Comparison of the ocean inherent optical properties obtained from measurements and inverse modeling.

A model developed recently by Loisel and Stramski [Appl. Opt. 39, 3001-3011 (2000)] for estimating the spectral absorption a(lambda), scattering b(lambda), and backscattering b(b)(lambda) coefficients in the upper ocean from the irradiance reflectance just beneath the sea surface R(lambda, z = 0(-)) and the diffuse attenuation of downwelling irradiance within the surface layer ?K(d)(lambda)?(1) is compared with measurements. Field data for this comparison were collected in different areas including off-shore and near-shore waters off southern California and around Europe. The a(lambda) and b(b)(lambda) values predicted by the model in the blue-green spectral region show generally good agreement with measurements that covered a broad range of conditions from clear oligotrophic waters to turbid coastal waters affected by river discharge. The agreement is still good if the model estimates of a(lambda) and b(b)(lambda) are based on R(lambda, z = 0(-)) used as the only input to the model available from measurements [as opposed to both R(lambda, z = 0(-)) and ?K(d)(lambda)?(1) being measured]. This particular mode of operation of the model is relevant to ocean-color remote-sensing applications. In contrast to a(lambda) and b(b)(lambda) the comparison between the modeled and the measured b(lambda) shows large discrepancies. These discrepancies are most likely attributable to significant variations in the scattering phase function of suspended particulate matter, which were not included in the development of the model.

Modeling the inherent optical properties of the ocean based on the detailed composition of the planktonic community.

We describe an approach to modeling the ocean's inherent optical properties (IOPs) that permits extensive analyses of IOPs as the detailed composition of suspended particulate matter is varied in a controlled manner. Example simulations of the IOP model, which includes 18 planktonic components covering a size range from submicrometer viruses and heterotrophic bacteria to microplanktonic species of 30-mum cell diameter, are discussed. Input data to the model include the spectral optical cross sections on a per particle basis and the particle-number concentration for each individual component. This approach represents a significant departure from traditional IOP and bio-optical models in which the composition of seawater is described in terms of a few components only or chlorophyll concentration alone. The simulations illustrate how the separation and understanding of the effects of various types of particle present within a water body can be achieved. In an example simulation representing an oligotrophic water body with a chlorophyll a concentration of 0.18 mg m(-3), the planktonic microorganisms altogether are the dominant particulate component in the process of light absorption, but their relative contribution to light scattering is smaller than that of nonliving particles. A series of simulations of water bodies with the same chlorophyll a concentration but dominated by different phytoplankton species shows that composition of the planktonic community is an important source of optical variability in the ocean.

Estimation of the inherent optical properties of natural waters from the irradiance attenuation coefficient and reflectance in the presence of Raman scattering.

By means of radiative transfer simulations we developed a model for estimating the absorption a, the scattering b, and the backscattering b(b) coefficients in the upper ocean from irradiance reflectance just beneath the sea surface, R(0-), and the average attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance, 1, between the surface and the first attenuation depth. The model accounts for Raman scattering by water, and it does not require any assumption about the spectral shapes of a, b, and b(b). The best estimations are obtained for a and b(b) in the blue and green spectral regions, where errors of a few percent to <10% are expected over a broad range of chlorophyll concentration in water. The model is useful for satellite ocean color applications because the model input, R(0-) and 1, can be retrieved from remote sensing and the model output, a and b(b), is the major determinant of remote-sensing reflectance.

Estimation of particulate organic carbon in the ocean from satellite remote sensing

Measurements from the Southern Ocean show that particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration is well correlated with the optical backscattering by particles suspended in seawater. This relation, in conjunction with retrieval of the backscattering coefficient from remote-sensing reflectance, provides an algorithm for estimating surface POC from satellite data of ocean color. Satellite imagery from SeaWiFS reveals the seasonal progression of POC, with a zonal band of elevated POC concentrations in December coinciding with the Antarctic Polar Front Zone. At that time, the POC pool within the top 100 meters of the entire Southern Ocean south of 40 degrees S exceeded 0.8 gigatons.

Comparison of near-forward light scattering on oceanic turbulence and particles.

We examine and compare near-forward light scattering that is caused by turbulence and typical particulate assemblages in the ocean. The near-forward scattering by particles was calculated using Mie theory for homogeneous spheres and particle size distributions representative of natural assemblages in the ocean. Direct numerical simulations of a passive scalar with Prandtl number 7 mixed by homogeneous turbulence were used to represent temperature fluctuations and resulting inhomogeneities in the refractive index of water. Light scattering on the simulated turbulent flow was calculated using the geometrical-optics approximation. We found that the smallest temperature scales contribute the most to scattering, and that scattering on turbulence typically dominates over scattering on particles for small angles as large as 0.1 degrees . The scattering angle deviation that is due to turbulence for a light beam propagating over a 0.25-m path length in the oceanic water can be as large as 0.1 degrees . In addition, we carried out a preliminary laboratory experiment that illustrates the differences in the near-forward scattering on refractive-index inhomogeneities and particles.

Photometric immersion refractometry: a method for determining the refractive index of marine microbial particles from beam attenuation.

Photometric immersion refractometry is a technique for determining the refractive index of particulate material. In this technique, the attenuation of light by a suspension of particles is measured as a function of the refractive index of the immersion medium. A minimum attenuation occurs at the refractive index of the medium equal to that of the particles. This technique can serve as a benchmark method for the refractive index determination because it is independent of assumptions invoked by other techniques, such as those based on the inversion of the spectral attenuation data. We present a rigorous model of the photometric immersion refractometry based on the anomalous diffraction approximation for the attenuation efficiency of particles. This model permits one to determine the average value of the real part of the refractive index of the particles, its variance, and the average imaginary part of the refractive index of the particles. In addition, the fourth moment of the particle size distribution can be determined if the concentration and shape of the particles are known. We analyze the sensitivity of this model to experimental errors and discuss the applicability of photometric immersion refractometry to marine microbial particles. We also present experimental results of this technique as applied to heterotrophic marine bacteria. The results indicate that the refractive index of these bacteria was narrowly distributed about the average value of 1.3886.

Application of dynamic light scattering to the study of small marine particles.

Small particles ranging from approximately 0.1 µm to several micrometers in size, which include detrital material, bacteria, and other planktonic microorganisms, make a significant contribution to light scattering in the upper ocean. The scattering properties of these particles are strongly dependent on their size, which is difficult to measure in the submicrometer range with commonly used electronic resistive counters and microscopic techniques. We examined the size of small marine particles by application of the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method. In this method the time-dependent autocorrelation function of scattered intensity by particles undergoing Brownian motion provides information about the size of particles. The samples were collected in clear oceanic waters off the coast of Southern California. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of particles, determined from the DLS measurements at a scattering angle of 45°, was 0.54µ m. This indicates that the major contribution to scattering at this angle comes rom submicrometer particles. We also described an inverse method for estimating the general slope of the size distribution of small marine particles from the mean hydrodynamic diameter. This method is based on calculations of the size distribution weighted by distribution from Mie theory and assumes that a power-law approximation represents the actual particle scattered intensity. These calculations suggested that particulate assemblage in our seawater samples was best characterized by a differential size distribution with a slope of -4.35. This estimation was supported by independent measurements of particle size distribution and the spectral beam attenuation coefficient taken from the same samples as those used for the DLS measurements. We also demonstrated that multiangle DLS measurements may be used to determine the representative value of the refractive index of particles.