Measurement and modeling of water-leaving radiance and the optical properties of marine environments typical of case 2 waters: Western Australian experiences

Abstract

The optical properties of sea water, including ocean color (chlorophyll concentration), diffuse attenuation coefficient, and surface/subsurface reflectance, may be readily estimated from space-borne sensors (eg. SeaWiFS, MODIS) in the open ocean (Case 1 waters). However, in near-shore and shallow waters (Case 2), the presence of other organic materials and suspended sediment, as well as bottom reflection, may affect the spectrum of water leaving radiance making esrimation of optical properties based upon mutlispectral measurements more complex. In this work, we investigate the impact of these additional components on the water-leaving radiance and associated optical properties of the ocean using; i) in-situ measurements of the optical properties of the water column, and; ii) modeling of the radiance field within marine environments typical of Case 2 waters off the coast of Western Australia. We conclude by suggesting improvements to the accuracy of remotely sensed ocean color in near-shore and shallow waters.