Optical turbulence measurements and modeling over Monterey Bay

Free space optical (FSO) communication in a maritime environment involves unique challenges due to the existing environmental conditions. An important degradation factor is atmospheric turbulence that causes irradiance fluctuations (scintillation) at the detector. A significant amount of theoretical and experimental research has been conducted to quantify those effects. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign that took place during September and October of 2020 over the Monterey Bay in California. The main goal of this campaign was to measure atmospheric turbulence over the water and compare the results with a theoretical model called the Navy Surface Layer Model (NAVSLaM), developed by the Meteorology Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), as well as conduct a regression analysis for turbulence predictive modeling based on environmental parameters. The results showed very good agreement between theory and experiment.