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Description

MERIS (Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) is a programmable, medium-spectral resolution, imaging spectrometer operating in the solar reflective spectral range. Fifteen spectral bands can be selected by ground command. The instrument scans the Earth's surface by the so called 'push-broom' method. Linear CCD arrays provide spatial sampling in the across-track direction, while the satellite's motion provides scanning in the along-track direction. MERIS is designed so that it can acquire data over the Earth whenever illumination conditions are suitable. The instrument's 68.5-degree field-of-view around nadir covers a swath width of 1150 km. This wide field of view is shared between five identical optical modules arranged in a fan shape configuration.

Version Description

Reprocessing of Ocean Color (OC) Datasets

Product Summary

Platforms
ENVISAT
Instruments
MERIS
Spatial Extent

N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180

Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2002-03-21 to 2012-05-09
Data Partner
Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG) ,
Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC), Global Change Data Center, Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD/GCDC/OB.DAAC)
Concept ID
C3281901072-OB_CLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Number of Files/Granules
49362
Processing Level
2
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Reflectance

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group. (2025). ENVISAT MERIS Level-2 Regional Reduced Resolution (RR) Inherent Optical Properties (IOP) Data, version 2022.0 [Data set]. NASA Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/ENVISAT/MERIS/L2/RR/IOP/2022.0 Date Accessed: 2026-02-11

Documents

Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor
geophysical_data/adg_443 Absorption due to gelbstoff and detrital material at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -30000 to 25000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/adg_s detrital and gelbstoff absorption spectral parameter for GIOP model m^-1 nm^-1 float32 -32767 0 to 5 N/A
geophysical_data/adg_unc_443 Uncertainty in absorption due to gelbstoff and detrital material at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 25000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/aph_443 Absorption due to phytoplankton at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 25000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/aph_unc_443 Uncertainty in absorption due to phytoplankton at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 25000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_413 Total absorption at 413 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_443 Total absorption at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_490 Total absorption at 490 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_510 Total absorption at 510 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_560 Total absorption at 560 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_620 Total absorption at 620 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_665 Total absorption at 665 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_681 Total absorption at 681 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/a_709 Total absorption at 709 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -24999 to 32000 9.9999997473788E-5
geophysical_data/bbp_443 Particulate backscattering at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 2000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bbp_s backscattering spectral parameter for GIOP model m^-1 nm^-1 float32 -32767 -3 to 3 N/A
geophysical_data/bbp_unc_443 Uncertainty in particulate backscatter at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_413 Total backscattering at 413 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_443 Total backscattering at 443 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_490 Total backscattering at 490 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_510 Total backscattering at 510 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_560 Total backscattering at 560 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_620 Total backscattering at 620 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_665 Total backscattering at 665 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_681 Total backscattering at 681 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/bb_709 Total backscattering at 709 nm, GIOP model m^-1 int16 -32767 -27999 to 32000 4.9999998736894E-6
geophysical_data/l2_flags Level-2 Processing Flags N/A int32 N/A -2147483648 to 2147483647 N/A
geophysical_data/rrsdiff Fractional mean Rrs difference, GIOP model N/A float32 -32767 N/A N/A
navigation_data/cntl_pt_cols navigation_data/cntl_pt_cols N/A int32 -32767 0 to 10000 N/A
navigation_data/cntl_pt_rows navigation_data/cntl_pt_rows N/A int32 -32767 0 to 10000 N/A
navigation_data/latitude Latitude degrees_north float32 -999 -90 to 90 N/A
navigation_data/longitude Longitude degrees_east float32 -999 -180 to 180 N/A
navigation_data/tilt Sensor tilt angle degree float32 -32767 -25 to 25 N/A
scan_line_attributes/clat Center Latitude degrees_north float32 -999 -90 to 90 N/A
scan_line_attributes/clon Center Longitude degrees_east float32 -999 -180 to 180 N/A
scan_line_attributes/csol_z Center Solar Zenith Angle degree float32 -999 -90 to 90 N/A
scan_line_attributes/day Scan day of year days int32 -32767 0 to 366 N/A
scan_line_attributes/detnum Detector Number (zero-based) N/A int8 -1 0 to 25 N/A
scan_line_attributes/elat Ending Latitude degrees_north float32 -999 -90 to 90 N/A
scan_line_attributes/elon Ending Longitude degrees_east float32 -999 -180 to 180 N/A
scan_line_attributes/msec Scan time, milliseconds of day milliseconds int32 -32767 0 to 86400000 N/A
scan_line_attributes/mside Mirror Side (zero-based) N/A int8 -1 0 to 1 N/A
scan_line_attributes/slat Starting Latitude degrees_north float32 -999 -90 to 90 N/A
scan_line_attributes/slon Starting Longitude degrees_east float32 -999 -180 to 180 N/A
scan_line_attributes/time scan line time in seconds since 1970-1-1 seconds since 1970-1-1 float64 -32767 N/A N/A
scan_line_attributes/year Scan year years int32 -32767 1900 to 2100 N/A
sensor_band_parameters/aw Band-pass averaged absorption coefficient for seawater m^-1 float32 -32767 9.9999997473788E-5 to 5 N/A
sensor_band_parameters/bbw Band-pass averaged backscattering coefficient for seawater m^-1 float32 -32767 4.9999998736894E-6 to 1 N/A
sensor_band_parameters/F0 Mean Solar Flux W m^-2 um^-1 float32 -32767 0 to 250 N/A
sensor_band_parameters/k_no2 NO2 Absorption cross-sections cm^2 molecule^-1 float32 -32767 0 to 0.10000000149012 N/A
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