Underwater optical profiling system

湖泊、河流和海洋的光学特性在其生态结构和功能中起着重要作用。水下太阳辐射是水生生态系统的基础能量来源，水柱的光衰减特性对水生初级生产的分布和大小起着压倒性的影响。此外，辐射吸收剖面控制着自然水体的热收支和分层，从而控制着它们的垂直结构和物理动力学。高能太阳辐射（UVB、UVA和蓝色波段）对水生生态系统的光化学和光生物学具有广泛的影响，进一步将水生生态系统的功能与其水文光学耦合在一起。所要求的仪器，即Wetlabs水下IOP光学分析系统，迫切需要维持和提高我们在水文光学方面的专业知识，并满足我们NSERC发现资助的研究和培训目标。具体来说，该仪器将允许四个nserc资助的大学研究小组获得“固有光学特性”（IOPs）的实时水下光谱剖面。之所以如此命名，是因为它们是介质固有的，与环境辐照场无关，包括：a，吸收系数；B，散射系数；c是光束衰减系数。定义这些参数的深度和光谱变化对于我们的辐射传输计算和建立光谱辐照度和辐射度与水柱中光学活性物质相关的模型是必要的。此外，光谱后向散射系数bb提供的信息对于分析离开水的辐射和遥感应用至关重要，也可用于测量水中粒子的浓度。这台仪器将使我们的四个研究小组能够在淡水光学方面对研究生和博士后进行高级培训，并对三个地区的景观、气候和水生生态系统过程之间的关系产生新的见解：加拿大南部的圣劳伦斯河和湖泊、亚北极地区的气候敏感湿地和加拿大高北极地区的湖泊和河流。

The optical (light-affecting) properties of lakes, rivers and seas play a major role in their ecological structure and function. Underwater solar radiation is the energy source at the base of aquatic ecosystems and the light attenuation properties of the water column exert an over-riding influence on the distribution and magnitude of aquatic primary production. Additionally, the profiles of irradiance absorption control the heat budget and stratification of natural waters, and thereby their vertical structure and physical dynamics. High energy solar radiation (UVB, UVA and blue wavebands) has wide ranging effects on photochemistry and photobiology which further couples the functioning of aquatic ecosystems with their hydrologic optics.   The requested instrument, the Wetlabs underwater IOP optical profiling system, is urgently needed to maintain and advance our expertise in hydrologic optics, and to meet the research and training goals of our NSERC Discovery Grants. Specifically, the requested instrument will allow four NSERC-funded university research groups to obtain real-time, underwater spectral profiles of 'inherent optical properties' (IOPs). These are so-named because they are inherent to the medium and independent of the ambient irradiance field, and include: a, the absorption coefficient; b, the scattering coefficient; and c, the beam attenuation coefficient. Defining the depth and spectral variations of these parameters is necessary for our radiative transfer calculations and to build models relating spectral irradiance and radiance to optically active substances in the water column. Additionally, the spectral backscattering coefficient bb provides information that is critical for analysis of water-leaving radiance and thus remote sensing applications, as well as a measure of the concentration of particles in the water. This instrument will allow our four research teams to undertake advanced training of graduate students and postdocs in  freshwater optics, and to generate new insights into the relationships between landscapes, climate and aquatic ecosystem processes in three regions: the Saint Lawrence River and lakes in southern Canada, climate-sensitive wetlands in subarctic Québec, and lakes and rivers in the Canadian High Arctic.