Bathymetric estimation in the lagoon of New Caledonia, using several MeRIS images

An estimation of bathymetry in the optically complex lagoon of New Caledonia was performed from the spectroradiometer MeRIS satellite sensor. Bathymetric estimation was obtained with different MeRIS images acquired at different dates. The method is based on the rotation of a pair of spectral bands. One of the resulting images is depth-dependent. A comparison was made with SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine) measurements. This study shows the influence of the variation of water composition, and then of the diffuse attenuation, on bathymetric results. The variation of chlorophyll concentration, correlated with variation of diffuse attenuation, explains the error of the estimation map. The results show that this method remains valid under a low and constant concentration <;1 mg m-3 to obtain a Mean Relative Error lower than 16% on the bathymetric estimation.