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Subsurface phytoplankton vertical structure from lidar observation during SCS summer monsoon onset
Optics Express
|October 12, 2022
Summary
Lidar technology revealed subsurface phytoplankton structure during the South China Sea summer monsoon. This breakthrough offers new insights into oceanic dynamics and subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum layer variations.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Remote Sensing
- Phytoplankton Ecology
Background:
- Phytoplankton are crucial to marine ecosystems, influencing oceanic carbon cycles and food webs.
- Understanding their vertical distribution is key to comprehending marine primary productivity.
- Previous observations of subsurface phytoplankton layers were limited, especially during monsoon transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To observe and analyze the subsurface phytoplankton vertical structure during the onset of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon.
- To develop and validate a novel hybrid method for retrieving chlorophyll-a concentrations from lidar data.
- To investigate the spatial and diurnal variations of the subsurface chlorophyll-a maximum layer (SCML).
Main Methods:
- Utilized lidar for continuous day-and-night measurements over a two-week period.
- Developed a hybrid retrieval algorithm to determine vertical chlorophyll-a concentrations from lidar data.
- Compared lidar-derived data with satellite ocean color data for validation.
Main Results:
- First-time observation of subsurface phytoplankton vertical structure using lidar during the SCS summer monsoon onset.
- Successfully retrieved vertical chlorophyll-a concentrations, revealing SCML characteristics.
- Observed significant diurnal and spatial variations in SCML depth, linked to light and nutrient availability.
Conclusions:
- Lidar measurements provide unprecedented detail on subsurface oceanic structures.
- Variations in SCML depth are influenced by monsoon-driven changes in light and nutrients.
- Lidar technology opens new avenues for studying submesoscale oceanic dynamics.
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