Remote sensing of natural waters using a multichannel, Lidar-compatible Raman spectrometer and blue excitation

The design and operation of a custom-built LIDAR-compatible, four-channel Raman spectrometer integrated to a 473 nm pulsed laser is presented. The multichannel design allowed for simultaneous collection of Raman photons at spectral regions identified as highly sensitive to changes in water temperature. Four independent temperature markers were calculated for ultrapure (Milli-Q) and natural water samples [two-color(||), two-color(⊥), depolarisation(A), and depolarisation(B)]. Temperature accuracies of up to ±0.5°C were achieved for both water types when predicted by two-color(||) markers. Multiple linear regression models were constructed considering all simultaneously acquired temperature markers, resulting in improved accuracies of up to ±0.2°C. The potential benefits of blue laser excitation in relation to avoiding overlap between the Raman signal and fluorescence by chlorophyll-a are discussed, along with the higher Raman returns anticipated compared to the more-conventional green laser excitation.