09, another lists 2023-11-12.

Geography

Global coverage from the International Space Station orbit.