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NOAA-NASA Coastal Zone Color Scanner reanalysis effort
Watson W Gregg1, Margarita E Conkright, John E O'Reilly
1National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA. gregg@cabin.gsfc.nasa.gov
Applied Optics
|March 30, 2002
Summary
A new reanalysis of satellite data (Coastal Zone Color Scanner) allows scientists to quantify global ocean chlorophyll variability. This improved data enables the study of long-term trends in ocean color, crucial for understanding marine ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Remote Sensing
- Marine Ecology
Background:
- Satellite observations of global ocean chlorophyll have been available for over two decades.
- Inconsistencies in data processing algorithms have hindered the quantification of natural ocean chlorophyll variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a consistent, quantitative dataset of global ocean chlorophyll from historical satellite data.
- To enable the analysis of interannual and interdecadal trends in ocean chlorophyll.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive reanalysis of the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) archive was performed.
- This involved algorithm improvement (AI) with modernized atmospheric and bio-optical algorithms.
- In situ data were blended with the CZCS AI to minimize residual errors.
Main Results:
- The reanalyzed data (NCR) showed global spatial and seasonal chlorophyll patterns consistent with modern sensors.
- This compatibility suggests the NCR dataset is reliable for quantitative analysis.
- The NCR data permits the study of long-term ocean chlorophyll trends.
Conclusions:
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NOAA-NASA) CZCS reanalysis (NCR) provides a compatible, quantitative chlorophyll dataset.
- This reanalysis overcomes previous limitations in processing algorithms.
- The NCR dataset is essential for understanding historical changes in global ocean chlorophyll and marine ecosystems.