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Titel |
Significant contribution of large particles to optical backscattering in the open ocean |
VerfasserIn |
G. Dall'Olmo, T. K. Westberry, M. J. Behrenfeld, E. Boss, W. H. Slade |
Medientyp |
Artikel
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Sprache |
Englisch
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ISSN |
1726-4170
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Digitales Dokument |
URL |
Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 6, no. 6 ; Nr. 6, no. 6 (2009-06-05), S.947-967 |
Datensatznummer |
250003833
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Publikation (Nr.) |
copernicus.org/bg-6-947-2009.pdf |
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Zusammenfassung |
The light scattering properties of oceanic particles have been suggested as
an alternative index of phytoplankton biomass than chlorophyll-a
concentration (chl-a), with the benefit of being less sensitive to
physiological forcings (e.g., light and nutrients) that alter the
intracellular pigment concentrations. The drawback of particulate scattering
is that it is not unique to phytoplankton. Nevertheless, field studies have
demonstrated that, to first order, the particulate beam-attenuation
coefficient (cp) can track phytoplankton biomass. The relationship between
cp and the particulate backscattering coefficient (bbp), a property
retrievable from space, has not been fully evaluated, largely due to a lack
of open-ocean field observations. Here, we present extensive data on inherent
optical properties from the Equatorial Pacific surface waters and demonstrate
a remarkable coherence in bbp and cp. Coincident measurements of
particle size distributions (PSDs) and optical properties of
size-fractionated samples indicate that this covariance is due to both the
conserved nature of the PSD and a greater contribution of phytoplankton-sized
particles to bbp than theoretically predicted. These findings suggest
that satellite-derived bbpcould provide similar information on
phytoplankton biomass in the open ocean as cp. |
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