Color characteristics of waters and their correlation with Secchi depth

The paper presents the results of a study into the relationship between water color on the Forel scale, the dominant wavelength in the radiation spectrum of the sea, and color purity.     

Retrieving of the biooptical characteristics of Black-Sea waters under the conditions of constant reflectance at a wavelength of 400 nm

We consider a method used for the solution of the inverse problem of biooptics of the sea according to the spectrum of upwelling radiation and propose a procedure for the correction of the data of measurement by fixing the value of reflectance at a wavelength of 400 nm. The influence of this assumption on the results of retrieving of the concentrations of admixtures in seawater is analyzed. The computed values of the concentration of chlorophyll correspond to the data of direct biological measurements, and the reconstructed spectra of the absorption coefficient of phytoplankton have local maxima typical of biological particles. The applied correction allows us to decrease the influence of measurement errors on the results of retrieving and to increase the stability of solution of the inverse problem. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 1, pp. 38–50, January–February, 2008.     

Relationships between suspended particulate material, light attenuation and Secchi depth in UK marine waters

Measurements of sub-surface light attenuation (K_d), Secchi depth and suspended particulate material (SPM) were made at 382 locations in transitional, coastal and offshore waters around the United Kingdom (hereafter UK) between August 2004 and December 2005. Data were analysed statistically in relation to a marine water typology characterised by differences in tidal range, mixing and salinity. There was a strong statistically significant linear relationship between SPM and K_d for the full data set. We show that slightly better results are obtained by fitting separate models to data from transitional waters and coastal and offshore waters combined. These linear models were used to predict K_d from SPM. Using a statistic (D) to quantify the error of prediction of K_d from SPM, we found an overall prediction error rate of 23.1%. Statistically significant linear relationships were also evident between the log of Secchi depth and the log of K_d in waters around the UK. Again, statistically significant improvements were obtained by fitting separate models to estuarine and combined coastal/offshore data – however, the prediction error was improved only marginally, from 31.6% to 29.7%. Prediction was poor in transitional waters (D = 39.5%) but relatively good in coastal/offshore waters (D = 26.9%).SPM data were extracted from long term monitoring data sites held by the UK Environment Agency. The appropriate linear models (estuarine or combined coastal/offshore) were applied to the SPM data to obtain representative K_d values from estuarine, coastal and offshore sites. Estuarine waters typically had higher concentrations of SPM (8.2–73.8 mg l⁻¹) compared to coastal waters (3.0–24.1 mg l⁻¹) and offshore waters (9.3 mg l⁻¹). The higher SPM values in estuarine waters corresponded to higher values of K_d (0.8–5.6 m⁻¹). Water types that were identified by large tidal ranges and exposure typically had the highest K_d ranges in both estuarine and coastal waters. In terms of susceptibility to eutrophication, large macrotidal, well mixed estuarine waters, such as the Thames embayment and the Humber estuary were identified at least risk from eutrophic conditions due to light-limiting conditions of the water type.     

Relation between the depth of visibility of a white disk and the concentration of suspended matter in shelf waters off the Republic of Guinea

Combined studies on the depth of visibility of a white disk and the total concentration of suspended matter have been carried out in the surface layer on the Guinean shelf (the depth of the site was 2–180 m). A relation close to a linear one is observed between the logarithms of these values; the correlation coefficient is –0·97. It is shown that the regression equation is applicable to the total shelf zone of Guinea for dry and wet seasons. An equation is obtained which permits the estimation of the water volume using the depth of the white disk visibility which should be sampled in the given site for filtration to determine the concentration of suspended matter with the necessary accuracy.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

Relation between the diffuse attenuation coefficient and the Secchi depth

A semi-empirical model of the relation between the diffuse attenuation coefficient α↓ and the Secchi depth Z _w is suggested. According to the model, the parameter Ψ = α↓Z _w is not a constant value; it increases when Z _w increases. From experimental observation data, the relationship Ψ = f(Z _w) has been established, which confirms the model calculations.     

