Bi-Directional Reflectance Distribution (BRDF) Measurements and Modeling

My work involves experimentally investigating the interrelationships and variability of optical properties in the ocean and atmosphere. My goal is to define the variability of the optical properties, particularly those dealing with light scattering, and to improve the prediction capabilities of image and radiative transfer models used in the ocean. My near term ocean optics objectives have been 1 to improve the measurement capability of measuring the in-water and above-water spectral radiance distribution including polarization, 2 to investigate the variability of the Point Spread Function PSF as it relates to the imaging properties of the ocean, and 3 to improve the characterization of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function BRDF of benthic surfaces in the ocean, and 4 to understand the capabilities and limitations of using radiative transfer to model the BRDF of particulate surfaces. Our overall objective in this work is to provide the experimental and theoretical foundation to obtain both a predictive model of the BRDF of benthic surfaces in the ocean and determine the information that may be obtained about the benthic surface from measurement of the BRDF.