The Ocean Biology DAAC produces near real-time (NRT) products using the best-available combination of ancillary data from meteorological and ozone data. As such, the inputs and the calibration used are less than optimal. Near real-time products provide a snapshot of the data during a short time period within a single orbit.

The CLOUD data suite provides per-pixel microphysics and macrophysics to support cloud/climate applications. Typical uses: screening clouds for atmospheric correction, evaluating cloud–radiation interactions, and joint analyses with ocean-color variables (e.g., chlorophyll, Rrs).

Core geophysical variables in this suite include:
• cloud_fraction — Cloud fraction (unitless; 0–1)
• ice_cloud — Ice cloud fraction (unitless; 0–1)
• water_cloud — Water cloud fraction (unitless; 0–1)
• cer_16 / cer_21 / cer_22 — Cloud particle effective radius (µm) retrieved from two-channel methods using near-IR bands (1.6, 2.1, or 2.2 µm) paired with a non-absorbing band
• cot_16 / cot_21 / cot_22 — Cloud optical thickness (unitless) retrieved from two-channel methods using near-IR bands
• cwp_16 / cwp_21 / cwp_22 — Cloud water path (g m⁻²) retrieved from two-channel methods using near-IR bands
• cth — Cloud top height (m)
• ctp — Cloud top pressure (hPa)
• ctt — Cloud top temperature (K)
• l2_flags — Level-2 Processing Flags (bitmask; see product attributes for definitions)