2-COMPONENT MODEL OF SEA PARTICLE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION

A general two-component model of particle size distribution in sea water describes the components by a three parameter generalized gamma distribution. The values for two of these parameters, obtained from analysis of experimental data, prove to be constants, universal and valid for oligotrophic waters in all oceans. The third parameter is allowed to vary around a mean value characteristic for each component. In this way the component size distributions were reduced to a single parameter distribution. The model was successfully applied to various measured size distributions. This model predicts measured data with few errors and provides a better fit over a larger size range, 10(-2)-10(2) mum, than commonly-used size distribution models. The model is useful for light scattering and radiative transfer calculations, especially in oligotrophic waters.