Sentinel-3B OLCI Level-3 Global Mapped Remote-Sensing Reflectance Data

Remote-sensing reflectance (RRS) data from the Sentinel-3B satellite's Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) provides the foundational observable for retrieving ocean color products. This Level-3 global mapped product, version 2022.0, is distributed by NASA's Earthdata platform and informed by the U.S. Government's Satellite Needs Working Group. Variables are named by their band center wavelength, such as Rrs_412 and Rrs_443.

Use Cases

• Retrieving chlorophyll-a concentration (chlor_a) based on remote-sensing reflectance bands.
• Estimating the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd_490) for water clarity based on RRS data.
• Deriving inherent optical properties (IOPs) for oceanographic research based on spectral reflectance.
• Developing and validating ocean color algorithms based on remote-sensing reflectance (RRS) data
• Monitoring water quality parameters like chlorophyll-a concentration using the foundational RRS observable
• Supporting ecosystem applications by analyzing spectral reflectance data across multiple wavelength bands

Strengths

• Data is a foundational observable for retrieving multiple geophysical products, including chlor_a and Kd_490
• Includes per-file quality flags for conditions like land, cloud, sun glint, and high aerosol
• Informed by an interagency U.S. Government effort (Satellite Needs Working Group) dedicated to Earth observation needs

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
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata (platform), OB_CLOUD (organization), Sentinel-3B satellite

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI)

Geography

Global