On the Application of AERONET-OC Multispectral Data to Assess Satellite-Derived Hyperspectral Rrs

The potential for applying in situ multispectral Rrs data from the Ocean Color component of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET-OC) to validate satellite-derived ocean color hyperspectral Rrs products was investigated in the 400 700 nm interval. The analysis was performed using a comprehensive dataset of simulated hyperspectral Rrs in combination with an algorithm designed to reconstruct hyperspectral Rrs from multispectral ones. Results were assessed using in situ hyperspectral Rrs representative of diverse water types. Excluding waters dominated by a high concentration of colored dissolved organic matter, results indicate the capability of determining hyperspectral Rrs from AERONET-OC multispectral data with mean relative and absolute uncertainties generally lower than 2% and 5×10-5 sr-1, respectively, at a number of the key center-wavelengths of the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) onboard the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft.