The diffusion attenuation coefficient for downwelling irradiance, Kd (490), is an important optical parameter of seawater. The optical property, Kd (490), around Nansha Islands in the South China Sea was analyzed based on optical data profiles measured with SPMR ( SeaWiFS Profiling Multichannel Radiometer ) and SMSR ( SeaWiFS Multichannel Surface Reference ) instrument in April and May, 1999. The results show that Kd (490) is closely correlated with chlorophyll-a concentration, Cchl.a, and that the vertical distribution of Kd (490) shows the strong stratification of the water column in this area. Kd (490) has a similar vertical co-variation as KL (490), the diffusive attenuation coefficient for upwelling radiance. Both coefficients increase with depth in the upper layer, where KL (490) is greater than Kd (490); and after a depth, approximatively at the chlorophyll maximum, they decrease with depth, with the former being smaller than the latter.
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