Ocean Color

  1. Satellite Data Products
  2. Ocean Color

Radiation from the ocean surface of light in the visible wavelengths gives information about the color of the ocean. This "ocean color" (radiances) can be used to estimate chlorophyll concentration (the pigment in plants and phytoplankton responsible for photosynthesis and the dominant source of color in the open ocean) or the coefficients of light attenuation through the water column and other parameters (generally related to biological processes). In coastal areas, other biological compounds and minerals add complexity to interpretation. Clouds will block remotely sensed OC.

The following list shows the various Ocean Color near real time and science quality data products available from NOAA CoastWatch

    NOAA MSL12 multi-sensor DINEOF global gap-filled products: Chlorophyll-a, diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd(490), and suspended particulate matter (SPM)

    Updated: June 27, 2022
    B2022167_A1_WW00_chlora_120.png The NOAA Multi-Sensor Level-1 to Level-2 (MSL12) Ocean Color, science quality, multi-sensor global gap-filled analysis includes chlorophyll-a, Kd(490), and SPM products. These global gap-free data are generated using the data interpolating empirical orthogonal function (DINEOF) method (Liu and Wang, 2022). The data that go into this product currently come from 3 instruments: the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite, VIIRS on the NOAA-20 satellite, plus the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) on the Sentinel 3A satellite from the Copernicus program of the European Union.

    NOAA MSL12 Ocean Color - Near Real Time - VIIRS single-sensor SNPP and NOAA-20

    Updated: February 11, 2021
    VRSUCW_B2018284_C9_182613-183154_200713-201129_GM05_edgemask_kd490_120.png VIIRS Ocean Color Level 2 (EDR) is produced through NOAA Multi-Sensor Level 1 to Level 2 processing system (MSL12) from IDPS satellite data record (SDR, Level 1b).  Level 3 mapped and binned products are also available.  Near real time data are available from Suomi NPP and from NOAA-20 platforms.

     

    NOAA MSL12 Ocean Color, near real time, VIIRS multi-sensor SNPP + NOAA-20 daily merge

    Updated: February 11, 2021
    V2020015_D1_NPP-N20_WW00_chloci_800_0.png VIIRS Ocean Color multi-sensor (SNPP + NOAA-20) daily merge (Level 3 composite) is produced from the NOAA Multi-Sensor Level 1 to Level 2 processing system (MSL12) near real time processing stream by the NOAA ocean color science team.  NOAA CoastWatch converts files to NetCDF and serves them here.

    NOAA MSL12 Ocean Color, near real-time, VIIRS multi-sensor (SNPP + NOAA-20), chlorophyll DINEOF gap-filled analysis

    Updated: February 11, 2021
    V2020006_A1_WW00_chlora_120.png VIIRS Ocean Color multi-sensor gap-filled analysis (Level 4) is produced with input from the VIIRS multi-sensor (SNPP + NOAA-20) daily merged chlorophyll and monthly climatology using the DINEOF method of interpolation for gap-filling.  The chlorophyll algoritm used is OCI.  The NOAA ocean color science team provides the gap-filled data file to NOAA CoastWatch.  CoastWatch converts these to the NetCDF product and serves them.

    NOAA MSL12 Ocean Color, science quality, VIIRS multi-sensor (SNPP + NOAA-20), chlorophyll DINEOF gap-filled analysis

    Updated: February 11, 2021
    V2020006_A1_WW00_chlora_120.png VIIRS Ocean Color multi-sensor gap-filled analysis (Level 4) is produced with input from the VIIRS multi-sensor (SNPP + NOAA-20) daily merged chlorophyll and monthly climatology using the DINEOF method of interpolation for gap-filling.  The chlorophyll algoritm used is OCI.  The NOAA ocean color science team provides the gap-filled data file to NOAA CoastWatch.  CoastWatch converts these to the NetCDF product and serves them.

    Ocean Color - Near Real Time - OLCI Sentinel-3A and 3B Regional Coverage

    Updated: February 11, 2021

    OLCQCW_I2018287_152928_FE05_closest_chlora_120.png

    		 OLCI Sentinel-3A and 3B regional coverage (US coasts of interest, a.k.a. "CONUS" but including Hawaii) Level-3 mapped daily composites of ocean color remote sensing reflectances (Rrs(λ), chlorophyll-a concentration and derived water quality related products including diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (Kd490),  normalized fluorescence line height (NLFH), and total suspended matter (TSM) from the EUMETSAT processing.