Using in situ remote sensing reflectance and inherent optical property (IOP) measurements, a near-infrared (NIR)-based IOP algorithm is developed and tuned for Lake Taihu, in order to derive the particle backscattering coefficient bbp(λ), total absorption coefficient at(λ), dissolved and detrital absorption coefficient adg(λ), and phytoplankton absorption coefficient aph(λ), with satellite observations from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP). The IOP algorithm for Lake Taihu has a reasonably good accuracy. In fact, the determination coefficients between the retrieved and in situ IOPs are 0.772, 0.638, and 0.487 for at(λ), adg(λ), and aph(λ), respectively. The IOP products in Lake Taihu that have been derived from VIIRS-SNPP observations show significant spatial and temporal variations. Southern Lake Taihu features enhanced bbp(λ) and adg(λ), while northern Lake Taihu shows higher aph(λ). The seasonal and interannual variability of adg(λ) and bbp(λ) in Lake Taihu is quantified and characterized with the highest bbp(λ) and adg(λ) in the winter, and the lowest in the summer. In the winter, bbp(443) and adg(443) can reach over ~1.5 and ~5.0 m−1, respectively, while they are ~0.5–1.0 and ~2.0 m−1 in the summer. This study shows that in Lake Taihu adg(λ) is the most significant IOP, while aph(λ) is the least in terms of the IOP values and contributions to remote sensing reflectance. The highest bbp(λ) and adg(λ) occurred in the winter between 2017–2018, and the lowest bbp(λ) and adg(λ) occurred in the summer of 2014. In comparison, the seasonal and interannual variability of mean aph(λ) for Lake Taihu is less significant, even though enhanced seasonal and interannual variability can be found in some parts of Lake Taihu, such as in the northern Lake Taihu region.
Optical Classification of the Remote Sensing Reflectance and Its Application in Deriving the Specific Phytoplankton Absorption in Optically Complex Lakes