Modeling hyperspectral normalized water-leaving radiance in a dynamic coastal ecosystem.

Next-generation satellite sensors such as the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) aboard the NASA Plankton, Aerosols, Cloud and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite and the proposed Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) sensor will provide hyperspectral measurements of water-leaving radiances. However, acquiring sufficiently accurate in situ validation data in coastal ecosystems remains challenging. Here we modeled hyperspectral normalized water-leaving radiance ([LW(λ)]N) in a dynamic coastal ecosystem using in situ inherent optical properties (IOPs) as inputs to the Hydrolight radiative transfer model. By reducing uncertainty of modeled hyperspectral [LW(λ)]N (%RMSE ≤ 21%) relative to [LW(λ)]N derived from in situ radiometric measurements (%RMSE ≤ 33%), we introduce modeling as an alternative or complementary method to in-water radiometric profilers for validating satellite-derived hyperspectral data from coastal ecosystems.