Incorporating Uncertainties in Satellite-Derived Chlorophyll into Model Forecasts

Abstract

We describe and apply an ensemble approach, similar to that used in environmental modeling, to quantify errors and produce uncertainty maps for satellite-derived ocean color chlorophyll, and we incorporate these uncertainties into hydrodynamic and biophysical models. For an ocean color image, we first apply realistic noise to the satellite top-of-atmosphere radiances, which leads to an ensemble of chlorophyll images. From this ensemble, we derive mean and standard deviation (uncertainty) images for the chlorophyll, which we then incorporate into both hydrodynamic and biophysical forecast models. For both these cases, we create forecast ensemble suites; the ensemble variance provides an indication of uncertainty, or confidence in the chlorophyll forecast. We examine mean and individual forecast ensemble members (R2, spread-skill statistics) to assess predictive value. Thus, we produce a final chlorophyll forecast field that includes uncertainties in both the initial satellite chlorophyll values as well as uncertainties in the hydrodynamic and biological models.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA571870

Entities

People

  • E. Coelho
  • I. Shulman
  • P. Sakalaukas
  • R. W. Gould Jr.
  • S. C. Mccarthy
  • Steven P. Anderson

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Advection
  • Algorithms
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Databases
  • Image Processing
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Research
  • Oceans
  • Optical Properties
  • Physical Properties
  • Physics
  • Remote Sensing
  • Satellite Imaging
  • Simulations
  • Standards
  • Surface Temperature
  • Three Dimensional

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Space