Missing L2.OC data in subscriptions / earthaccess
Posted: Thu May 07, 2026 9:18 am America/New_York
Dears,
we process OC data starting from L2.OC, producing multi-sensor L3/L4 products. Our sources include MODIS-AQUA, VIIRS-SNPP, and VIIRS-NOAA20.
Since we focus on specific areas (Mediterranean and Black Seas), we rely on the subscription service (https://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subscriptions — not sure if you are also responsible for this service) and the earthaccess toolbox to identify relevant overpasses.
I understand there was an issue with SUOMI-NPP on April 27–28, but since then we have had problems identifying (and downloading) data also for other sensors (L2 OC NRT):
VIIRS-SNPP – unavailable since 2026-04-28
VIIRS-NOAA20 – unavailable since 2026-05-01
MODIS-AQUA – unavailable since 2026-05-02
The subscriptions return no data at all, and, more importantly, earthaccess reports zero overpasses for these days (with the exception of 2026-05-01, for which results are now available).
However, when browsing the Direct Data Access pages https://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/directdataaccess/Level-2 I can see that L2.OC.NRT files are being produced. A random check also confirms that some of these files cover our area of interest (e.g., yesterday’s file: SNPP_VIIRS.20260506T112401.L2.OC.NRT.nc).
Am I missing something, or is there an issue with the indexing/subscription services? Any suggestions on how to restore proper overpass identification, or do you have an estimated timeframe for a fix?
Best Regards
Vega
we process OC data starting from L2.OC, producing multi-sensor L3/L4 products. Our sources include MODIS-AQUA, VIIRS-SNPP, and VIIRS-NOAA20.
Since we focus on specific areas (Mediterranean and Black Seas), we rely on the subscription service (https://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subscriptions — not sure if you are also responsible for this service) and the earthaccess toolbox to identify relevant overpasses.
I understand there was an issue with SUOMI-NPP on April 27–28, but since then we have had problems identifying (and downloading) data also for other sensors (L2 OC NRT):
VIIRS-SNPP – unavailable since 2026-04-28
VIIRS-NOAA20 – unavailable since 2026-05-01
MODIS-AQUA – unavailable since 2026-05-02
The subscriptions return no data at all, and, more importantly, earthaccess reports zero overpasses for these days (with the exception of 2026-05-01, for which results are now available).
However, when browsing the Direct Data Access pages https://oceandata.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/directdataaccess/Level-2 I can see that L2.OC.NRT files are being produced. A random check also confirms that some of these files cover our area of interest (e.g., yesterday’s file: SNPP_VIIRS.20260506T112401.L2.OC.NRT.nc).
Am I missing something, or is there an issue with the indexing/subscription services? Any suggestions on how to restore proper overpass identification, or do you have an estimated timeframe for a fix?
Best Regards
Vega