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Euphotic zone depth: Its derivation and implication to ocean-color remote sensing
Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA
College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Euphotic zone depth, z 1%, reflects the depth where photosynthetic available radiation (PAR) is 1% of its surface value. The value of z 1% is a measure of water clarity, which is an important parameter regarding ecosystems. Based on the Case-1 water assumption, z 1% can be estimated empirically from the remotely derived concentration of chlorophyll-a ([Chl]), commonly retrieved by employing band ratios of remote sensing reflectance (R rs). Recently, a model based on water's inherent optical properties (IOPs) has been developed to describe the vertical attenuation of visible solar radiation. Since IOPs can be near-analytically calculated from R rs, so too can z 1%. In this study, for measurements made over three different regions and at different seasons (z 1% were in a range of 4.3–82.0 m with [Chl] ranging from 0.07 to 49.4 mg/m3), z 1% calculated from R rs was compared with z 1% from in situ measured PAR profiles. It is found that the z 1% values calculated via R rs-derived IOPs are, on average, within ∼14% of the measured values, and similar results were obtained for depths of 10% and 50% of surface PAR. In comparison, however, the error was ∼33% when z 1% is calculated via R rs-derived [Chl]. Further, the importance of deriving euphotic zone depth from satellite ocean-color remote sensing is discussed.
Received 6 July 2006; accepted 1 November 2006; published 16 March 2007.
Citation: (2007), Euphotic zone depth: Its derivation and implication to ocean-color remote sensing, J. Geophys. Res., 112, C03009, doi:10.1029/2006JC003802.
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