Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics Research Articles

CDOM dynamics in two coastal zones influenced by contrasting land uses in northern Patagonia

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an indicator and optical proxy of terrestrial processes such as land use with allochthonous material fluxes, biogeochemical cycles, and water quality in coastal zones influenced by rivers. However, the role of land use changes on the spatial and temporal availability of CDOM has been poorly explored in Chile. Here, we studied two watersheds with similar climates and contrasting land use patterns in northern Patagonia considering the sampling of CDOM in their estuarine and adjacent coastal ocean. An empirical algorithm with the coefficients adjusted to our study areas to estimate CDOM was applied to Landsat 7 and 8 images to examine temporal variability of CDOMest from 2001-2011 and 2013-2020. Our results showed an increasing trend of CDOMest in both areas. Different trends in land use patterns between the two watersheds showed a significant correlation with CDOMest and contrasting associations with environmental variables. Higher humification was found in Yaldad in comparison with Colu. In both areas, allochthonous materials predominated, especially during austral spring according to the low values of the Fluorescence Index (FI). Our results highlight the potential of CDOMest to parameterize biogeochemical cycling models and to further understand the dynamics of CDOM in coastal ecosystems.

Impacts of Hydrology and Extreme Events on Dissolved Organic Carbon Dynamics in a Heavily Urbanized Estuary and Its Major Tributaries: A View From Space

AbstractDissolved organic matter and its colored component, Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM), play a major role in global carbon budgets, and their fluxes provide an essential link between terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical cycles. Satellite observations can uniquely capture the hydro‐biogeochemical connectivity of terrestrial and aquatic landscapes, across scales. Yet, accurate satellite retrievals of CDOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics remain challenging in urbanized estuaries and coasts. Here, we present an advanced unified algorithm for space‐based retrieval of coastal CDOM and DOC dynamics and its application in Long Island Sound—one of the world's most heavily urbanized estuaries that is becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change stressors. A rich bio‐optical data set, encompassing a wide range of environmental conditions, was integrated into the algorithm training to retrieve DOC concentrations and CDOM spectral shape (i.e., spectral slope S275–295)—a proxy for DOC quality. The new algorithms were applied to full‐resolution satellite imagery from the Sentinel‐3 Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) after thoroughly evaluating the performance of six ocean color atmospheric correction approaches (ACOLITE, BAC, C2RCC, MUMM, l2gen, and Polymer). Evaluation of the algorithms yielded mean absolute percent differences of 28%, 12%, and 10% for aCDOM(300), S275–295, and DOC, respectively. Application of the algorithms to multi‐year satellite OLCI imagery captured, for the first time, the coupled impact of seasonal transitions, wind regimes, freshwater inputs, anthropogenic disturbances, and hydrological extremes (both intense precipitation and droughts) on DOC fluxes and CDOM quality at the ecosystem scale. Results have important implications for improved predictions of coastal biogeochemical fluxes in complex urban−estuary systems.

Small Phytoplankton Shapes Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.

The North Atlantic subtropical gyre (NASTG) is a model of the future ocean under climate change. Ocean warming signals are hidden within the blue color of these clear waters and can be tracked by understanding the dynamics among phytoplankton chlorophyll ([Chl]) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). In NASTG, [Chl] and CDOM are strongly correlated. Yet, this unusual correlation for open oceans remains unexplained. Here, we test main hypotheses by analyzing high spatiotemporal resolution data collected by Biogeochemical‐Argo floats between 2012 and 2018. The direct production of CDOM via phytoplankton metabolism is the main occurring mechanism. More importantly, CDOM dynamics strongly depend on the abundance of picophytoplankton. Our findings thus highlight the critical role of these small organisms under the ocean warming scenario. Picophytoplankton will enhance the production of colored dissolved compounds and, ultimately, impact on the ocean carbon cycle.

