HybridSpectral Radiometer Systems to Support Ocean Color Cal/Val

NASA has an ongoing commitment to collect in situ data with a documented uncertainty in keeping with established performance metrics for vicarious calibration of ocean color satellite sensors and to validate the algorithms for which the remotely-sensed observations are used as input parameters. This proposal seeks funding to develop an in-water "Hybridspectral" capability that combines two differing practices for data collection (multiwaveband and hyperspectral) to satisfy the necessary diversity, accuracy, and precision requirements of future ocean color missions. The result is an evolutionary upgrade of existing state-of-the-art commercial instruments to include spectral sampling capability exceeding current and planned satellite requirements and that operate in optically complex near-shore regions. The benefits of this new sampling capability are an improved ability to accurately separate the biotic and abiotic components of seawater, an improved ocean color mission calibration and validation capability into Case 2 waters, reduced deployment effort, and reduced deployment risks. This SBIR effort proposes to address a wide variety of these requirements with the development of a low-cost system called the Compact Hybridspectral Radiometer (C-HyR) with special focus on two important priorities from the call: 1)Instruments for oceanic, coastal, and fresh water measurements of apparent optical properties; and 2)Hyperspectral (340 – 900 nm) radiometers for use in near-surface profiling.

NASA's Earth Science Roadmaps provide much insight into a variety of potential NASA applications for hybrid instruments such as C-HyR. In addition to their use in validation of atmospheric models, radiometers such as proposed here may be employed in flexible deployment of systems designed for systematic observations of O3, aerosol optical thickness, and effective albedo. The C-HyR proposed here may be incorporated into a variety of configurations appropriate to addressing the Carbon cycle and Ecosystems Roadmap, where wide dynamic range, hyperspectral configurations not possible with existing technology, can be applied. In addition to testing and validating radiometric models, these systems have an immediate application in ground and ocean color validation studies. This support includes deployments from small near-coastal vessels or even a variant of C-HyR for autonomous drifters. This product directly supports NASA satellite and aircraft missions and associated cal/val activities (e.g. AVIRIS, MODIS, VIIRS, ACE/PACE, GEO-CAPE, and even HyspIRI). The flexibility and deployment safety of the freefall design support both inland, coastal, and oceanic research. This includes quantification of carbon budgets at sub-regional to global scales, coastal carbon dynamics, or even terrestrial applications such as tropical

Commercial spectroradiometers fit all classical definitions of "niche market." Non-NASA benefits to this technology parallel the direct benefit to NASA, with an extension to increased opportunity for multidisciplinary studies in the field, such as near-shore to basin-wide phytoplankton ecological research, UV photodegradation of petroleum events, and fisheries studies such as visual predation or breeding cycles. International and domestic potential customers for this technology include government, university, and privately funded researchers interested in ocean color, phytoplankton ecology, fisheries, or photodegradation. Water quality monitoring and municipal drinking water systems are also traditional markets for legacy profiling systems such as C-OPS.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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