Satellite-based estimates quantify the daily amount of solar radiation in the 400–700 nm range available for photosynthesis at the ocean surface. The data, expressed in moles of photons per square meter, are produced by OB_CLOUD and were last updated in December 2010. These estimates are used to interpret phytoplankton bloom dynamics and support marine ecosystem models.
Use Cases
- Modeling marine primary production based on daily photosynthetically available radiation (PAR).
- Interpreting phytoplankton bloom dynamics based on satellite-derived light energy estimates.
- Providing context for in-situ optical and biogeochemical measurements based on surface PAR data.
- Supporting education on light–biology interactions in marine environments based on the quantified PAR variable.
Strengths
- Data provides a specific geophysical variable (par) measured in mol photons m⁻² d⁻¹.
- Derived from the OrbView-2 SeaWiFS satellite platform, indicating a space-based observation source.
Limitations
- Last updated 2010-12-11 23:59:59; freshness should be verified.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count and spatial/temporal resolution are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- OB_CLOUD via nasa_earthdata platform.
- Collection Method
- Satellite remote sensing from the OrbView-2 SeaWiFS instrument.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2010-12-11 23:59:59
- Geography
- Global