半分析模型在近岸及河口水体透明度反演应用研究

Secchi depth(SD, m) is a direct and intuitive measure of water's transparency, which is also an indicator of water quality. In 2015, a semi-analytical model was developed to derive SD from remote sensing reflectance, thus able to provide maps of water's transparency in satellite images. Here an in-situ dataset(338 stations) is used to evaluate its potential ability to monitor water quality in the coastal and estuarine waters, with measurements covering the Zhujiang(Pearl) River Estuary, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea where measured SD values span a range of 0.2–21.0 m. As a preliminary validation result, according to the whole dataset, the unbiased percent difference(UPD) between estimated and measured SD is 23.3%(N=338, R~2=0.89), with about 60% of stations in the dataset having relative difference(RD)≤20%, over 80% of stations having RD≤40%. Furthermore, by excluding the field data which with relatively larger uncertainties, the semi-analytical model yielded the UPD of 17.7%(N=132,R~2=0.92) with SD range of 0.2–11.0 m. In addition, the semi-analytical model was applied to Landsat-8 images in the Zhujiang River Estuary, and retrieved high-quality mapping and reliable spatial-temporal patterns of water clarity. Taking into account the uncertainties associated with both field measurements and satellite data processing, and that there were no tuning of the semi-analytical model for these regions, these findings indicate highly robust retrieval of SD from spectral techniques for such turbid coastal and estuarine waters. The results suggest it is now possible to routinely monitor coastal water transparency or visibility at high-spatial resolutions from measurements, like Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 and newly launched Gaofen-5.     

Method for the evaluation of the spectral values of underwater quantum irradiance within the band of photosynthetically active radiation according to the depth of visibility of a Secchi disk

On the basis of the data of optical investigations performed in the Black Sea, we develop a method for the evaluation of the spectral values of underwater quantum irradiance within the band of photosynthetically active radiation according to the depth of visibility of a Secchi disk and the intensity of illumination of the sea in luxes. The method is based on the use of the correlations between the following optical parameters: of the vertical daylight attenuation factor α with the depth of visibility of a Secchi disk and of the spectral values of α(λ) within the band of photosynthetically active radiation with α(λ_min) for sea waters. This method is applicable in the winter-spring period when the seasonal thermocline is absent, the upper layers of the sea are mixed, and the vertical distribution of α is uniform. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Relationship between the Beam Attenuation Coefficient and the Concentration of Suspended Matter in Black-Sea Waters

By using the results of simultaneous measurements of the beam attenuation coefficient and the concentration of suspended matter in water samples, we deduce the relationships between these parameters for wavelengths of 640, 660, and 677 nm. The proposed formulas are used for the evaluation of the concentration of suspended matter according to the data of optical measurements performed in cruises of research vessels. We present two maps of the distribution of suspended matter plotted for the north part of the sea in November–December 1991 and for the south part of the sea in July 1992.     

Estimate of water inherent optical properties from Secchi depth

This paper suggests a new version of the Secchi disk theory which shows a connection between Secchi depth measurements and inherent optical properties (IOP) of water such as the extinction coefficient, the single scattering albedo, and the backscattering coefficient. Ways around Preisendorfer’s objection to using measurements of the Secchi depth for determining the IOP are proposed. This theory is compared with a marine experiment and its accuracy under different conditions is estimated.     

Application of biooptical relationships for the determination of the characteristics of state of marine media in the optical monitoring of the black-sea waters performed by using transparency meters

As applied to the transparency meter installed in the hydrometeorological complex aimed at monitoring the Black-Sea coastal waters, we show the possibility of evaluation of various characteristics of state of the marine medium according to the data of measurements of the beam attenuation coefficient in two spectral regions: short-and long-wave. For this purpose, we use biooptical relations established on the basis of the experimental data accumulated for the Black Sea. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 2, pp. 37–45, March–April, 2008.     

Spectra of the Black-Sea tsunamis

We perform the analysis of the time spectra of four tsunamis generated in the Black Sea by the earthquakes of 26.07.1927, 11.09.1927, 26.12.1939, and 12.07.1966. For the analysis of the spectra, we used digitized marigrams obtained for 12 points of the Black-Sea coast. The obtained spectra are, as a rule, multimode and have 1–4 spectral maxima. One maximum corresponds to the periods typical of tsunami waves and the other maxima correspond to the oscillations of the sea level with lower frequencies. It seems likely that the events of tsunami are accompanied by low-frequency oscillations of the level caused by the atmospheric forcing, seiches, or other factors. In numerous cases, the oscillations from the predominant energy range lie outside the characteristic range of periods of the tsunami waves. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 5, pp. 21–30, September–October, 2007.     

