Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

PC14 Estuarine, Near-shore, and Continental Shelf Processes

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001

Location: Southwest Hall

Otero, M, P, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA, motero@icess.ucsb.edu

Siegel, D, A, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA, davey@icess.ucsb.edu

Fields, E, A, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA, fields@icess.ucsb.edu

SATELLITE VIEW OF PLUMES AND BLOOMS IN THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL; VALIDATION AND DESCRIPTION

Satellite estimates of sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll, and water leaving radiance (Lwn) are used to describe the dynamics of phytoplankton populations and the extent of sediment discharge in the Santa Barbara Channel. Two and a half years (October 1997 - March 2000) of AVHRR, SeaWiFS, and in situ measurements are analyzed. Match-up analyses between in situ measurements and satellite derived estimates indicate that AVHRR SST estimates are accurate to +/- 1 C. SeaWiFS chlorophyll retrievals overestimate field data below 1.5 mg/m3 and underestimate it above that value. Lwn values agree well with shipboard measurements for the 510, 555, and 670 nm bands while, on average, the 412, 443 and 490 nm bands are underestimated. Although quantitative improvement is necessary for SeaWiFS retrievals in this region, consistency is observed on both seasonal and episodic time scales. Upwelling and runoff events are qualitatively shown as forcing mechanisms on phytoplankton pigments and water turbidity (interpreted using Lwn(555)) distributions. Further improvement of SeaWiFS results are required for quantitative application of semi-analytical ocean color models in the Santa Barbara Channel.

This Session Listing

Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

Quicklinks