Suomi-NPP VIIRS Particulate Inorganic Carbon Global Mapped Data

Version 2022.0 of global satellite-derived particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) data from the Suomi-NPP VIIRS mission. The data suite includes the concentration of calcite, typically from coccolithophores, derived from ocean-color reflectance using the Balch & Gordon algorithm. It is produced by the organization OB_CLOUD and hosted on NASA's Earthdata platform.

Use Cases

• Detecting and quantifying coccolithophore blooms based on particulate inorganic carbon concentration.
• Assessing carbonate cycling in the ocean based on calcite concentration data.
• Analyzing optical backscatter in seawater based on satellite-derived PIC retrievals.
• Providing biogeochemical context alongside other ocean-color variables like chlor_a, Kd_490, PAR, and SST.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite mission, a trusted source for Earth observation.
• Algorithm is specifically named (Balch & Gordon algorithm), providing methodological transparency.
• Product is designed for integration with a suite of other ocean-color variables (chlor_a, Kd_490, PAR, SST).

Limitations

• Uncertainties increase in optically complex coastal or inland waters, as noted in the description.
• Uncertainties also increase under conditions of high aerosol or glint, limiting data reliability in certain scenarios.
• Column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable, requiring users to inspect data files after download.

Provenance

Source

OB_CLOUD

Collection Method

Derived from ocean-color reflectance data from the Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite using the Balch & Gordon algorithm.

Geography

Global