OCO-3: Space-Based Atmospheric CO2 and Meteorological Soundings

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) instrument, deployed to the International Space Station in May 2019, provides global, space-based measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Its three high-resolution spectrometers measure reflected sunlight at specific near-infrared wavelengths to characterize CO2 buildup. The dataset includes meteorological parameters interpolated from a global assimilation model for each sounding, using a fast Bayesian retrieval algorithm for surface pressure and albedo from oxygen A-band spectra.

Use Cases

• Monitoring global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations based on spectrometer measurements.
• Cloud and aerosol screening for satellite soundings using the Oxygen-A Band algorithm.
• Estimating surface pressure and albedo via the OCO ABO2 Bayesian retrieval.
• Characterizing processes controlling CO2 buildup in the atmosphere with precision space-based data.
• Validating and comparing carbon cycle models with coincident spectrometer measurements.

Strengths

• Data originates from a precision NASA mission specifically designed for space-based CO2 measurement.
• Incorporates three independently calibrated high-resolution spectrometers for coincident measurements.
• Uses a sophisticated Bayesian retrieval algorithm for meteorological parameter estimation.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown.
• The 'other-license-specified' license on Data.gov lacks detail, creating potential usage ambiguity.
• Platforms show a conflict on update status, with one showing a 2026 date and others showing none.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected by the OCO-3 instrument on the International Space Station using three high-resolution spectrometers.

Time Range

Collection began after deployment in May 2019; specific end date is null.

Freshness

2026-04-09 (Data.gov), though this future date is anomalous; other platforms show no update info.

Geography

Global coverage from the International Space Station's orbit.