New models for retrieving and partitioning the colored dissolved organic matter in the global ocean: Implications for remote sensing

Despite the importance of CDOM to upper ocean biogeochemical processes and optics, our current understanding of its spatial and temporal distributions and the factors controlling these distributions is very limited. This eventually prevents an understanding of its relationship to the pool of dissolved organic carbon in coastal and open oceans. This work aims to present a new approach for accurate modeling of absorption spectra of CDOM (a(cdom)) and deriving information on its composition in global ocean waters. The modeling approach uses measurements (in situ) of the remote sensing reflectances at two wavelengths (denoted R-555(443)rs) to estimate a(cdom)(350) and a(cdom)(412), applies them to determine two spectral slopes of an exponential curve fit (S) and a hyperbolic curve fit (gamma), derives an appropriate parameter (gamma degrees) for grading the CDOM compositional changes from a(cdom) (350) and gamma, and finally employs a(cdom) (350), S. and gamma degrees in a modified exponential model to describe a(cdom)(lambda) as a function of wavelength. The robustness of this model was rigorously tested on three independent datasets, such as NOMAD in situ data, NOMAD SeaWiFS match-ups data and IOCCG simulated data (all of them contain a(cdom)(lambda) and R-rs(lambda)). which represent a variety of waters within coastal and offshore regions around the world. Accuracy of the retrievals found with the new models was generally excellent, with MRE (mean relative error) and RMSE (root mean square error) of -5.64-3.55% and 0.203-0.318 for the NOMAD in situ datasets, and -5.63 to -0.98% and 0.136-0.241 for the NOMAD satellite datasets respectively (for lambda(412) to lambda(670)). When used with SeaWiFS images collected over the regional and global waters, the new model showed the highest surface abundances of CDOM within the subpolar gyres and continental shelves dominated by terrestrial inputs (and perhaps local production) of colored dissolved materials, and the lowest surface abundances of CDOM in the central subtropical gyres and the open oceans presumably regulated by photobleaching phenomenon, bacterial activity and local processes. Significant interseasonal and interannual seasonal changes in the terrestrially-derived CDOM distributions were noticed from these new products that closely corresponded with the global mean runoff/river discharge induced by climate change/warming scenarios. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.