Semi-analytical Model for Estimating Absorption Coefficients of Optically Active Constituents in Coastal Waters

Abstract:

The objectives of this paper are to validate the applicability of a multi-band quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA) in retrieval absorption coefficients of optically active constituents in turbid coastal waters, and to further improve the model using a proposed semi-analytical model (SAA). The a_p(531) and a_g(531) semi-analytically derived using SAA model are quite different from the retrievals procedures of QAA model that a_p(531) and a_g(531) are semi-analytically derived from the empirical retrievals results of a(531) and a(551). The two models are calibrated and evaluated against datasets taken from 19 independent cruises in West Florida Shelf in 1999-2003, provided by SeaBASS. The results indicate that the SAA model produces a superior performance to QAA model in absorption retrieval. Using of the SAA model in retrieving absorption coefficients of optically active constituents from West Florida Shelf decreases the random uncertainty of estimation by >23.05% from the QAA model. This study demonstrates the potential of the SAA model in absorption coefficients of optically active constituents estimating even in turbid coastal waters.

Keywords: Remote sensing; Coastal Water; Absorption Coefficient; Semi-analytical Model