Junfang Lin

Remote sensing of normalized diffuse attenuation coefficient of downwelling irradiance

The diffuse attenuation of downwelling irradiance, Kd (m−1), is an important property related to light penetration and availability in aquatic ecosystems. The standard Kd(490) product (the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm) of the global oceans from satellite remote sensing has been produced with an empirical algorithm, which limits its reliability and applicability in coastal regions. More importantly, as an apparent optical property (AOP), Kd is a function of the angular distribution of the light field (e.g., solar zenith angle). The empirically derived product thus contains ambiguities when compared with in situ measurements as there is no specification regarding the corresponding solar zenith angle associated with this Kd(490) product. To overcome these shortcomings, we refined the Kd product with a product termed as the normalized diffuse attenuation coefficient (nKd, m−1), which is equivalent to the Kd in the absence of the atmosphere and with the sun at zenith. Models were developed to get nKd from both in situ measurements and ocean color remote sensing. Evaluations using field measurements indicated that the semi-analytically derived nKd product will not only remove the ambiguities when comparing Kd values of different light fields, but will also improve the quality of such a product, therefore maximizing the value offered by satellite ocean color remote sensing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Hyperspectral absorption and backscattering coefficients of bulk water retrieved from a combination of remote-sensing reflectance and attenuation coefficient

Absorption (a) and backscattering (bb) coefficients play a key role in determining the light field; they also serve as the link between remote sensing and concentrations of optically active water constituents. Here we present an updated scheme to derive hyperspectral a and bb with hyperspectral remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) and diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) as the inputs. Results show that the system works very well from clear open oceans to highly turbid inland waters, with an overall difference less than 25% between these retrievals and those from instrument measurements. This updated scheme advocates the measurement and generation of hyperspectral a and bb from hyperspectral Rrs and Kd, as an independent data source for cross-evaluation of in situ measurements of a and bb and for the development and/or evaluation of remote sensing algorithms for such optical properties.

Attenuation coefficient of usable solar radiation of the global oceans

Usable solar radiation (USR) represents spectrally integrated solar energy in the spectral range of 400–560 nm, a domain where photons penetrate the most in oceanic waters and thus contribute to photosynthesis and heating at deeper depths. Through purely numerical simulations, it was found that the diffuse attenuation coefficient of downwelling USR (Kd(USR), m−1) is nearly a constant vertically in the upper water column for clear waters and most turbid waters. Subsequently an empirical model was developed to estimate Kd(USR) based on the diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm (Kd(490), m−1). We here evaluate this relationship using data collected from a wide range of oceanic and coastal environments and found that the relationship between Kd(490) and Kd(USR) developed via the numerical simulation is quite robust. We further refined this relationship to extend the applicability to “clearest” natural waters. This refined relationship was then used to produce sample distribution of Kd(USR) of global oceans. As expected, extremely low Kd(USR) (∼0.02 m−1) was observed in ocean gyres, while significantly higher Kd(USR) (∼5.2 m−1) was found in very turbid coastal regions. A useful application of Kd(USR) is to easily and accurately propagate surface USR to deeper depths, potentially to significantly improve the estimation of basin scale primary production and heat fluxes in the upper water column.