Spatio-temporal variations of CDOM in shallow inland waters from a semi-analytical inversion of Landsat-8

Bottom reflectance is often the main cause of high uncertainty in Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) estimation for optically shallow waters. This study presents a Landsat-8 based Shallow Water Bio-optical Properties (SBOP) algorithm to overcome bottom effects so as to successfully observe spatial and temporal CDOM dynamics in inland waters. We evaluated the algorithm via 58 images and a large set of field measurements collected across seasons of multiple years in the Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Results showed that the SBOP algorithm reduced estimation errors by as much as 4 times (RMSE = 0.17 and R2 = 0.87 in the Saginaw Bay) when compared to the QAA-CDOM algorithm that did not take into account bottom reflectance. These improvements in CDOM estimation are consistent and robust across broad range CDOM absorption. Our analysis revealed: 1) the proposed remote sensing algorithm resulted in significant improvements in tracing spatial-temporal CDOM inputs from terrestrial environments to lakes, 2) CDOM distribution captured with high resolution land-viewing satellite is useful in revealing the impacts of terrestrial ecosystems on the aquatic environment, and 3) Landsat-8 OLI, with its 16 days revisit time, provides valuable time series data for studying CDOM seasonal variations at land-water interface and has the potential to reveal its relationship to adjacent terrestrial biogeography and hydrology. The study presents a shallow water algorithm for studying freshwater or coastal ecology, as well as carbon cycling science.

Monitoring seasonal variations of colored dissolved organic matter for the Saginaw River based on Landsat-8 data

Abstract Remote sensing is an effective tool for studying CDOM (colored dissolved organic matter) variations and its relevant environmental factors. Monitoring CDOM distribution and dynamics in small water is often limited by the coarse spatial resolution of traditional ocean color sensors. In this study, because of its high spatial resolution of 30 m, Landsat-8 data were used to assess seasonal variations of CDOM in the Saginaw River, by using an empirical statistic model. Pearson correlation analysis between CDOM variations and other environmental factors, such as temperature, discharge, and dissolved oxygen, shows that temperature was negatively correlated to CDOM variations and discharge played a positive role. We also calculated the monthly mean aCDOM(440) (the absorption coefficient of CDOM at 440 nm) for the Saginaw River between April and November from 2013 to 2016. This study demonstrates a good example for future applications in small waters: observing CDOM variations and other relevant environmental factors change by using Landsat remote sensing, so that we can know more about water quality and ecosystem health of small waters as well as the climate change impact on regional watersheds.

In Situ and Satellite Observation of CDOM and Chlorophyll-a Dynamics in Small Water Surface Reservoirs in the Brazilian Semiarid Region

We analyzed chlorophyll-a and Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) dynamics from field measurements and assessed the potential of multispectral satellite data for retrieving water-quality parameters in three small surface reservoirs in the Brazilian semiarid region. More specifically, this work is comprised of: (i) analysis of Chl-a and trophic dynamics; (ii) characterization of CDOM; (iii) estimation of Chl-a and CDOM from OLI/Landsat-8 and RapidEye imagery. The monitoring lasted 20 months within a multi-year drought, which contributed to water-quality deterioration. Chl-a and trophic state analysis showed a highly eutrophic status for the perennial reservoir during the entire study period, while the non-perennial reservoirs ranged from oligotrophic to eutrophic, with changes associated with the first events of the rainy season. CDOM characterization suggests that the perennial reservoir is mostly influenced by autochthonous sources, while allochthonous sources dominate the non-perennial ones. Spectral-group classification assigned the perennial reservoir as a CDOM-moderate and highly eutrophic reservoir, whereas the non-perennial ones were assigned as CDOM-rich and oligotrophic-dystrophic reservoirs. The remote sensing initiative was partially successful: the Chl-a was best modelled using RapidEye for the perennial one; whereas CDOM performed best with Landsat-8 for non-perennial reservoirs. This investigation showed potential for retrieving water quality parameters in dry areas with small reservoirs.

Optical assessment of colored dissolved organic matter and its related parameters in dynamic coastal water systems

