Radiative transfer simulations of water-leaving radiance from the Skylight-Blocked Approach

Radiative transfer simulations of measurements performed with the Skylight-Blocked Approach (SBA) for water exhibiting diverse optical properties confirmed the non-negligible impact of the depth z₀ of the radiometer shield in the determination of the water-leaving radiance L_w. In particular, results showed that the shield-shaded water volume lowers the measured L_w value by a few up to tens of percent as a function of the depth z₀, water attenuation, and wavelength. The study also confirmed the potential applicability of an analytical correction scheme based on the sole water absorption and backscattering coefficients to support operational SBA measurements, still at the expense of decreased accuracy with increasing depth z₀ and water turbidity.