Estimation of particulate organic carbon in the ocean from satellite remote sensing
Measurements from the Southern Ocean show that particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration is well correlated with the optical backscattering by particles suspended in seawater. This relation, in conjunction with retrieval of the backscattering coefficient from remote-sensing reflectance, provides an algorithm for estimating surface POC from satellite data of ocean color. Satellite imagery from SeaWiFS reveals the seasonal progression of POC, with a zonal band of elevated POC concentrations in December coinciding with the Antarctic Polar Front Zone. At that time, the POC pool within the top 100 meters of the entire Southern Ocean south of 40 degrees S exceeded 0.8 gigatons.
Marine Physical Laboratory and Marine Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0238, USA.
D
Stramski
RA
Reynolds
M
Kahru
BG
Mitchell