Global Ocean Remote Sensing Reflectance Data for Water Quality Analysis

PACE OCI Level-3 Global Binned Remote-Sensing Reflectance (RRS) Data provides the foundational observable for retrieving ocean color products. The dataset contains remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) values at specific wavelength bands, such as Rrs_412 and Rrs_443, measured in units of sr⁻¹. It is produced by the OB_CLOUD organization and is version 3.1 of the data product.

Use Cases

• Retrieving chlorophyll-a concentration (chlor_a) from Rrs_443 and other Rrs bands using bio-optical algorithms.
• Estimating the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd_490) for downwelling irradiance from Rrs_λ values to assess water clarity.
• Deriving inherent optical properties (IOPs) like absorption and backscattering from the suite of Rrs spectral bands.
• Validating new ocean color algorithms by comparing model outputs against the foundational Rrs_λ observable.
• Monitoring coastal water quality trends by analyzing time-series of Rrs data in optically complex regions.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage from satellite observations.
• Provides the foundational Rrs_λ observable for multiple derived geophysical products.
• Includes per-file quality flags for land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol conditions.

Limitations

• Data quality is lower in optically complex coastal and inland waters, as noted in mission documentation.
• Specific row count, temporal coverage, and update frequency are unknown.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata (PACE OCI instrument), OB_CLOUD organization.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing, processed to Level-3 global binned data.

Geography

Global