Global diffuse attenuation derived from vibrational Raman scattering detected in hyperspectral backscattered satellite spectra.

Underwater light field characterization is of importance for understanding biogeochemical processes and heat budget of the global oceans, which are impacting and reacting to climate change. Vibrational Raman Scattering (VRS) was retrieved from backscattered radiances measured by three different hyperspectral satellite sensors, SCIAMACHY, GOME-2, and OMI, using Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). Diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) in the blue spectral range (390 to 426 nm) was derived from the VRS signal via a look-up-table established through ocean-atmosphere coupled radiative transfer modeling. We processed one year of data, representative of the overlapping period of optimal operation for all three sensors. Resulting data sets were evaluated by comparison with Kd at 490 nm from Ocean Colour Climate Change Initiative (OC-CCI) which was first converted to Kd at 390 to 426 nm. Good agreement with the OC-CCI Kd product was achieved for all three sensors when Kd was limited to below 0.15 m. Differences among the hyperspectral sensors and to OC-CCI were attributed to particular instrumental effects on the DOAS retrieval leading to temporal and spatial biases. This is in addition to the fact that the spatial and temporal resolution of the hyperspectral sensors data differ among themselves and are much lower then for the OC-CCI Kd-product. Further corrections (e.g., empirical) are necessary before these data sets can be merged in order to obtain a long-term Kd product for the blue spectral range.