In lidar bathymetry, the laser pulse penetration depth is often assumed to be about three Secchi depths. Is this a reasonable assumption even for somewhat turbid estuarine waters?
The penetration in terms of optical depth depends a lot on laser power and receiver sensitivity. The Secchi depth is also dependent on the human eye response across a broad spectrum while the lidar systems are going to be affected by just a very narrow wavelength (usually 532 nm). For a system like SHOALS or CZMIL (high power ones), the three Secchi depths is a reasonable approximation, but it is only an approximation. Lower power system (e.g. EARRL or Riegel) don't go as deep.