title: Estimation of near-infrared water-leaving reflectance for satellite ocean color data processing.
abstract: The atmospheric correction algorithm employed by the NASA Ocean Biology Processing Group requires an assumption of negligible water-leaving reflectance in the near-infrared region of the spectrum. For waters where this assumption is not valid, an optical model is used to estimate near-infrared water-leaving reflectance. We describe this optical model as implemented for the sixth reprocessing of the SeaWiFS mission-long time-series (September 2009). Application of the optical model resulted in significant reductions in the number of negative water-leaving reflectance retrievals in turbid and optically complex waters, and improved agreement with in situ chlorophyll-a observations. The incidence of negative water-leaving reflectance retrievals at 412 nm was reduced by 40%, while negative reflectance at 490 nm was nearly eliminated.
authors.affiliation: Futuretech Corporation, 7307 Hanover Parkway, Suite D, Greenbelt, Maryland 20770, USA.
authors.forename: Sean W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: P Jeremy
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Werdell
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001272:Atmosphere; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005843:Geography; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012623:Seawater; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A