Methodology ยท Multispectral
Ocean colour / water-leaving radiance
Retrieves chlorophyll-a concentration, CDOM, and suspended sediment from spectrally resolved water-leaving radiance; good for marine primary production, harmful algal bloom detection, and coastal water quality.
How it works
Atmospheric correction removes >90% of the top-of-atmosphere signal before water-leaving radiance is retrieved. Band-ratio empirical algorithms (OC4/OC5/OC6) or semi-analytical inversion for optically complex coastal/inland waters. [Wikipedia: Ocean color](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_color)
Topics this serves
- Coastal water quality well suited
- Harmful algal blooms well suited
- Marine primary production well suited
- Greenhouse gas inventory adequate
- Illegal and unregulated fishing adequate
Existing implementations
Capable, undemonstrated
None on record.
Related methodologies
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Derives vegetation health, density, and phenology indicators (NDVI, EVI, SAVI) from red and NIR band ratios; good for crop monitoring, deforestation alerts, and land cover change detection.
Sources
- [wikipedia]Wikipedia: Ocean colorcommunityaccessed 2026-05-22
Methodology
Edited from public sources. Last reviewed date pending by SpectraWorks editorial. See the data dictionary for field definitions.