POSTER SESSION 3
15:30–17:30, Wednesday, September 16
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
ABSTRACT 1327 | POSTER 35
INSTRUMENT SELF-SHADING EFFECTS IN POLARISED IN-WATER LIGHT FIELDS
Polarisation remains an underexploited area of research in ocean optics. Both the in-water polarisation field and its above-water counterpart contain information about the composition and structure of the water column that is not fully captured by conventional unpolarised radiometric measurements. Interest in this topic is growing rapidly, particularly following the launch of PACE, which carries two spectropolarimeters, and recent advances in radiative-transfer modelling, including the planned implementation of polarisation in HydroLight. To fully exploit polarisation as a source of information on the aquatic environment, a better understanding of the in-water light field and methods for its measurement are necessary.
Recent work by Blocker et al. (2025, Optics Express 33:26187) comparing in-water polarisation measurements with Monte-Carlo modelling suggested that some key features in polarisation measurements, such as the location of neutral points, may be especially sensitive to sensor shading. In this study, we extend that analysis by modelling realistic instrument configurations under representative in-water conditions using the Layertran pseudo-plane-parallel ocean–atmosphere model. We demonstrate how instrument self-shading affects the polarised light field and assess the implications for measurement interpretation. A better understanding of these instrumental effects will support more robust polarisation measurements, improve uncertainty characterisation and model–observation closure, and enable fuller exploitation of the information carried by polarised light in aquatic environments.
Olivier Burggraaff, National Physical Laboratory, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2487-4533
John D. Hedley, Numerical Optics Ltd, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3675-3736
Michael Twardowski, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, [email protected]
Agnieszka Białek, National Physical Laboratory, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4502-2687
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
