Abstract
Multiple scattering is an inevitable effect in spaceborne oceanic lidar because of the large footprint size and the high optical density of seawater. The effective attenuation coefficient klidar in oceanic lidar equation, which indicates the influence of the multiple scattering effect on the formation of lidar returns, is an important parameter in the retrieval of inherent optical properties (IOPs) of seawater. In this paper, the nonlinearity of klidar and the relationships between klidar and the IOPs of seawater are investigated by solving the radiative transfer equation with an improved semianalytic Monte Carlo model. klidar is found to decrease exponentially with the increase of depth in homogeneous waters. klidar is given as an exponential function of depth and IOPs of seawater. The results in this paper can help to have a better understanding of the multiple scattering effect of spaceborne lidar and improve the retrieval accuracy of the IOPs of seawater using spaceborne lidar.
Highlights
Lidars obtain depth-resolved return profiles by collecting backscattered signals from molecules and particles
Phillips et al [3] proposed a slightly different assumption that the upper and lower limits of klidar is given by the beam attenuation coefficient and the absorption coefficient, respectively, depending on field of view (FOV)
The effective attenuation coefficient klidar in lidar equation is the reflection of the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of seawater
Summary
Lidars obtain depth-resolved return profiles by collecting backscattered signals from molecules and particles. Gordon [2] found that the ratio of the radius of the spot on the sea surface viewed by the lidar receiver optics to the mean free path of photons in water is a significant parameter which is related to klidar When this ratio is near zero, klidar is given by the beam attenuation coefficient. The values of klidar at different depths in homogenous water are not constant, due to the multiple scattering effect [5, 6], especially near the ocean surface. This phenomenon leads to errors in the retrieval of optical properties, which further affects the assessment accuracy of the phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity. The depth characteristics of klidar and the relationship between klidar and the optical properties of seawater need to be studied in detail
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