Effects of forward models on the semi-analytical retrieval of inherent optical properties from remote sensing reflectance

Inherent optical properties (IOPs) play a key role in modulating an aquatic light field; they are the core link for remotely sensing water constituents based on ocean color remote sensing. Many semi-analytical algorithms (SAAs) have been developed to obtain IOPs from remote sensing reflectance (R r s ) data; these algorithms require a forward model (FM) to link the IOPs to R r s . Most currently available SAAs use the FM presented by Gordon et al.[J. Geophys. Res.93, 10909 (1988)JGREA20148-022710.1029/JD093iD09p10909] (G88 hereafter) without knowledge of how other models would impact the retrieval of IOPs from R r s . This study evaluates the effects of two popular SAAs, namely, the quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA) and the generalized IOP algorithm (GIOP), combined with six different FMs on the retrieval of IOPs from a synthetic data set generated with Hydrolight software. The results indicated that different FMs can have quite different effects on the computed R r s (λ), and the effects were not uniform across the R r s spectrum. Of the six FMs tested, G88 and P05 [Appl. Opt.44, 1236 (2005)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.44.001236] produced the best estimates of R r s (λ) at 350, 440, and 550 nm in both oceanic and coastal sub-datasets; they also were less impacted by changes in the particle phase function. M02 also produced a good estimation of R r s but only at 440 nm, and L04 performed well only in the oceanic condition. When the two SAAs were combined with the six FMs, in the oceanic condition, QAA and GIOP combined with M02 (QM02 and GM02) provided better quality for the absorption coefficient [a(λ)] at 350, 440, and 550 nm when compared with the SAAs combined with the other models. However, for the retrieval of the particle backscattering coefficient [b b p (λ)] in the oceanic condition, QAA and GIOP combined with L04 (QL04 and GL04) performed better than the others, and GL04 always provided a better estimation of b b p (λ) than QL04. In the coastal condition, QAA and GIOP combined with G88 or P05 produced slightly better quality of IOPs compared with the other four FMs. Compared with GIOP in the coastal condition, QAA combined with G88 or P05 always showed better quality of retrieval of a(λ) but weaker quality of retrieval of b b p (λ).