Airborne, In Situ and Laboratory Measurements of the Optical and Photochemical Properties of Surface Marine Waters
Abstract
LONG TERM GOALS. The principal long-term objectives of this work are 1) to uncover and quantify the primary factors controlling the spatial and temporal distributions of the light-absorbing (colored) constituents of dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in marine and estuarine waters, 2) to determine the impact of CDOM on the aquatic light field and remotelysensed optical signals, 3) to examine the effects of photooxidation on the optical absorption and emission properties of this material, as well as the relationship between the loss of absorption (and fluorescence) by photooxidation and the yield of photochemical intermediates and products. A combination of field and laboratory measurements are being employed to estimate the wavelength dependence of the rates of the photobleaching response and its relationship to organic carbon photooxidation and the production of photochemical intermediates, in order to better understand the impact of photooxidation on marine carbon and trace element cycles and the optical properties of seawater. OBJECTIVES. Our near-term objectives have been 1) to complete a series of field studies in 1996 and 1997 devoted to examining the seasonal dependence of CDOM absorption and emission in the Middle Atlantic and its contribution to the aquatic light field, as well as the effects of stratification on the photodegradation of CDOM and on the vertical structure of the optical properties, and 2) to initiate a detailed laboratory study of CDOM photobleaching using both monochromatic and broad band light sources.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA634314
Entities
People
- Neil V. Blough
Organizations
- University of Maryland