Open AccessAssessing the link between chlorophyll concentration and absorption line height at 676 nm over a broad range of water types
Author(s) -
Schuyler C. Nardelli,
Michael Twardowski
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.0a1374
Subject(s) - chlorophyll a , environmental science , salinity , absorption (acoustics) , albedo (alchemy) , chlorophyll , remote sensing , ocean color , latitude , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , optics , chemistry , physics , geology , geodesy , satellite , art , biochemistry , organic chemistry , astronomy , performance art , art history
The relationship between absorption at 676 nm normalized to chlorophyll-a, i.e., specific absorption aph*(676), and various optical and environmental properties is examined in extensive data sets from Case I and Case II waters found globally to assess drivers of variability such as pigment packaging. A better understanding of this variability could lead to more accurate estimates of chlorophyll concentrations from in situ optical measurements that may be made autonomously. Values of aph*(676) ranged from 0.00006 to 0.0944 m 2 /mg Chl a across all sites studied, but converged on median and mean values (n = 563) of 0.0108 and 0.0139 m 2 /mg Chl a respectively, with no apparent relationship with various optical properties, latitude, coastal or open ocean environment, depth, temperature, salinity, photoadaptation, ecosystem health, or albedo. Relative consistency in aph* across such diverse water types and the full range in chlorophyll concentration suggests a single aph* may be used to estimate chlorophyll concentration from absorption measurements with better accuracy than currently thought.