The Possibility of Determining Optical Properties of Water from the Image of the Underwater Solar Path

Abstract

We study the possibility of determining the inherent hydrooptical characteristics of water using the underwater-vision means. Analytical models of the instantaneous and accumulated images of the underwater solar path, which is formed by direct, singly scattered, and multiply scattered light, are proposed. The optical depths at which the contribution of the water-scattered light to the apparent radiance of the surface becomes predominant are estimated using numerical simulation. Algorithms for reconstructing the water scattering and attenuation coefficients from the accumulated image of the underwater solar path are developed. The results of the algorithm evaluation using the data of a full-scale experiment are presented.