The design of an in-water optical radiometer

Abstract

In-water radiometers which measure the spectral composition of the sub-surface light field can be used to correctly classify water types through an estimation of biogenous and non-biogenous matter present in the ocean, and more importantly to gain insights into the role playEd. by absorption and scattering processes in the optical properties of water masses. In this paper, we shall describe our design approach to current development effort on a profiling optical radiometer that will measure upwelling and downwelling spectral irradiance over an effective dynamic range greater than six decades and with a spectral resolution of 2nm. The emergence of a new generation of radiometers is now practically possible with the advent of scientific grade CCD (charged couple device) area array detectors having wide dynamic ranges, high quantum efficiencies in the range 350nm to 800nm, and very low noise features