Fundamentals

Optical water properties

In some cases, information describing the optical properties of the water column are collected. These data are collected to quantify absorption and scattering properties or light climates of different water bodies, and can also be used for physics based mapping approaches.

Sensor required to measure depth profiles of optical properties are:

  • up- and down-welling radiance and irradiance
  • Spectral absorption and Scattering
  • Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD sensor)
Measuring optical water properties
Instruments measuring the up- and down-welling irradiance.
Measuring in turbid water.
Measuring in clear water.

References

Brando, V. E., J. M. Anstee, M. Wettle, A. G. Dekker, S. R. Phinn and C. Roelfsema (2009). "A physics based retrieval and quality assessment of bathymetry from suboptimal hyperspectral data." Remote Sensing of Environment 113(4): 755-77

Mobley, C. D. and L. K. Sundman (2003). "Effects of optically shallow bottoms on upwelling radiances: Inhomogeneous and sloping bottoms." Limnology and Oceanography 48(1): 329-336