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Experimental Estimates of Optical Backscattering Associated With Submicron Particles in Clear Oceanic Waters
Author(s) -
Zhang Xiaodong,
Hu Lianbo,
Xiong Yuanheng,
Huot Yannick,
Gray Deric
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl087100
Subject(s) - scattering , coherent backscattering , backscatter (email) , range (aeronautics) , particle (ecology) , materials science , trophic level , mineralogy , analytical chemistry (journal) , oceanography , optics , physics , chemistry , geology , environmental chemistry , telecommunications , composite material , computer science , wireless , paleontology
The volume scattering functions for bulk and two submicron size fractions (passing through 0.7 μm GF/F and 0.2 μm membrane filters) were measured in the North Pacific Ocean using a LISST‐VSF to assess the contributions by submicron particles to the overall particle scattering. The contribution by submicron particles increased generally with scattering angle and peaked around 110°. The total backscattering by both submicron fractions did not vary, but that by larger particles increased, with the trophic level. Consequently, the fractional backscattering contribution by submicron particles decreased from approximately 50% to 30% as the chlorophyll‐a concentration increased from <0.1 to 0.3 mg m −3 . Despite the experiment covering a limited range of trophic levels, our results confirm that backscattering by submicron particles in clear ocean waters is significant and seems to form a background independent of the backscattering by larger particles.