A comparison of the Information Content of Orthogonally Polarized Components of Lidar Echo Signal for Evaluating Hydrooptical Characteristics of the Near-Surface Layer

A series of lidar measurements were conducted at stations with a homogeneous vertical distribution of hydrooptical char acteristics in the near-surface layer using a two-channel shipborne polarization lidar PLD-1. Lidar sounding was accompanied by synchronous contact measurements of a number of hydrooptical characteristics. A large dataset of measurement data was obtained in waters where hydrooptical characteristics varied widely. As a result of the statistical processing of these data, regression relationships were obtained linking the seawater beam attenuation coefficient c, absorption coefficient a, and diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd to the lidar attenuation coefficients of the co- and cross-polarized components. In most cases, a linear relationship between hydrooptical characteristics and the lidar attenuation coefficients of the polarized components is observed. These rela tionships are characterized by high values of the coefficient of determination — from 0.8 to 0.95. An exception is the relationship between the seawater beam attenuation coefficient c and the lidar attenuation coefficient of the cross-polarized component, where a second-degree polynomial is used to describe this relationship (coefficient of determination is 0.88). Data on the hydrooptical characteristics obtained using the cross-polarized component of the lidar echo signal mostly duplicate the data of the co-polarized component. However, the use of a two-channel optical receiving system increases the reliability and accuracy of the obtained data and provides the possibility of controlling the homogeneity of the underwater section of the sounding path.