Comparisons between in-situ and remote sensing estimates of diffuse attenuation profiles

In theory, depth profiles of received power from ocean remote sensing airborne lidar data with a wide filed of view can be related to the diffuse attenuation coefficient, Kd. Preliminary results from clear open ocean waters in the Sargasso Sea and in the North Pacific Ocean indicate that a wavelength dependent discrepancy may exist, and that the 532 nm lidar Kd values are approximately 33 percent lower values than those derived from sunlight. If the discrepancies can be resolved, then a lidar system could provide a way to remotely measure the spatial variability of Kd over synoptic scales that can not be achieved within a reasonable time interval from a surface vessel.