A Fast Analysis Method for Blue-Green Laser Transmission through the Sea Surface

Area of Science:

• Ocean Optics
• Remote Sensing Technology
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Accurate estimation of blue-green laser transmission through fluctuating sea surfaces is critical for airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) applications, impacting operational parameters and detection capabilities.
• Environmental factors like wind and waves dynamically alter sea surface geometry, posing challenges to the rapid acquisition of laser transmission characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid analysis method for computing blue-green laser transmittance and refraction angles through fluctuating sea surfaces under varying wind conditions.
• To enhance the efficiency and accuracy of airborne LiDAR systems operating over complex marine environments.

Main Methods:

• A three-dimensional wind-driven wave model was constructed to simulate sea surface spatial distribution over time.
• A meshing method was employed to analyze laser footprint propagation paths, enabling fast calculation of transmittance and refraction angles via parallel computing.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrated a 70% reduction in computation time compared to traditional sequential analytical methods.
• Statistical laws governing refraction angles and transmittance under different wind conditions were derived.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a significant speed improvement for calculating laser transmission characteristics through dynamic sea surfaces.
• This research provides a foundational basis for the fast computation of airborne LiDAR transmission in complex oceanic environments, enhancing system reliability and data quality.