Milestones in Ocean Color Data Support at the Goddard Earth Sciences DISC/DAAC

1
James G. Acker, SSAI Goddard Earth Sciences Data
and Information Services Center/ Distributed
Active Archive Center
Milestones in Ocean Color Data Support at the
Goddard Earth Sciences DISC/DAAC
The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information
Services Center / Distributed Active Archive
Center (GES DISC/DAAC) is recognized worldwide
as the preeminent source of remotely-sensed ocean
color data for oceanographic research. The GES
DISC/DAAC provides system expertise, dedicated
user support, and information and educational
resources to supplement its data archive and
distribution mission
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS 1993 Coastal Zone Color
Scanner (CZCS) data is archived at the Goddard
Distributed Active Archive Center. 1996 CZCS
data files are converted to Hierarchical Data
Format CZCS data browser allows World Wide Web
data access and distribution. DAAC completes
CZCS data rescue from optical platter
archive. 1997 August Sea-viewing Wide
Field-of-view Sensor launch data access
passwords sent to over 600 initial SeaWiFS
Authorized Research Users. September SeaWiFS
global observational mission begins SeaWiFS
data distribution from the Goddard DAAC
commences. 1998 March first SeaWiFS data
reprocessing. May first Science Focus!
article. September second SeaWiFS data
reprocessing. 1999 March 1000th SeaWiFS
Authorized Research User registered. May
Goddard DAAC implements new data ordering
interface, allowing orders of multiple data
types and from various data sets. December
Terra (with Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer) launch. 2000 February
MODIS-Terra data archived and distributed.
June third SeaWiFS data reprocessing,
December User Assistance System for user query
tracking initiated. (5 Terabytes of
SeaWiFS data archived and 40 TB distributed as of
June 2000.) 2001 January 1500th SeaWiFS
Authorized Research User registered.
September MODIS/Terra Grid products
released November Ocean Color and Temperature
Scanner data from NASDA/SIMBIOS archived
and distributed. 2002 January MODIS/Terra
Ocean products Version 4 released April
MODIS/Terra 11-mm SST announced validated May
Aqua (with MODIS) launch Ocean Color Panorama
premieres. July MODIS-Aqua data archived and
distributed. August fourth SeaWiFS data
reprocessing MODIS Multiple Data Ordering
Page released. October 2000th SeaWiFS
Authorized Research User registered. (10 TB
of SeaWiFS data archived, 80 TB distributed as of
September 2002.) 2003 May New data access
and ordering interface is implemented, featuring
SeaWiFS data on CD-ROM in addition to FTP and
tape media distribution. October
MODIS-SeaWiFS validation site cutouts
available 2000th UAS query answered.
November REASoN-CAN Ocean Color Time-Series
Project awarded. (100 TB of SeaWiFS data
distributed as of July 2003 219 TB of
MODIS/Terra- and 54 TB of MODIS/Aqua Oceans data
archived as of December 2003.) Finished
reprocessing of MODIS/Terra version 4
data 2004 January MODIS Ocean on-demand
subsets released Level 2 parameter, and Level 3
spatial subset.
OCEAN COLOR PANORAMA
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS)
COASTAL ZONE COLOR SCANNER (CZCS)
Ocean Color Panorama is a GES DISC/DAACGeoscienc
e Collaboration established in 2002. It was
designed to serve as a starting point for WWW
access to data, information, and resources
pertinent to the international ocean color
scientific community. In addition to the
DISC/DAAC ocean color archive, Ocean Color
Panorama features mission information for other
satellite sensors, frequently updated News and
Announcements pertaining to ocean color science
and applications, and links to other ocean color
and related environmental data sources.
Terra
Aqua

