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AERONET-OCEAN COLOR

Published by National Aeronautics and Space Administration | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Catalog Last Checked: February 14, 2026 at 08:25 PM | Dataset Last Updated: March 31, 2025
The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), developed to sustain atmospheric studies at various scales with measurements from worldwide distributed autonomous sun-photometers has been extended to support marine applications. This new network component called AERONET – Ocean Color (AERONET-OC), provides the additional capability of measuring the radiance emerging from the sea (i.e., water-leaving radiance) with modified sun-photometers installed on offshore platforms like lighthouses, oceanographic and oil towers. AERONET-OC is instrumental in satellite ocean color validation activities through standardized measurements a) performed at different sites with a single measuring system and protocol, b) calibrated with an identical reference source and method, and c) processed with the same code.

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  • View this dataset's read me document

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  • View the primary investigator's documentation for this dataset

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  • View this dataset's read me document

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
accrualPeriodicity irregular
bureauCode 
[
  "026:00"
]
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "JAMES JOHNSON",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:James.Johnson@nasa.gov"
}
describedBy http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/new_web/units-ocean.html
description The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), developed to sustain atmospheric studies at various scales with measurements from worldwide distributed autonomous sun-photometers has been extended to support marine applications. This new network component called AERONET – Ocean Color (AERONET-OC), provides the additional capability of measuring the radiance emerging from the sea (i.e., water-leaving radiance) with modified sun-photometers installed on offshore platforms like lighthouses, oceanographic and oil towers. AERONET-OC is instrumental in satellite ocean color validation activities through standardized measurements a) performed at different sites with a single measuring system and protocol, b) calibrated with an identical reference source and method, and c) processed with the same code.
distribution 
[
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Download this dataset through a directory map",
    "format": "HTML",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Access the data via HTTPS.",
    "downloadURL": "https://acdisc.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/data/Nimbus7_LIMS_Level2/LIMSN7L2/"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "This dataset's landing page",
    "format": "HTML",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Access the dataset landing page from the GES DISC website.",
    "downloadURL": "https://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datacollection/LIMSN7L2_006.html"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "View this dataset's read me document",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "LIMS Users Guide",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/repository/Mission/Nimbus/3.3_Product_Documentation/3.3.2_Product_Rqmts_Design/LIMS_Users_Guide.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "View this dataset's read me document",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Nimbus 7 Users Guide",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/repository/Mission/Nimbus/3.3_Product_Documentation/3.3.2_Product_Rqmts_Design/NimbusVIIUG.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "View the primary investigator's documentation for this dataset",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "PI's notes about LIMS data quality",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/repository/Mission/Nimbus/3.3_Product_Documentation/3.3.5_Product_Quality/Comments_file_Oct78_May79.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "View this dataset's read me document",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "README Document",
    "downloadURL": "https://acdisc.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/data/Nimbus7_LIMS_Level2/LIMSN7L2/doc/README.LIMSN7L2.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Download this dataset through Earthdata Search",
    "format": "HTML",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Use the Earthdata Search to find and retrieve data sets across multiple data centers.",
    "downloadURL": "https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search?q=LIMSN7L2"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Get a related visualization",
    "format": "PNG",
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://docserver.gesdisc.eosdis.nasa.gov/public/project/Images/LIMSN7L2_006.png"
  }
]
identifier NASA-0000007__2
issued 2018-06-25
keyword 
[
  "aerosols",
  "clouds",
  "earth-science",
  "inversions",
  "precipitable-water",
  "radiation",
  "satellite"
]
landingPage http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/new_web/ocean_color.html
modified 2025-03-31
programCode 
[
  "026:001"
]
publisher 
{
  "name": "National Aeronautics and Space Administration",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/new_web/Documents/Feb232011.zip",
  "http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/new_web/Documents/Feb242011.zip"
]
spatial Global
temporal 2002-01-01/2014-01-01
theme 
[
  "Earth Science"
]
title AERONET-OCEAN COLOR

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