Prediction of the curve of the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and differentiation between marine and terrestrially derived CDOM pools in coastal environments are hampered by a high degree of variability in the composition and concentration of CDOM, uncertainties in retrieved remote sensing reflectance and the weak signal-to-noise ratio of space-borne instruments. In the present study, a hybrid model is presented along with empirical methods to remotely determine the amount and type of CDOM in coastal and inland water environments. A large set of in-situ data collected on several oceanographic cruises and field campaigns from different regional waters was used to develop empirical methods for studying the distribution and dynamics of CDOM, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and salinity. Our validation analyses demonstrated that the hybrid model is a better descriptor of CDOM absorption spectra compared to the existing models. Additional spectral slope parameters included in the present model to differentiate between terrestrially derived and marine CDOM pools make a substantial improvement over those existing models. Empirical algorithms to derive CDOM, DOC and salinity from remote sensing reflectance data demonstrated success in retrieval of these products with significantly low mean relative percent differences from large in-situ measurements. The performance of these algorithms was further assessed using three hyperspectral HICO images acquired simultaneously with our field measurements in productive coastal and lagoon waters on the southeast part of India. The validation match-ups of CDOM and salinity showed good agreement between HICO retrievals and field observations. Further analyses of these data showed significant temporal changes in CDOM and phytoplankton absorption coefficients with a distinct phase shift between these two products. Healthy phytoplankton cells and macrophytes were recognized to directly contribute to the autochthonous production of colored humic-like substances in variable amounts within the lagoon system, despite CDOM content being partly derived through river run-off and wetland discharges as well as from conservative mixing of different water masses. Spatial and temporal maps of CDOM, DOC and salinity products provided an interesting insight into these CDOM dynamics and conservative behavior within the lagoon and its extension in coastal and offshore waters of the Bay of Bengal. The hybrid model and empirical algorithms presented here can be useful to assess CDOM, DOC and salinity fields and their changes in response to increasing runoff of nutrient pollution, anthropogenic activities, hydrographic variations and climate oscillations.

Seasonal Variation of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Using Combined Landsat and Field Data

Coastal bays, such as Barataria Bay, are important transition zones between the terrigenous and marine environments that are also optically complex due to elevated amounts of particulate and dissolved constituents. Monthly field data collected over a period of 15 months in 2010 and 2011 in Barataria Bay were used to develop an empirical band ratio algorithm for the Landsat-5 TM that showed a good correlation with the Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) absorption coefficient at 355 nm (ag355) (R2 = 0.74). Landsat-derived CDOM maps generally captured the major details of CDOM distribution and seasonal influences, suggesting the potential use of Landsat imagery to monitor biogeochemistry in coastal water environments. An investigation of the seasonal variation in ag355 conducted using Landsat-derived ag355 as well as field data suggested the strong influence of seasonality in the different regions of the bay with the marine end members (lower bay) experiencing generally low but highly variable ag355 and the freshwater end members (upper bay) experiencing high ag355 with low variability. Barataria Bay experienced a significant increase in ag355 during the freshwater release at the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion (DPFD) following the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 and following the Mississippi River (MR) flood conditions in 2011, resulting in a weak linkage to salinity in comparison to the other seasons. Tree based statistical analysis showed the influence of high river flow conditions, high- and low-pressure systems that appeared to control ag355 by ~28%, 29% and 43% of the time duration over the study period at the marine end member just outside the bay. An analysis of CDOM variability in 2010 revealed the strong influence of the MR in controlling CDOM abundance in the lower bay during the high flow conditions, while strong winds associated with cold fronts significantly increase CDOM abundance in the upper bay, thus revealing the important role these events play in the CDOM dynamics of the bay.

Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico from Ocean Color and Numerical Model Results

Chaichitehrani, N.; D’Sa, E.J.; Ko, D.S.; Walker, N.D.; Osburn, C.L., and Chen, R.F., 2014. Colored dissolved organic matter dynamics in the Northern Gulf of Mexico from ocean color and numerical model results. Journal of Coastal Research, 30(4), 800–814. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption and salinity relationships were assessed and used in conjunction with the salinity and current outputs of a numerical model (Navy Coastal Ocean Model [NCOM]) to study CDOM dynamics in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In situ CDOM absorption and salinity obtained from multiple field campaigns were inversely correlated seasonally (winter–spring and summer) and latitudinally (inner- and outer-shelf zones), suggesting conservative behavior of CDOM distribution. A weaker correlation, during summer in the outer-shelf zone, however, indicated stronger effects of photooxidation and lower masking effects from riverine CDOM. Applying these relationships to simulated salinity resulted in hourly maps of CDOM that revealed similarities to CDOM patterns derived from SeaWiFS satellite imagery. Further, matchup comparisons between model-derived and in situ CDOM absorption were statistically sound for the summer (bias ¼� 0.016, root mean square error ¼ 0.059, r 2 ¼ 0.51 SI ¼ 0.28) and the winter–spring periods (bias ¼ 0.033, root mean square error ¼ 0.099, r 2 ¼ 0.52, SI ¼ 0.21). Overlaying the modelderived CDOM maps on the simulated currents revealed the strong influence of currents on CDOM advection. Downcoast currents during the nonsummer months led to persistent advection of CDOM westward interrupted by frequent cold front events that flush CDOM-laden waters out of the coastal bays onto the inner and outer continental shelves. In contrast, the upcoast current regime, though less well organized, produces a more significant seaward advection of CDOM, likely due to the Ekman transport and subsequent entrainment by mesoscale eddies over the continental slope.

Bio-Optical Properties of the Inner Continental Shelf off Santos Estuarine System, Southeastern Brazil, and their Implications for Ocean Color Algorithm Performance

Optical characterizations of coastal water masses are important tools for a better understanding of physical and biochemical processes and aid the optimization of ocean color algorithms. In this study we present three optical classes of water observed during October/2005 and March/2006 on the inner continental shelf adjacent to Santos Bay (Brazil), based on remote sensing reflectance. ANOVA indicated a crescent estuarine influence in classes 1 to 3. Class 3 presented the highest chlorophyll-a and nutrient concentration and highest light absorption coefficients. Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominated the light absorption in all classes and was strongly correlated to salinity in October/2005 due to the influence of the La Plata plume. The results indicated that CDOM dynamics in the Santos inner shelf are very complex. The performance of global chlorophyll algorithms was significantly smaller for October/2005 than for March/2006. As inconsistent changes in light absorption spectra by phytoplankton were detected between samplings, the results show that future bio-optical algorithms for this region must be optimized preferentially considering CDOM optical parameters.

Spectral characterization of colored dissolved organic matter for productive inland waters and its source analysis

This study examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and spectral slope (S), and further to analyze its sources in three productive water supplies (Eagle Creek, Geist and Morse reservoirs) from Indiana, USA. The re- sults showed that he absorption coefficient aCDOM(440) ranged from 0.37 m -1 to 3.93 m -1 with an average of 1.89 ± 0.76 m -1 (±SD) for the aggregated dataset, and S varied from 0.0048 nm -1 to 0.0239 nm -1 with an average of 0.0108 ± 0.0040 nm -1 . A significant relation- ship between S and aCDOM(440) can be fitted with a power equation (S = 0.013 × aCDOM(440) -0.42 , R 2 = 0.612), excluding data from Geist Reservoir during high flow (12 April 2010) and the Morse Reservoir on 25 June 2010 due to a T-storm achieves even higher determina- tion coefficient (R 2 = 0.842). Correlation analysis indicated that aCDOM(440) has strong association with inorganic suspended matter (ISM) concentration (0.231 < R 2 < 0.786) for each of the field surveys, and this trend followed the aggregated datasets (R 2 = 0.447, p < 0.001). In contrast, chlorophyll-a was only correlated with aCDOM(440) in summer and autumn (0.081 < R 2 < 0.763), indicating that CDOM is mainly from terrigenous sources in early spring and that phytoplankton contributed during the algal blooming season. The S value was used to characterize CDOM origin. The results indicate that the CDOM source is mainly controlled by hydrological varia- tions, while phytoplankton originated organic matter also closely linked with CDOM dynamics in three productive reservoirs.

Connections between physical, optical and biogeochemical processes in the Pacific Ocean

A new biogeochemical model has been developed and coupled to a three-dimensional physical model in the Pacific Ocean. With the explicitly represented dissolved organic pools, this new model is able to link key biogeochemical processes with optical processes. Model validation against satellite and in situ data indicates the model is robust in reproducing general biogeochemical and optical features. Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) has been suggested to play an important role in regulating underwater light field. With the coupled model, physical and biological regulations of CDOM in the euphotic zone are analyzed. Model results indicate seasonal variability of CDOM is mostly determined by biological processes, while the importance of physical regulation manifests in the annual mean terms. Without CDOM attenuating light, modeled depth-integrated primary production is about 10% higher than the control run when averaged over the entire basin, while this discrepancy is highly variable in space with magnitudes reaching higher than 100% in some locations. With CDOM dynamics integrated in physical-biological interactions, a new mechanism by which physical processes affect biological processes is suggested, namely, physical transport of CDOM changes water optical properties, which can further modify underwater light field and subsequently affect the distribution of phytoplankton chlorophyll. This mechanism tends to occur in the entire Pacific basin but with strong spatial variability, implying the importance of including optical processes in the coupled physical-biogeochemical model.

An assessment of remote sensing algorithms for colored dissolved organic matter in complex freshwater environments

This study evaluated fifteen algorithms representing four major categories of retrieval algorithms for aquatic colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM): empirical, semi-analytical, optimization, and matrix inversion methods. The specific goal here was to evaluate (and understand) the strengths and limits of these algorithms in predicting CDOM dynamics along a gradient of varying water quality in a large, freshwater ecosystem. The data were collected in May and October of 2012 from the estuarine areas of the Kawkawlin and Saginaw Rivers, and Lake Huron. Algorithms were evaluated through comparisons to in-situ CDOM measurements, such that the analysis of these field measurements showed that CDOM levels in these areas displayed a range of CDOM absorption coefficients aCDOM(440) (0.1–8.5m−1). In general, the majority of the algorithms underestimated high CDOM waters (aCDOM(440)>2m−1) and overestimated low CDOM scenarios (<0.5m−1). Six algorithms that performed consistently better compared with the other models (overall RMSE of <0.45) in estimating in-situ CDOM levels were three empirical, two semi-analytical, and one MIM algorithms. Our analysis identified a set of parameters for the matrix inversion methods (MIM) that allow them to work effectively across a broad range of CDOM levels. Analysis of our results indicated that the most effective wavelengths/band locations for estimating CDOM could vary depending on the levels of spectral interference from high concentrations of particulate matter in the water column. In addition, our results suggest that including wavelengths>600nm in the algorithms improves CDOM estimation accuracy significantly, particularly for complex freshwater environments.

Changes in spectral slopes of colored dissolved organic matter absorption with mixing and removal in a terrestrially dominated marine system (Hudson Bay, Canada)

We investigated the changes in absorption and spectral slopes of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) using a data set of salinity, δ18O and CDOM absorption in Hudson Bay. Following the fraction of river water (determined with salinity and δ18O tracers) one can track the changes in terrestrial CDOM optical properties with mixing and removal, as salinity cannot alone be used in waters with significant influence from sea-ice melt. CDOM in Hudson Bay was controlled by terrestrial inputs, in contrast to adjacent Hudson Strait. CDOM absorption was removed significantly, likely due to photobleaching. There was no or negligible indication of absorption removal during initial estuarine mixing, in agreement with earlier studies. Of the many absorption spectral slope (S) parameters that have been used as proxies for CDOM dynamics, the ones at shorter wavelengths proved the best indicators for absorption removal by photobleaching. Increase in absorption spectral slopes at 275 to 295 (S275–295) and 290 to 350nm (S290–350) are strongly correlated with the apparent removal of CDOM absorption. S275–295 and S290–350 in combination with spectral slopes and ratios at other wavelength intervals, which are sensitive to other processes and sources, can potentially reveal more information about CDOM origin and dynamics than a single slope alone.

Tidal marshes as a source of optically and chemically distinctive colored dissolved organic matter in the Chesapeake Bay

The role of tidal marshes as a source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) for adjacent estuarine waters was studied in the Rhode River subestuary of the Chesapeake Bay. Water in a tidal creek draining brackish, high‐elevation marshes was sampled every hour during several semidiurnal tidal cycles in order to examine the tidal exchange of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Water leaving the marsh during ebbing tide was consistently enriched in DOC compared to water entering the marsh during flooding tide. There was a net DOC export from the marsh to the estuary during seasons of both low and high marsh plant biomass. Optical analysis demonstrated that, in addition to contributing to the carbon budgets, the marsh had a strong influence on the estuary’s CDOM dynamics. Marsh‐exported CDOM had optical properties that were consistently and markedly different from those of CDOM in the adjacent estuary. Specifically, marsh CDOM had: (1) considerably stronger absorption, (2) larger DOC‐specific absorption, (3) lower exponential spectral slope, (4) larger fluorescence signal, (5) lower fluorescence per unit absorbance, and (6) higher fluorescence at wavelengths &gt;400 nm. These optical characteristics are indicative of relatively complex, high‐molecular‐weight, aromatic‐rich DOM, and this was confirmed by results of molecular‐weight‐distribution analysis. Our findings illustrate the importance of tidal marshes as sources of optically and chemically distinctive dissolved organic compounds, and their influence on CDOM dynamics, DOC budgets, and, thus, photochemical and biogeochemical processes, in adjacent estuarine ecosystems.