Global Ocean Particulate Organic Carbon Concentrations from PACE Satellite

PACE satellite data provides global surface ocean concentrations of particulate organic carbon, a key variable for quantifying marine carbon stocks. The dataset is derived from ocean-color reflectance measurements and supports studies of biogeochemistry and ecological context alongside related variables like chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature. It is produced by the OB_CLOUD organization using algorithms from Stramski et al. (2007/2022).

Use Cases

• Quantify surface carbon stocks by analyzing the `poc` concentration variable across ocean basins.
• Support biogeochemical modeling by correlating `poc` data with companion variables like `chlor_a` and sea surface temperature (SST).
• Study ecological context by examining spatial and temporal patterns in the `poc` geophysical variable.
• Validate and improve the POC algorithm (Stramski et al. 2022) by comparing satellite-derived `poc` with in-situ measurements.

Strengths

• Derived from the advanced PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite mission.
• Provides a key biogeochemical variable (`poc`) widely used in carbon flux studies.
• Designed for integration with other ocean-color suite variables like `chlor_a` and `bbp`.

Limitations

• Specific row count, spatial resolution, and temporal coverage for the binned product are unknown.
• Algorithm performance and uncertainty depend on ocean region and atmospheric conditions.
• Data is version 3.1, indicating potential for future revisions and improvements.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata (PACE OCI Level-3), organization OB_CLOUD.

Collection Method

Derived from ocean-color reflectance measurements by the PACE satellite's Ocean Color Instrument (OCI).

Geography

Global ocean coverage.