Remotely-sensed estimation of the euphotic depth in the northern South China Sea

Euphotic layer of the sea refers to the layer where the phytoplankton can photosynthesize. Therefore the retrieval of the euphotic depth is in favor of estimating ocean primary productivity. This paper introduces an algorithm for retrieval of euphotic depth from ocean color remote sensing data, and dig out the relationship between the euphotic depth of the northern South China Sea (SCS) and the diffuse attenuation coefficient K_d (490) from theoretical deduction and in situ measurement data, then the remotely-sensed estimation of K_d (490) was used for computation of the euphotic depth of this area. A series of monthly and seasonal euphotic depth maps in the northern SCS were obtained and the seasonal variation of euphotic depth and its impact factors were analyzed.