Dynamic OCO-2 Visualization Tools for Community Stakeholder and User Support

In support of stakeholder decision-making and user visualization needs, the GEOS (Goddard

Earth Observing System) assimilated OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) XCO2 L3 data

were integrated into the NASA GES DISC archive, allowing a number of online visualizations

via the "Giovanni" (Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure)

system, including, but not limited to, time-averaged and trends maps, area-averaged and

zonal-averaged time series and histograms to be available to users. In alignment with the NASA

Earth Science mission to monitor the global carbon cycle and the buildup of CO2 in the

atmosphere, one of the main goals of the OCO sounders is the fundamental understanding of

regional sources and sinks of CO2. Apart from that, there also exists strong interest in the

research, policy-making, and citizen-science communities in simple maps of global distributions

of CO2 concentrations and the GEOS assimilated OCO-2 data and Giovanni services support

these mission objectives. This presentation will demonstrate user scenarios that may pose

challenges to policy-makers and citizen scientists but that are made simpler by the GEOS

assimilation maps and Giovanni visualization services.