Relationship between the suspended particulate matter and microorganisms in the White Sea waters

During the summer periods of 2003–2005, the spatial and vertical distributions of the suspended particulate matter and bacteria in stratified and homogeneous waters of the White Sea was studied. The results of the study of various quantitative characteristics of the suspended particulate matter (first of all, the area of the surface and the volumetric and mass concentrations) and the abundance of microorganisms in the water are discussed. A direct correlation between the value of the surface area of the suspended particulate matter and the total number of bacteria in the water is revealed. However, it was manifested only during the early summer period of the observations and was not expressed at the end of the summer. The enhanced surface area of the suspended particulate matter can indicate the higher biochemical activity of its particles. The influence of the pelitic fraction on the bacteria abundance in different parts of the sea during the summer is estimated.     

深圳海域水体和九龙江口沉积物中TCBS茵群与弧菌相关性的研究

通过传统的TCBS培养基平板计数法、16SrDNA—RFLP（16SrRNA基因的限制性酶切图谱多样性分析）及16SrDNA序列分析等方法对深圳海域水体和九龙江口沉积物中弧菌数量分布进行研究．结果表明TCBS菌群数中弧菌所占的比例因不同采样地点、不同季节而呈现较大差异．在深圳西海域及九龙江口上游盐度较低（盐度〈11）的区域,TCBS菌群中弧菌所占的比例为0,TCBS菌群数与弧菌总数不相关;在河口下游盐度相对较高的区域,弧茵占TCBS菌群数的6．0％～92．0％,TCBS菌群数与弧茵总数不相关或相关性不大;高盐度的海水区域弧菌占TCBS菌群数的37．O％～100．0％,TCBS菌群数与弧菌数量显著相关（P〈0．05）．因此环境监测过程中利用TCBS培养基检测海洋弧菌数量时,应该通过分子鉴定或生理生化鉴定方法进行验证,以保证数据的科学性．     

Modeling of decadal variations in the Black-Sea ecosystem

We consider the decadal evolution of the Black-Sea ecosystem on the basis of a three-dimensional coupled model consisting of the Black-Sea circulation model and a biogeochemical block. The circulation model is based on the widely used POM (Princeton Ocean Model) model. The calculated hydrophysical fields are interpolated then to levels of the biogeochemical model, which covers the upper 150-m layer. We demonstrate the close relationship between the interannual variation of hydrophysical fields and the evolution of the main elements of the ecosystem. The period under consideration (1992–2001) is characterized by the warming of the Black-Sea upper layer, which can be traced by the trend of a growing surface temperature. It follows from the results of modeling that the process of warming is also revealed in the subsurface hydrophysical characteristics and the dynamics of the main elements of the Black-Sea ecosystem.     

Estimation of phytoplankton pigments,total suspended matter and the concentration of its components by Secchi depth in Guinea's coastal zone

Relationships between the surface concentrations of phytoplankton pigments (C _ph), total suspended matter (C _sm), particulate organic carbon (C _poc), and total suspended phosphorus (C _sp), on the one hand, and the relative water transparency determined through the Secchi disc depth (z _d), on the other, are analysed using the data compiled in the Guinean coastal waters (Tabunsu and Tonkima river estuaries) during November–December 1990. The functions ofC _ph,C _sm=f(z _d) are matched up with the experimentally derived data, as well as with the model bio-optical state of seawater. The general regression equation has been calculated using the data characteristic of various types of water.Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Optical monitoring of coastal waters: Photic depth estimates

Measurements of underwater irradiance, transparency and Secchi disc depth were carried out in Liverpool Bay during 1974. The depth of the photic zone measured in the green portion of the spectrum ranged from 5 m to 50 m, depending on location and season. Inshore values of photic depth were smaller than those encountered offshore. By mid-summer the depth of the photic zone had reached or exceeded the depth of the sea bed over the whole study area.Consideration was given to the error terms associated with the optical measurements and to the problems of using standard optical relationships in coastal waters. The relationship between Secchi disc depth and the depth of the photic zone could not be taken as constant but was a function of the absorption and scattering properties of the water mass.     

Climatic structure of the wind fields in the Black-Sea region

For the Black-Sea region, we perform the dynamic reanalysis of the data on atmospheric circulation for the period 1958–2001 by using the HadRM3P model with a space resolution of 25 km. We estimate the mean climatic atmospheric fields of vorticity and divergence of the wind velocity and study their space structure and seasonal variability. The climatic estimates of the annual course of vorticity of the wind velocity over the sea are presented. The obtained large annual average values of vorticity of the velocity reveal the predominant role played by the wind action in the generation not only of the seasonal variability but also of the mean cyclonic circulation of waters in the Black Sea.