POSTER Session 2

EVALUATION OF PRIMARY SOURCES OF UNCERTAINTIES IN REMOTE SENSING REFLECTANCE FROM SATELLITE OCEAN COLOR SENSORS

Uncertainties in the retrieval of remote sensing reflectance, Rrs, from OC satellite sensors have a strong impact on the performance of algorithms for the estimation of chlorophyll-a and water optical properties. The uncertainties are highest in the blue bands. Each of the radiances measured at TOA: from water, sky and Sun glint, scattering by molecules and aerosols has associated uncertainties, and when combined with uncertainties from the atmospheric correction process, they form the total Rrs. uncertainty budget. The contribution of each uncertainty component to the total Rrs uncertainties is analyzed for SNPP-VIIRS and Sentinel 3 OLCI sensor products, taking advantage of the spectral differences between the components. The retrieved Rrs were compared to measurements made at several AERONET-OC and the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) sites. It is shown that uncertainties associated with the Rayleigh scattering play the most significant role, while the contributions of other components are usually smaller. Uncertainties are primarily attributed to the skylight noise with a standard deviation of approximately 1.5%, which can largely explain the frequency of often observed negative Rrs. Uncertainties also come from the surface effects and water variability component proportional to Rrs, which has a pronounced peak in the green at coastal sites. These uncertainties were further validated by in-situ above-ocean surface measurements from the ships and the helicopter using a hyperspectral imaging system. Additional results will be provided by the comparison of data from the PACE mission with AERONET-OC and in-situ data.

Alex Gilerson, City College of New York, USA

Eder Herrera-Estrella, City College of New York, USA

Mateusz Malinowski, City College of New York, USA

Robert Foster, Naval Research Laboratory, USA

Jacopo Agagliate, City College of New York, USA

Ahmed El-Habashi, Naval Research Laboratory, USA

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