Working toward consistency and accuracy in the development of Essential Climate Variables from multiple missions
The Ocean Colour Radiometry – Implementation Team (OCR-IT) was established within the framework of the CEOS Ocean Colour Radiometry – Virtual Constellation (OCR-VC) to prepare a rolling implementation plan for the International Network for Sensor Inter-comparison and Uncertainty assessment for Ocean Colour Radiometry, or INSITU-OCR White Paper. The White Paper was produced by an IOCCG working group chaired by Giuseppe Zibordi (JRC, Italy) and Sean Bailey (NASA GSFC, USA), and provides a series of recommendations on activities critical to ensure high accuracy and consistency among products from present and future ocean colour missions to achieve a consistent, long-term ocean colour Climate Data Record (CDR). Key recommendations of the white paper address:
- space sensor radiometric calibration, characterization and temporal stability
- development and assessment of satellite products
- in situ data generation and handling
- information management and support
The implementation includes agency level activities such as the ESA FRM4SOC Project, and EUMETSAT FRM4SOC-2 projects as well as System Vicarious Calibration infrastructure developments from, for example, NASA and Copernicus. Overarching synergistic activities from various agencies include the development of IOCCG Ocean Optics and Biogeochemistry Protocols, IOCCG Sensor Calibration Task Force, and capacity building which involves support for the CEOS COVERAGE initiative.
The OCR-Implementation Team is chaired by EUMETSAT, under the auspices of OCR-VC.
The sixth International Ocean Colour Science (IOCS) meeting will take place in Darmstadt, Germany from 1 – 4 December 2025, hosted by EUMETSAT and ESA with support from other agencies.