MULTI-SENSOR, ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACHES FOR THE ESTIMATION OF PARTICULATE ORGANIC CARBON FROM SPACE

Uncertainties in remote-sensing retrieval of the particulate organic carbon concentration in the ocean can be attributed in part to differences in methodology among researchers and in part to the inherent variability in the nature of oceanic particles themselves and the relationships between these particles and their optical properties. These uncertainties are important for optical and remote sensing science, as particulate organic carbon is an essential component in biological carbon pump, and consequently the global carbon cycle. These uncertainties propagate into the global climate models and, as such, contribute to the whole “missing carbon mystery”. Here we present a novel approach that could lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern the variability of the particulate organic carbon - optical relationships. By using new and improved in-situ optical methodologies during two year-long field seasons and across diverse oceanic bio-regions, we have managed to tease apart the relationship between the variability in the composition of the particulate pool and that observed in optics and particulate organic carbon, and to exploit this relationship to develop a new, ecosystem-based particulate organic carbon remote sensing algorithm.