Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group

Evaluation of a compact sensor for backscattering and absorption

Not Accessible

Your library or personal account may give you access

Abstract

Seawater inherent optical properties (IOPs) are key parameters in a wide range of applications in environmental studies and oceanographic research. In particular, the absorption coefficient (a) is the typical IOP used to obtain the concentration of chlorophyll-a in the water—a critical parameter in biological oceanography studies and the backscattering coefficient (bb) is used as a measure of turbidity. In this study, we test a novel instrument concept designed to obtain both the absorption and backscattering coefficients. The instrument would emit a collimated monochromatic light beam into the water retrieving the backscattered light intensity as a function of distance from the center of illumination. We use Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation to create an inversion algorithm that translates the signal from such an instrument into values of a and bb. Our results, based on simulations spanning the bulk of natural values of seawater IOP combinations, indicate that a 6.2cm diameter instrument with a radial resolution of 1cm would be capable of predicting bb within less than 13.4% relative difference and a within less than 57% relative difference (for 90% of the inverted a values, the relative errors fall below 29.7%). Additionally, these errors could be further reduced by constraining the inversion algorithm with information from concurrent measurements of other IOPs. Such a compact and relatively simple device could have multiple applications for in situ optical measurements, including a and bb retrievals from instrumentation mounted on autonomous underwater vehicles. Furthermore, the same methodology could possibly be used for an out-of-water sensor.

© 2011 Optical Society of America

Full Article  |  PDF Article
More Like This
Absorption and backscattering coefficients and their relations to water constituents of Poyang Lake, China

Guofeng Wu, Lijuan Cui, Hongtao Duan, Teng Fei, and Yaolin Liu
Appl. Opt. 50(34) 6358-6368 (2011)

Cited By

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Figures (9)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Tables (7)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article tables are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Equations (20)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Equations are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved