Abstract. Time series of inherent optical properties (IOPs) derived from SeaWiFS and MODIS are compared for the Adriatic Sea. The IOPs are outputs of the Quasi-Analytical Algorithm and include total absorption a, phytoplankton absorption aph, absorption associated with colored detrital material (CDM) acdm, and particle backscattering coefficient bbp. The average root-mean square difference Δ computed for log-transformed distributions decreases for a from 0.084 at 412 nm to 0.052 at 490 nm, is higher for aph(443) (0.149) than for acdm(443) (0.071), and is approximately 0.165 for bbp at various wavelengths. The SeaWiFS a at 443 and 490 nm, aph at 443 nm and bbp are on average higher than the MODIS counterparts. Statistics show significant variations in space and time. There is an overall increasing gradient for Δ associated with the absorption terms from the open Southern and Central Adriatic to the northwest part of the basin, and a reversed gradient for the particulate backscattering coefficient. Only a(412) and acdm(443) currently represent an unbiased continuity bridging the SeaWiFS and MODIS periods for the Adriatic Sea.
DERIVING INHERENT OPTICAL PROPERTIES FROM MERIS IMAGERY AND IN SITU MEASUREMENT USING QUASI-ANALYTICAL ALGORITHM
