Method of determining the volume scattering function of ocean waters in the backward direction using a satellite ocean color sensor

Abstract

A method of determining the Volume Scattering Function of Ocean Waters in the backward direction using a Satellite Ocean Color Sensor the said method made to exploit the geometry of the sun-ocean-satellite detector to function as a backscatter system comprising of the sun [as a source of radiation, the ocean as the sampling volume [, and the satellite ocean color sensor [as the detector of the backscattered flux from the ocean emanating from separate ocean pixels arranged on a scan line across the track of the satellite payload and arriving at corresponding pixels on the CCD array detector of the satellite sensor [; the output signals from each electronic pixel of the detector is shown to be related to the Volume Scattering Function at a fixed scattering angles (ψ) which bears a direct relation to the cosines of the solar incident angle (θ) and the angle (θ) of the upwelled flux at the ocean surface, the Remotely Sensed Reflectance (Rrs), and the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) thereby resulting in a new product of the Volume Scattering Function at fixed backscattering angles.