title: Improved irradiances for use in ocean heating, primary production, and photo-oxidation calculations.
abstract: Accurate calculation of underwater light is fundamental to predictions of upper-ocean heating, primary production, and photo-oxidation. However, most ocean models simulating these processes do not yet incorporate radiative transfer modules for their light calculations. Such models are often driven by above-surface, broadband, daily averaged irradiance or photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) values obtained from climatology or satellite observations, sometimes without correction for sea-surface reflectance, even though surface reflectance can reduce in-water values by more than 20%. We present factors computed by a radiative transfer code that can be used to convert above-surface values in either energy or quantum units to in-water net irradiance, as needed for calculations of water heating, and to in-water PAR, as needed for calculations of photosynthesis and photo-oxidation.
authors.affiliation: Sequoia Scientific, Inc., Bellevue, Washington 98005, USA. curtis.mobley@sequoiasci.com
authors.forename: Curtis D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Mobley
authors.forename: Emmanuel S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Boss