Data Access

OCO Data Center

Level 2 OCO-2, OCO-3, and GOSAT-ACOS XCO₂ and SIF Products

OCO staff produce Level 2 XCO₂ and SIF products from OCO-2 and OCO-3 in two data streams: A reference-quality retrospective stream and a low-latency forward stream. For most uses, we recommend use of the daily, bias-corrected products provided in so-called 'Lite files'.

The Lite products contain a carefully selected subset of variables needed for most scientific applications and general data analysis. These products are provided as daily files and contain bias-corrected data with quality filtering information. The Lite products are retrospective datasets, with a typical latency of one to two months after observation.

Lite XCO₂ (only) products are also produced using the OCO algorithm ("Atmospheric CO₂ Observations from Space" - ACOS) for the GOSAT/TANSO-FTS instrument. This algorithm is very similar to that used for OCO-2 and OCO-3 allowing consistent use of data from all these sensors.

The daily forward stream products for OCO-2 and OCO-3 are generated with two-day latency for users who require rapid access. These also contain bias-corrected data with quality filtering information. These products are intended for near-real-time applications. Once the corresponding retrospective Lite products become available, the forward stream products are retired and should no longer be used in any application.

Recommended Level-2 XCO₂ Products

We recommend using the latest retrospective Lite products for most applications:

• OCO-2 L2 XCO₂ Lite V11.2r (Sep 2014–Dec 2023) and V11.3r (Jan 2024 onward)
• OCO-3 L2 XCO₂ Lite V11r (Aug 2019 onward)
• ACOS GOSAT/TANSO-FTS L2 XCO₂ Lite V11.0 (Apr 2009 – March 2026)

Recommended Level-2 SIF Products

We recommend using the latest retrospective Lite SIF products:

• OCO-2 SIF Lite V11r (Sep 2014 – Mar 2024) and V11.2r (Apr 2024 – May 2026)
• OCO-3 SIF Lite V11r (Aug 2019 onward)

Forward Stream Products

Users requiring low-latency observations can access the bias-corrected forward stream products through the following datasets:

XCO₂

• OCO2_L2_Fwd_FP_11.3
• OCO3_L2_Fwd_FP_11

SIF

• OCO2_L2_Fwd_SIF_11.2
• OCO3_L2_Fwd_SIF_11

Other OCO-2/3 Products

For other types of OCO-2/3 products, see:

• OCO-2
• OCO-3

Learn more about daily OCO-2 bias corrected forward stream products:

OCO-2 Level 2 bias-corrected XCO₂ and other select fields from the full-physics retrieval, Forward processing V11.2 (OCO2_L2_Fwd_FP)

OCO-2 Level 2 bias-corrected solar-induced fluorescence and other select fields from the IMAP-DOAS algorithm aggregated as daily files, Forward processing V11.2 (OCO2_L2_Fwd_SIF)

These data have been produced by the OCO team and are provided freely to the public from the DAAC at NASA Goddard.

Documentation

Helpful documentation to review before your start working with OCO data.