New tools for the study of oceanic eddies: Satellite derived inherent optical properties

Abstract

Satellite study of oceanic eddy formation, propagation, interactions, and fate was first conducted by sea surface temperature derived at infrared wavelengths. For visible wavelength ocean color reflectances, it is shown that recent radiative transfer model inversions provide additional characteristics of eddies: their constituent absorption and backscattering inherent optical properties. The chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient has the highest contrast and is therefore the most visually evident inherent optical property (while the phytoplankton absorption coefficient and backscattering coefficients are respectively less discernible). For use as an analytical tool, comparisons suggests that the chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient has a ∼10× higher contrast (i.e., ∼5% vs. 50%) in the Middle Atlantic Bight making eddy events detectable over longer time periods than with SST imagery. Example imagery illustrates the application of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and phytoplankton absorption coefficient inherent optical properties to the visual injection of dissolved and particulate organic carbon into the deep ocean by a Gulf Stream ring.