Remote Assessment Of Ocean Color For Interpretation Of Satellite Visible Imagery

Since the pioneering work of Clarke et a1. (1970) it has been known that chlorophyll a (or. more generally. pigments) contained in phytoplankton in near-surface waters produced systematic variations in the color of the ocean which could be observed from aircraft. As a direct result of this work. NASA developed the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). which was launched on Nimbus-G (now Nimbus-7) in October 1978. (A short description of the CZCS is provided in Appendix I. ) Shortly before launch. at the IUCRM Colloquium on Passive Radiometry of the Ocean (June 1978). a working group on water color measurements was formed to assess water color remote sensing at that time. A report (Morel and Gordon. 1980) was prepared which summarized the state-of-the-art of the algorithms for atmospheric correction. and phytoplankton pigment and seston retrieval. and which included recommendations concerning the design of next generation sensors. The water color session of the COSPAR/SCOR/IUCRM Symposium 'Oceanography from Space' held in Venice (May 1980. i. e •• in the post-launch period) provided the opportunity for a reassessment of the state-of-the-art after having gained some experience in the analysis of the initial CZCS imagery. Such an assessment is the purpose of this review paper. which will begin with an outline of the basic physics of water color remote sensing and the fundamentals of atmospheric corrections. The present state of the constituent retrieval and atmospheric correction algorithms will then be critically assessed.

The ocean is a fundamental component of the earth's biosphere. It covers roughly 70 percent of Earth's surface and plays a pivotal role in the cycling of life's building blocks, such as nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and sulfur. The ocean also contributes to regulating the climate system. Most of the primary producers in the ocean comprise of microscopic plants and some bacteria; and these photosynthetic organisms (phytoplankton) form the base of the ocean's food web. Monitoring the health of the ocean and its productivity is critical to understanding and managing the ocean's essential functions and living resources. Because the ocean is so vast and difficult for humans to explore, satellite remote sensing of ocean color is currently the only way to observe and monitor the biological state of the surface ocean globally on time scales of days to decades. Ocean color measurements reveal a wealth of ecologically important characteristics including: chlorophyll concentration, the rate of phytoplankton photosynthesis, sediment transport, dispersion of pollutants, and responses of oceanic biota to long-term climate changes. Continuity of satellite ocean color data and associated climate research products are presently at significant risk for the U.S. ocean color community. Assessing Requirements for Sustained Ocean Color Research and Operations aims to identify the ocean color data needs for a broad range of end users, develop a consensus for the minimum requirements, and outline options to meet these needs on a sustained basis. The report assesses lessons learned in global ocean color remote sensing from the SeaWiFS/MODIS era to guide planning for acquisition of future global ocean color radiance data to support U.S. research and operational needs.

Individual cell and particle analysis in aquatic sciences is involved in many aspects of oceanography and limnology, including optical physics of particles, phytoplankton physiology and ecology, marine and aquatic microbiology and food web interactions. This book concentrates on the optimal utilization of flow cytometry and image analysis and the ways in which oceanographic and limnological problems can be uniquely or better addressed using these techniques.

An introduction to the physical principles underlying Earth remote sensing. The development of spaceborne remote sensing technology has led to a new understanding of the complexity of our planet by allowing us to observe Earth and its environments on spatial and temporal scales that are unavailable to terrestrial sensors. Remote Sensing Physics: An Introduction to Observing Earth from Space is a graduate-level text that examines the underlying physical principles and techniques used to make remote measurements, along with the algorithms used to extract geophysical information from those measurements. Volume highlights include: Basis for Earth remote sensing including ocean, land, and atmosphere Description of satellite orbits relevant for Earth observations Physics of passive sensing, including infrared, optical and microwave imagers Physics of active sensing, including radars and lidars Overview of current and future Earth observation missions Compendium of resources including an extensive bibliography Sample problem sets and answers available to instructors The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

This book provides extensive insight on remote sensing of coastal waters from aircraft and space-based platforms. The primary focus of the book is optical remote sensing using passive instruments, to measure and analyze the coastal aquatic environment. The authors have gathered information from a variety of sources, to help non-specialists grasp new techniques and technology, to quickly produce useful data

A variety of biophysical applications (e.g. leaf area index and gross primary productivity) have been derived from measurements of the Earth system obtained remotely by NASA’s MODIS sensors and other satellite platforms. In Biophysical Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing, the authors describe major applications of satellite remote sensing for studying Earth's biophysical phenomena. The focus of the book lies on the broad palette of specific applications (metrics) of biophysical activity derived using satellite remote sensing. With in-depth discussions of satellite-derived biophysical metrics that focus specifically on theory, methodology, validation, major findings, and directions of future research, this book provides an excellent resource for remote sensing specialists, ecologists, geographers, biologists, climatologists, and environmental scientists.

To all those sailors / Who dreamed before us / Of another way to sail the oceans. The dedication of this Volume is meant to recall, and honour, the bold pioneers of ocean exploration, ancient as well as modern. As a marine scientist, dealing with the oceans through the complex tools, ?lters and mechanisms of contemporary research, I have always wondered what it was like, in centuries past, to look at that vast ho- zon with the naked eye, not knowing what was ahead, and yet to sail on. I have tried to imagine what ancient sailors felt, when “the unknown swirls around and engulfs the mind”, as a forgotten author simply described the brave, perhaps reckless, act of facing such a hostile, menacing and yet fascinating adventure. Innovation has always been the key element, I think, for their success: another way, a better way, a more effective, safer and worthier way was the proper answer to the challenge. The map of our world has been changed time and again, from the geographical as well as the social, economic and scienti?c points of view, by the new discoveries of those sailors. One of the positive qualities of human beings is without doubt the inborn desire to expand their horizons, to see what lies beyond, to learn and understand.