Sentinel-3B OLCI: Global Near Real-time Chlorophyll-a Concentration
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Description
Near real-time global composites of surface chlorophyll-a concentration, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, produced by the Ocean Biology DAAC. The data supports time-series analysis, anomaly detection, and ecosystem applications, though retrievals in coastal and inland waters may carry higher uncertainty. This activity was informed by the U.S. Government's Satellite Needs Working Group.
Use Cases
Detecting phytoplankton biomass anomalies based on global chlorophyll-a concentration composites.
Creating time-series and climatologies for marine ecosystem studies based on gridded surface chlorophyll data.
Supporting fisheries management applications by providing environmental context for phytoplankton distribution.
Teaching and training in oceanography and remote sensing using near real-time satellite-derived data.
Strengths
Provides near real-time (NRT) data products, offering a snapshot from a short time period within a single orbit.
Covers a global spatial scale with gridded composites.
Pairs with other environmental variables like AVW, PAR, Kd(490), SST, and winds for broader context.
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 inputs and calibration for NRT products are described as 'less than optimal' compared to final products.
Provenance
Source
Ocean Biology DAAC (OB_CLOUD), using Sentinel-3B OLCI instrument data.