Global Water Classification from VIIRS

The water classification product provides a grouping of global ocean color data into 23 distinct water classes based on bio-optical and biogeochemical characteristics. Water classification allows for the development and improvement of class-specific algorithms estimating bio-optical and biogeochemical properties of water (Cui et al., 2020; Jiang et al., 2020; Le et al., 2011; Moore et al., 2001; Uudeberg et al., 2020), and provides a framework for understanding satellite product uncertainties (Moore et al., 2009; Wei et al., 2016b) as well as the mechanisms controlling ocean biology, chemistry and physics (Longhurst, 1998; Longhurst et al., 1995; Martin Traykovski and Sosik, 2003; Oliver and Irwin, 2008).

To generate these data products, a new water classification algorithm was applied to the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) mission (2011–present), focusing on ocean remote sensing reflectance (R_rs(λ)) (or normalized water-leaving radiance, nL_w(λ)).

The following table shows the median for each of the biogeochemical and bio-optical properties in global surface waters by water class.