Ocean Color Measurements Onboard a Jet Ski: Consistency for Calval Exercise of High-Resolution Satellite Imagery?

An original data set has been acquired on the 5th of April 2008 during the international field experiment ECORS-Truc Vert 2008 (SW France) in the nearshore zone over a complex bathymetry and in moderate turbid waters (SPM ⪅10 mg/l). This data set synchronizes in-situ reflectance measurements onboard a jet-ski, bathymetric surveys and a Formosat-2 high-resolution satellite acquisition. The jet-ski provides an interesting mean to gather optical data in shallow waters and in environments hard to sample with traditional coastal ships. An experimental device has been implemented on the jet-ski, equipped with two TRIOS RAMSES sensors which measure simultaneous atmospheric downwelling irradiances Ed and in-water upwelling radiances Lu in the 350-950nm range. Water samples have also been collected at different stages of the jet-ski trajectory (3-25m water depth) in order to assess the concentrations of the ocean constituents (SPM and Chl-a). In the current study we present a methodology to validate FORMOSAT-2 high-resolution ocean color data using "jetski" reflectance measurements, which first require a detailed analysis. The reflectance spectra measurements are shown to be consistent: (i) they are typical of the presence of mineral particles with light absorption at short wavelengths; (ii) their shape and magnitude depend on the depth and the water type (turbidity); (iii) some of them, especially in low turbid waters, are similar to other reflectance spectra measured northward from a ship (Gironde mouth). Thus, the use of "jet-ski" ocean color measurements appears to be adequate for remote sensing calval activities in shallow case-2 waters.