A synthetic optical database generated by radiative transfer simulations in support of studies in ocean optics and optical remote sensing of the global ocean

Abstract. Radiative transfer (RT) simulations have long been used to study the relationships between the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of seawater and light fields within and leaving the ocean, from which ocean apparent optical properties (AOPs) can be calculated. For example, inverse models used to estimate IOPs from ocean color radiometric measurements have been developed and validated using the results of RT simulations. Here we describe the development of a new synthetic optical database based on hyperspectral RT simulations across the spectral range of near-ultraviolet to near-infrared performed with the HydroLight radiative transfer code. The key component of this development is the generation of a synthetic dataset of seawater IOPs that serves as input to RT simulations. Compared to similar developments of optical databases in the past, the present dataset of IOPs is characterized by the probability distributions of IOPs that are consistent with global distributions representative of vast areas of open-ocean pelagic environments and coastal regions, covering a broad range of optical water types. The generation of synthetic data of IOPs associated with particulate and dissolved constituents of seawater was driven largely by an extensive set of field measurements of the phytoplankton absorption coefficient collected in diverse oceanic environments. Overall, the synthetic IOP dataset consists of 3320 combinations of IOPs. Additionally, the pure seawater IOPs were assumed following recent recommendations. The RT simulations were performed using 3320 combinations of input IOPs, assuming vertical homogeneity within an infinitely deep ocean. These input IOPs were used in three simulation scenarios associated with assumptions about inelastic radiative processes in the water column (not considered in previous synthetically generated optical databases) and three simulation scenarios associated with the sun zenith angle. Specifically, the simulations were made assuming no inelastic processes, the presence of Raman scattering by water molecules, and the presence of both Raman scattering and fluorescence of chlorophyll a pigment. Fluorescence of colored dissolved organic matter was omitted from all simulations. For each of these three simulation scenarios, the simulations were made for three sun zenith angles of 0, 30, and 60∘ assuming clear skies, standard atmosphere, and a wind speed of 5 m s−1. Thus, overall 29 880 RT simulations were performed. The output results of these simulations include radiance distributions, plane and scalar irradiances, and a whole set of AOPs, including remote-sensing reflectance, vertical diffuse attenuation coefficients, and mean cosines, where all optical variables are reported in the spectral range of 350 to 750 nm at 5 nm intervals for different depths between the sea surface and 50 m. The consistency of this new synthetic database has been assessed through comparisons with in situ data and previously developed empirical relationships involving IOPs and AOPs. The database is available at the Dryad open-access repository of research data (https://doi.org/10.6076/D1630T, Loisel et al., 2023).