An instrument has been developed for the simultaneous in situ measurement of inherent and apparent optical properties, enabling various radiative transfer models to be tested. The Southampton Underwater Multi-parameter Optical Spectrometer System measures up- and downwelling irradiance, beam transmission and forward, side and backward scatter. These inherent optical properties can be measured both at 670 nm using a laser diode, or spectrally using a white light. The instrument resolution ranges form 0.47nm to 6.7nm. This extended abstract describes the new instrument, and presents preliminary data from an experiment to monitor the optical properties at the mouth of the Hamble river over a spring tidal cycle. Optical data are compared with measurements of suspended particulate matter and chlorophyll concentrations.

Date Published: 6 February 1997
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 2963, Ocean Optics XIII, (6 February 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.266370

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2963:
Ocean Optics XIII
Steven G. Ackleson; Robert J. Frouin, Editor(s)