• Mission archives MODIS-Terra covers February
  2000
• February 2004 MODIS-Aqua covers July 2002
  February
• 2004 MODIS Terra and Aqua sea surface
  temperature data
• available for full mission (to present)
• Original MODIS Ocean data products, including
  multiple
• chlorophyll algorithms, chlorophyll
  fluorescence, coccolithophore
• calcite concentration, absorption
  coefficients, PAR, and data
• quality information
• Level 1A, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 (model)
  data products
• Several different data access gateways,
  including the Multiple
• Data Order Page and the 50 Terabyte online
  Data Pool for
• popular, extensively utilized data products
• Comprehensive dataset documentation complete
  description of
• all MODIS Ocean data products
• HDFLook data processing software modified for
  MODIS data
• processing capability allows
  visualization, multiple granule
• merging, mapping into various map projections
  
• Additional tools created for IDL and Geographical
  Information
• Systems (GIS)

• Online WWW access to full archive of nearly
  60,000
• 2-minute Level 1A scenes
• CZCS Classic Scenes educational resource,
  utilized as a
• reference in both high school and
  undergraduate
• environmental science and oceanography
  classes
• Observing the Ocean from Space educational
  resource
• Full dataset documentation

OCEAN COLOR TIME-SERIES PROJECT WEB SITE
Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor
(SeaWiFS)
The Ocean Color Time-Series Project Web Site will
provide an online home for the REASoN-CAN ocean
color time-series project (Dr. Watson Gregg,
Principal Investigator). The primary goal of
this project is the development and maintenance
of a consistent multi-decadal time series of
ocean color data. The GES DISC/DAAC will host the
reprocessed datasets created by this project.
Data access will be augmented by online analysis
tools which will allow the generation of regional
time-series and publication-ready statistical
analyses without the need to download any data
files. Status reports, documentation, meeting
announcements and proceedings, and other
information related to this project will be found
here.
OCEAN COLOR AND TEMPERATURE SCANNER (OCTS)

• Full mission archive, September 1997-present,
  including
• Level 1A LAC, HRPT LAC, Level 1A and Level 2
  GAC,
• and Level 3 binned and SMI products
• Spatial and temporal search engine rolling
  archive of
• HRPT subsets for high-interest areas data
  product
• subscriptions with geographic area
  specification parameter
• subsetting
• Search engine includes cloud cover and ocean
  area search
• capability for HRPT station data
• Concurrent acquisition of ancillary data used in
  SeaDAS
• processing for any data request size (one
  file to 10,000 files)
• Data available by FTP, tape media, and CD-ROM
• User query tracking in User Assistance System
  data order
• tracking in archive and distribution system
• Science Focus! series educational resource
  articles on
• various topics pertaining to remote-sensing
  of the oceans
• and Earth surface
• SeaWiFS Poster Teaching Supplement document
  and
• WWW page with links to information related to
  images on

Laboratory for Ocean Color Users (LOCUS)

• Provides ocean color data for November 1996-June
  
• 1997, just prior to the SeaWiFS mission
• The GES DISC/DAAC archives the SIMBIOS-NASDA-
• OCTS reprocessed data set.
• Level 1A GAC, Level 2 GAC, and Level 3 data files
  
• correspond to the SeaWiFS geophysical products
  suite.
• The data files are compatible with the SeaWiFS
  Data
• Analysis System (SeaDAS) atmospheric
  correction
• algorithms, using ancillary meteorological
• Data set organization is similar to the
  organization of the
• SeaWiFS data set. All search methods and data
  access
• system functions at the GES DAAC operate in
  the same
• manner as for the SeaWiFS data access system.

The second goal of the Ocean Color Time-Series
Project is to provide simplified user access to
the datasets created by the project. The
Laboratory for Ocean Color Users (LOCUS) will
expand on this goal by providing an environment
for the demonstration and development of
research using the datasets and analysis tools
available at the GES DISC/DAAC. Tutorial
projects, collaborative research projects shown
in progress, and interaction with experienced
ocean color scientists as advisors
and co-investigators will provide a unique
system, allowing researchers with varying levels
of skill and experience to productively utilize
ocean color data for their own specific interests.