Rj. Daviescolley et al., MATCHING NATURAL-WATER COLORS TO MUNSELL STANDARDS, Journal of the american water resources association, 33(6), 1997, pp. 1351-1361
Color of natural waters strongly influences their aesthetic appeal, su
itability for recreational use, and aquatic habitat, but methods for r
outine specification of color have been lacking. An improved method ha
s been developed for specifying water colors in the field. The water c
olor, seen through an underwater viewer, is matched directly to Munsel
l standard patches observed simultaneously. The Munsell color-matching
method was verified versus measurements of the underwater light field
, made with a submersible spectroradiometer in 20 different natural wa
ters in New Zealand (mainly lakes), which varied widely in color and o
ther optical characteristics. Hue, the most important color attribute
of natural waters, could be matched accurately; the saturation and bri
ghtness less so. Color standard patches are not available covering the
full range of typically dark water colors, but fortunately, brightnes
s can be measured with simple submersible light sensors. The Munsell c
olor matching method seems suitable for routine water resources survey
and monitoring.