One- and Two-Band Sensors and Algorithms to Derive a_CDOM(440) from Global Above- and In-Water Optical Observations

Area of Science:

• Oceanography
• Remote Sensing
• Biogeochemistry

Background:

• Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption is crucial for understanding aquatic biogeochemical processes.
• There's a growing need for large-scale, cost-effective, and autonomous methods for CDOM monitoring.
• Traditional CDOM measurement techniques are expensive and not suitable for autonomous systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate algorithms for estimating CDOM spectral absorption coefficient (aCDOM(440)) using spectrally constrained data subsets.
• To assess the suitability of these algorithms for autonomous sensors and large-scale observations.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of spectrally rich datasets from diverse global water bodies.
• Development of one-band in-water and two-band above-water algorithms for aCDOM(440) estimation.
• Evaluation of algorithms using established criteria and quality-assured archival data.

Main Results:

• One-band in-water algorithms achieved 3.0% accuracy.
• Two-band above-water algorithms demonstrated 6.5% accuracy.
• Algorithms were validated and shown to be promising for autonomous platforms.

Conclusions:

• Novel algorithms enable accurate estimation of CDOM absorption from optical data.
• These methods support the development of autonomous sensors for global water quality monitoring.
• The findings advance the study of aquatic biogeochemical processes through improved remote sensing techniques.