Effect of Bio-Optical Parameter Variability on the Remote Estimation of Chlorophyll-a Concentration in Turbid Productive Waters: Experimental Results

Authors

Giorgio Dall'Olmo, Oregon State UniversityFollow
Anatoly A. Gitelson, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

1-20-2005

Comments

Published in Applied Optics (January 20, 2005) 44(3): 412-422. Copyright 2005, Optical Society of America. Used by permission.

Abstract

The analytical development and underlying hypothesis of a three-band algorithm for estimating chlorophyll-a concentration ([Chla]) in turbid productive waters are presented. The sensitivity of the algorithm to the spectral location of the bands used is analyzed. A large set of experimental observations ([Chla] varied between 4 and 217 mg m^-3 and turbidity between 2 and 78 nephelometric turbidity units) was used to calibrate and validate the algorithm. It was found that the variability of the chlorophyll-a fluorescence quantum yield and of the chlorophyll-a specific absorption coefficient can reduce considerably the accuracy of remote predictions of [Chla]. Instead of parameterizing these interferences, their effects were minimized by tuning the spectral regions used in the algorithm. This allowed us to predict [Chla] with a relative root-mean-square error of less than 30%.