Effect of spectral band numbers on the retrieval of water column and bottom properties from ocean color data

Using an optimization technique, we derived subsurface properties of coastal and oceanic waters from measured remote-sensing reflectance spectra. These data included both optically deep and shallow environments. The measured reflectance covered a spectral range from 400 to 800 nm. The inversions used data from each 5-, 10-, and 20-nm contiguous bands, including Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS), and a self-defined medium-resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS) channels, respectively. This study is designed to evaluate the influence of spectral resolution and channel placement on the accuracy of remote-sensing retrievals and to provide guidance for future sensor design. From the results of this study, we found the following: (1) use of 10-nm-wide contiguous channels provides almost identical results as found for 5-nm contiguous channels; (2) use of 20-nm contiguous channels and MERIS provides comparable results with those with 5-nm contiguous channels for deep waters, but use of contiguous 20-nm channels perform better than MERIS for optically shallow waters; and (3) SeaWiFS or MODIS channels work fine for deep, clearer waters (total absorption coefficient at 440 nm < 0.3 m(-1)), but introduce more errors in bathymetry retrievals for optically shallow waters. The inclusion of the 645-nm MODIS land band in its channel set improves inversion returns for both deep and shallow waters. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.