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CZCS - Coastal Zone Color Scanner

  • Temporal Range of data set:1978 - June 1986

  • Launch date: 10/24/78

  • Orbit: Sun synchronous, near polar

  • Nominal altitude: 955 km

  • Inclination: 99.3 degrees

  • Nodal period: 104 minutes

  • Nodal Increment: 26.1 degrees

  • Equatorial crossing time: 11:50 AM (local time)

    • Each Level 1 granule is a partial orbital swath with a maximum of 2 minutes of data. One two-minute CZCS scene covers approximately 1.3 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface. Maps of the geographic distribution of CZCS data for its lifetime are available: CZCS Coverage



    Bands and primary use for each:

  • 433-453 nm (blue) -- chlorophyll absorption

  • 510-530 nm (green) -- chlorophyll concentration

  • 540-560 nm (yellow) -- Gelbstoffe concentration

  • 660-680 nm (red) -- aerosol absorption

  • 700-800 nm (far red) -- land and cloud detection


    • Curator: OceanColor Webmaster

    Authorized by: gene carl feldman

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    Updated: Monday, 10-Nov-2008 10:55:12 EST