Improving Satellite Global Chlorophyll a [alpha] Data Products Through Algorithm Refinement and Data Recovery

Abstract: A recently developed algorithm to estimate surface ocean chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl in milligrams per cubic meter), namely, the ocean color index (OCI) algorithm, has been adopted by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration to apply to all satellite ocean color sensors to produce global Chl maps. The algorithm is a hybrid between a band-difference color index algorithm for low-Chl waters and the traditional band-ratio algorithms (OCx) for higher-Chl waters. In this study,…