Sea-Truth Measurements of the Ocean Color:
Validation of the SeaWiFS Satellite Scanner Data

V. I. Burenkov, O. V. Kopelevich, S. V. Sheberstov, and V. I. Vedernikov

Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Received December 25, 1998; in final form, April 23, 1999

Abstract—Validation of the atmospheric correction and biooptical algorithms of the SeaWiFS satellite scanner
was performed using direct comparison between the satellite and in situ data obtained during the scientific
cruise of R/V Akvanavt in the Black and Aegean seas in October 1997. First, it was verified whether the radia-
tion values at the top of the atmosphere measured with the SeaWiFS sensor and calculated by the Monte Carlo
technique from the data of field observations were in agreement. Then, the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction
algorithm was verified by comparing the values of the normalized radiation from the water surface and aerosol
optical thickness derived from the SeaWiFS data and field measurements in situ. The authors proposed an ana-
lytical algorithm for the determination of the chlorophyll concentration along with the standard SeaWiFS algo-
rithm. A comparison of the results obtained using both of the algorithms with the values measured in situ shows
that the algorithm suggested by the authors is in reasonable agreement in all the cases studied, whereas the Sea-
WiFS algorithm can lead to a significant overestimation of the chlorophyll concentration for waters with a pre-
dominance of absorption by the yellow substance.

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