Ocean Turbidity - Measurement

Measurement

There are a number of ways to measure ocean turbidity, including autonomous remote vehicles, shipcasts and satellites.

From a satellite, a proxy measurement of the water turbidity can be made by examining the amount of reflectance in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. For the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR), the logical choice is band 1, covering wavelengths 580 to 680 nanometres, the orange and red. In order to make derived products that are comparable over time and space, an atmospheric correction is required. To do this, the effects of Rayleigh scattering are calculated based on the satellite viewing angle and the solar zenith angle and then subtracted from the band 1 radiance. For an aerosol correction, band 2 in the near infrared is used. It is first corrected for Rayleigh scattering and then subtracted from the Rayleigh corrected band 1. The Rayleigh corrected band 2 is assumed to be aerosol radiance because no return signal from water in the near infrared is expected since water is highly absorbing at those wavelengths. Because bands 1 and 2 are relatively close on the electromagnetic spectrum, we can reasonably assume their aerosol radiances are the same.

In these images the turbidity is quantified as the percent reflected light emerging from the water column in a range of 0 to 8 percent. The reflectance percentage can be correlated to attenuation, Secchi disk depth or total suspended solids although the exact relationship will vary regionally and depends on the optical properties of the water. For example in Florida Bay, 10% reflectance corresponds to a sediment concentration of 30 milligram/litre and a Secchi depth of 0.5 metre. These relationships are approximately linear so that 5% reflectance would correspond to a sediment concentration of approximately 15 milligram/litre and a Secchi depth of 1 metre. In the Mississippi River plume regions these same reflectance values would represent sediment concentrations that are about ten times or more higher.