NASA's Suomi-NPP VIIRS Level-4 Global Binned Phytoplankton Carbon Data provides phytoplankton carbon concentration derived from ocean-color observations. The dataset is produced by OB_CLOUD and is version 2022.0. Typical uses include quantifying biomass and carbon stocks, assessing ecosystem productivity and change, and driving biogeochemical models.
Use Cases
- Quantifying phytoplankton biomass based on derived carbon concentration.
- Assessing marine ecosystem productivity and change based on phytoplankton carbon data.
- Driving biogeochemical models based on satellite-derived biological variables.
- Providing biological context alongside chlorophyll, PAR, and SST based on the description.
Strengths
- Derived from NASA ocean-color observations, indicating a reputable source.
- Version 2022.0 suggests a specific, documented release.
- Designed for use alongside other environmental variables like chlorophyll and SST.
Limitations
- Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Product documentation notes caveats for optically complex coastal and inland waters.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA Earthdata via OB_CLOUD
- Collection Method
- Derived from satellite ocean-color observations.
- Geography
- Global