OCO-3 L2 Met: Atmospheric Sounding Data from the ISS

Global atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements are provided by the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) instrument on the International Space Station. The dataset contains Level 2 meteorological parameters for each sounding, derived from a global assimilation model and processed using a Bayesian retrieval algorithm on high-resolution spectrometer data. It is designed to characterize the processes controlling CO2 buildup in the atmosphere with high precision and resolution.

Use Cases

• Estimating surface pressure and albedo based on O2 A-band spectra from the fast Bayesian retrieval algorithm.
• Screening for cloud and aerosol contamination in CO2 measurements using the Oxygen-A Band cloud screening tool.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from space-based observations.
• Validating and improving global carbon cycle models with precise, space-based CO2 measurements.

Strengths

• Data is from a dedicated NASA mission (OCO-3) designed for high-precision, space-based CO2 measurement.
• Incorporates measurements from three independently calibrated, high-resolution spectrometers.
• Represents the current operational processing version (Version 11), superseding all older releases.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: no column details, row counts, or file sizes are provided across sources.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on one platform but is 'None' on another, creating uncertainty for reuse.
• The forward model assumes clear-sky conditions, which may limit accuracy for scenes with significant cloud or aerosol presence.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the OCO-3 instrument's three spectrometers on the International Space Station, with data processed through the operational OCO processing pipeline.

Time Range

Instrument deployed in May 2019; specific temporal coverage of the dataset is not provided.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-09 according to datagov entries.

Geography

Global coverage from the International Space Station's orbit.