PhD

PhD in Physics (2020), Dep. of Physics. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires.Advisors: Dra. Ana I. Dogliotti and Dr. Francisco Grings

Remote sensing in the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum, or ocean color, has demonstrated its ability to provide synoptic information of the optical and biogeochemical properties of the oceans. This is based on the determination of the spectral  radiance that comes from the surface of the water, which is obtained from the signal that reaches the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The amplitude and spectral shape of this primary geophysical product (usually given as reflectance) are interpreted in terms of derived products such as concentrations of optically active substances or IOPs (Inherent Optical Properties) that can then be used in environmental applications and biogeochemical models at regional and global levels. The precision in estimating these parameters depends, however, on the ability to obtain the reflectance measured just above the surface of the water,  ρw, from the total radiance measured by the sensor, L(TOA). The processing steps that must be applied to the signal include, among others, the elimination of the contribution of the atmosphere, a process called atmospheric correction (AC). In this context, this thesis is aimed at exploring new alternatives of AC algorithms on the Río de la Plata Estuary (RdP), whose extremely turbid waters (mainly in the region of the turbidity front, at Barra del Indio) are a challenge both for traditional AC schemes, and for alternatives developed for turbid waters.