NOAA-20 VIIRS Level-3 Global Mapped Particulate Inorganic Carbon (PIC) - Near Real-time (NRT) Data, version 2022.0

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 Particulate Inorganic Carbon (PIC) data suite includes product of particulate inorganic carbon (calcite, typically from coccolithophores) from ocean-color reflectance using the Balch & Gordon algorithm. PIC is used to detect and quantify coccolithophore blooms, assess carbonate cycling and optical backscatter, and provide biogeochemical context alongside chlor_a, Kd_490, PAR, and SST. As with all ocean-color retrievals, uncertainties increase in optically complex coastal/inland waters or under high aerosol/glint; users should refer to per-mission algorithm notes and quality flags before analysis.