An algorithm to determine backscattering ratio and single scattering albedo

Abstract

We present here algorithms to determine the inherent optical properties of water, backscattering probability and single scattering albedo at 490 and 676 nm from the apparent optical property, remote sensing reflectance. We have used the measured scattering and backscattering coefficients and the remote sensing reflectance to obtain a relationship for the backscattering ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the total backscattering to the total scattering in terms of the remote sensing reflectance of two bands. Using the empirical relationship for the total backscattering ratios, we have also computed single scattering albedo, which is defined as the ratio of the scattering to the beam attenuation coefficient. The values of single scattering albedo obtained from measured values and those obtained from the empirical method are found to be comparable. The values of single scattering albedo derived using the algorithm are found to be comparable to the measured values obtained from the eastern Arabian Sea, with the root mean squared error of 0.078 and the mean percentage error of 9.5% for the 490 nm and root mean squared error of 0.043 and the mean percentage error of 7.5% for the 676 nm.