Sentinel-3A OLCI Level-3 Global Mapped Chlorophyll-a Concentration (NRT)

The Ocean Biology DAAC produces near real-time (NRT) global, gridded composites of surface chlorophyll-a concentration as a proxy for phytoplankton biomass. This Sentinel-3A OLCI Level-3 Reduced Resolution (ERR) data supports time-series analysis, anomaly detection, and ecosystem applications. The activity was informed by the U.S. Government's Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG).

Use Cases

• Monitor phytoplankton biomass trends based on global chlorophyll-a concentration maps.
• Detect anomalies in marine ecosystems based on chlorophyll-a concentration data.
• Support fisheries management and ecosystem modeling based on phytoplankton biomass proxies.
• Provide environmental context for oceanographic studies by pairing with other variables like SST and winds.

Strengths

• Provides global, gridded composites of a key oceanographic variable (chlorophyll-a).
• Offers near real-time (NRT) data products for timely analysis.
• Supports pairing with other environmental variables (e.g., AVW, PAR, SST) mentioned in the description.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes retrievals in optically complex coastal/inland waters may carry higher uncertainty.

Provenance

Source

Ocean Biology DAAC (OB_CLOUD), using Sentinel-3A OLCI instrument.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data processed into Level-3 gridded composites.

Freshness

Near real-time (NRT).

Geography

Global