doi:10.1111/cgf.15009engMonzón, NéstorGutierrez, DiegoAkkaynak, DeryaMuñoz, AdolfoReal-Time Underwater Spectral RenderingART-2024-138626The light field in an underwater environment is characterized by complex multiple scattering interactions and wavelength‐dependent attenuation, requiring significant computational resources for the simulation of underwater scenes. We present a novel approach that makes it possible to simulate multi‐spectral underwater scenes, in a physically‐based manner, in real time. Our key observation is the following: In the vertical direction, the steady decay in irradiance as a function of depth is characterized by the diffuse downwelling attenuation coefficient, which oceanographers routinely measure for different types of waters. We rely on a database of such real‐world measurements to obtain an analytical approximation to the Radiative Transfer Equation, allowing for real‐time spectral rendering with results comparable to Monte Carlo ground‐truth references, in a fraction of the time. We show results simulating underwater appearance for the different optical water types, including volumetric shadows and dynamic, spatially varying lighting near the water surface.2024http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/13535010.1111/cgf.15009http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/135350oai:zaguan.unizar.es:135350info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/AEI/PID2022-141539NB-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033Computer Graphics Forum (2024), 11 pp.by-nchttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess