Development of an inverse model from ocean reflectance

Abstract

An inverse ocean color model with three components-chlorophyll, suspended sediment and dissolved organic matter-is developed to extract the constituents of seawater from the surface reflectance (400-700 nm) in oligotrophic, eutrophic and turbid waters. Ocean reflectance obtained from just beneath the sea surface by a spectral radiometer (with 61 bands) is associated with four specific absorption and backscattering coefficients of seawater constituents, including heterotrophic organisms and seawater itself: Although many semi-analytical methods have been used before, this is the first time to apply a purely analytical technique to the inverse model. A known radiative transfer theory was applied to extract the constituents. The model results showed good agreement between the measured values in seawaters and simulated values.