Design of the Ship-Borne Multi-Wavelength Polarization Ocean Lidar System and Measurement of Seawater Optical Properties

Abstract

A ship-borne multi-wavelength polarization ocean lidar system LOOP (Lidar for Ocean Optics Profiler) is introduced in detail, aiming to obtain high-precision vertical profiles of seawater optical characteristics. Based on Monte-Carlo simulation, the receiving telescope is designed with a variable field of view, producing system attenuation coefficient (Klidar) approximating the optical parameters of seawater under a different field of view and water body conditions. At first, a sea trial was conducted in Jiaozhou Bay, and the measured diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) of seawater was 0.3m−1, being in good agreement compared with the results measured by field instrument TriOS. Then a field campaign was organized in the South China Sea. The measurement of the seawater diffuse attenuation (Kd) was 0.035m−1. These results support the prospects that lidar, as an effective tool supplement to traditional passive ocean color remote sensing, can provide the vertical distributions of optical properties in the upper ocean.