Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS)


Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) was a scanning radiometer on board the Nimbus-7 satellite that operated from 1978 to 1986. It was the first instrument designed to measure ocean color with the aim of studying the biological productivity of the oceans. CZCS measured the visible and near-infrared radiation reflected by the ocean surface, which is related to the concentration of chlorophyll-a, the primary pigment in phytoplankton. The instrument had four spectral bands, with a spatial resolution of approximately 800 meters. CZCS data provided the first global maps of ocean color, which have been used to study the distribution and variability of phytoplankton, ocean currents, and water quality. The CZCS data set is still widely used today for climate and oceanographic research.


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