Radiative transfer processes in water are often modeled using 2-flow equations. No instrument has been available to date which provides the required observables sufficient to allow an accurate solution of both the absorption and the shape factor modified back-scatter. MARAS, a full spectrum radiometer now fulfills these requirements, measuring both the plane and scalar irradiance. The two flow equations, extended to include fluorescence, have been developed and used to analyze MARAS data. The absorption is shown to be consistent with the direct implementation of the Gershun relation, and the level of backscatter is found to be non- spectral in the region where we do not expect fluorescence to make a significant contribution to the observed signal. The level of scatter in the non-fluorescent region is used to estimate the level of fluorescence due to photosynthetic processes. This is then related to the chlorophyll concentration.

Date Published: 6 February 1997
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 2963, Ocean Optics XIII, (6 February 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.266378

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