Airborne laser hydrography in Australia

Simulation of sea surface wave influence on small target detection with airborne laser depth sounding

A theoretical model for simulation of airborne depth-sounding lidar is presented with the purpose of analyzing the influence from water surface waves on the ability to detect 1-m3 targets placed on the sea bottom. Although water clarity is the main limitation, sea surface waves can significantly affect the detectability. The detection probability for a target at a 9-m depth can be above 90% at 1-m/s wind and below 80% at 6-m/s wind for the same water clarity. The simulation model contains both numerical and analytical components. Simulated data are compared with measured data and give realistic results for bottom depths between 3 and 10 m.

Treatment of polarization in laser remote sensing of ocean water

We review existing experimental data and methods for calculating the Mueller matrix of ocean water for use as input in a simulation model applicable to laser remote sensing. Calculations of the Mueller matrix are made for scattering media of different refractive indices, shapes, and size distributions. Dependencies of the backscattering depolarization ratio as a function of the particle refractive index are presented, and we demonstrate the potential importance of polarization in bathymetric sensing.

Laser sensing of a subsurface oceanic layer. I. Effect of the atmosphere and wind-driven sea waves

Depth profiles and polarization characteristics of airborne lidar return signals have been calculated by the Monte Carlo method. We analyze some peculiarities of depth profiles of lidar return signals for a rough air-water interface. The distorting effect of the atmosphere on the lidar return signal structure is evaluated as a function of the geometry of the observations. Calculated results are compared with the data of airborne lidar measurements for lambda = 0.53 mum.

High-performance tunable filter

The tuning performance of a liquid-crystal, electro-optically tunable, Lyot filter is described. This filter is widely tunable across the visible region up to a wavelength of approximately 630 nm and has very high performance characteristics that are preserved over the entire tuning range. These include a narrow passband of 0.1 nm, a large-aperture performance of at least 30 mm, a wide field of view of ?8.5 degrees , and the ability to be tuned to an accuracy that is one tenth of the linewidth of the passband. Possible applications for such a filter include remote sensing, multispectral sensing, and laser environmental and underwater monitoring.