Sentinel-3A OLCI Level-3 Global Binned Remote-Sensing Reflectance Data

Remote sensing reflectance data from the Sentinel-3A Ocean and Land Colour Instrument provides the ratio of water-leaving radiance to downwelling irradiance just above the surface. The data is binned globally at reduced resolution and is version 2022.0. This activity was informed by the Satellite Needs Working Group, an interagency effort of the U.S. Government.

Use Cases

• Retrieve chlorophyll-a concentration (chlor_a) based on remote sensing reflectance.
• Calculate diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd_490) based on remote sensing reflectance.
• Derive inherent optical properties (IOPs) based on remote sensing reflectance.
• Validate ocean color algorithms based on the foundational observable Rrs_λ.
• Monitor coastal and inland water quality based on reflectance data flagged for land, cloud, sun glint, and aerosol conditions.

Strengths

• Provides the foundational observable (Rrs_λ) for retrieving multiple geophysical products.
• Includes per-file quality flags for conditions like land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol.
• Data is binned globally, likely offering a spatially aggregated view.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to satellite coverage.

Provenance

Source

OB_CLOUD

Collection Method

Satellite observation from the Sentinel-3A Ocean and Land Colour Instrument.

Geography

Global