Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) Ancillary Files

This dataset contains the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) ancillary (deployment) files. These are HTML pages which have auxiliary data associated with each data set in the deployment. The data file formats are in text (ASCII) and HTML. The images are in JPG and PNG formats; they are not compressed. The time period covered by the MOBY ancillary (deployment) dataset begins at 1997-07-29. The project is ongoing and continuous. More data is added as updates to the data record become available.

MOBY is an autonomous radiometric buoy stationed in the waters off Lanai, Hawaii. MOBY has been the primary in-water oceanic observatory for the vicarious calibration of U. S. satellite ocean color sensors since 1997. The MOBY project data set has been evaluated by NOAA, NASA, and NIST for its accuracy and precision numerous times since 1997. The MOBY measurements are calibrated with SI standards every per and post deployments to ensure the data sets continue to provide accurate and precise data. The satellite ocean color vicarious calibration community uses the data to validate the satellite measured radiance.

MOBY was designed to measure sunlight incidents both on and scattered out of the ocean. These measurements are provided in near real-time for the vicarious calibration procedures conducted by ocean color scientists. It is a NOAA-funded project that provides for the vicarious calibration of ocean color satellites such as SeaWiFS and MODIS. Currently, MOBY provides data to JPSS VIIRS and to non-NOAA agency partners, including Copernicus Sentinel 3A and 3B.