Detection of water quality using simulated satellite data and semi-empirical algorithms in Finland.

The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of the band combination of the TERRA MODIS and ENVISAT MERIS instruments for operational monitoring of lakes and coastal waters in Finland. Also simulated LANDSAT TM data were tested. Satellite bands were simulated using airborne measurements with AISA imaging spectrometer. Semi-empirical algorithms with simulated satellite data were tested against field observations using regression analysis. Interpretation of chlorophyll a, suspended matter, turbidity and secchi-disk depth was included in the analyses. The data for this study were gathered in campaigns carried out in May and August 1997 and August 1998 both for lakes in southern Finland and coastal waters of the Baltic Sea. The data set included 85 in situ observations for lakes and 107 for coastal waters. Our results show that the band combination to be included in the ENVISAT MERIS instrument enables the interpretation of water quality, including chlorophyll a concentration using semi-empirical algorithms both for lakes and coastal waters. MERIS band 9 centred at 705 nm is proven to be of vital importance for the detection of chlorophyll a in local surface waters.

Retrieval of water quality from airborne imaging spectrometry of various lake types in different seasons.

The suitability of the AISA airborne imaging spectrometer for monitoring lake water quality was tested in four surveys carried out in southern Finland in 1996-1998. Altogether, 11 lakes were surveyed and the total number of stations with concurrent remote sensing and limnological measurements was 127. The ranges of the water quality variables were: the sum of chlorophyll a and phaeophytin a 1-100 microg l(-1), turbidity 0.4-26 FNU, total suspended solids 0.7-32 mg l(-1), absorption coefficient of aquatic humus at 400 nm 1.2-14 m(-1) and secchi disc transparency 0.4-7 m. For the retrieval analyses, 24 AISA channels in the 450-786 nm range with a channel width of 6-14 nm were used. The agreement between estimated and observed water quality variables was generally good and R2 for the best algorithms was in the range of 0.72-0.90 over the whole dataset. The channels used for May were, in most cases, the same as those for August, but the empirical parameters of the algorithms were different. After seasonal grouping, R2 varied from 0.84 to 0.95. The use of apparent reflectance instead of radiance improved the estimation of water quality in the case of total suspended solids and turbidity. In the most humic lake, the empirical algorithms tested were suitable only for the interpretation of total suspended solids and turbidity.

A semi-operative approach to lake water quality retrieval from remote sensing data.

A semi-operative approach to retrieve chlorophyll-a concentration from airborne/spaceborne spectrometer observations has been developed and tested using the airborne imaging spectrometer (AISA) data from 11 lakes located in southern Finland. The retrieval approach is empirical and requires nearly simultaneous in situ training data on water quality for the determination of regression coefficients. However, the training data does not have to be collected from every lake under investigation. Instead, the results obtained indicate that reliable estimates on the level of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) for an individual lake can be achieved without employing in situ data representing this specific lake. This enables the estimation of water quality from remotely sensed data for numerous lakes with the aid of reference data only for a few selected lakes representing the region under investigation. In addition, it is shown that the remotely sensed spectrum shape characteristics are highly affected by the trophic and humic state of the lake water.

Analysis on the feasibility of multi-source remote sensing observations for chl-a monitoring in Finnish lakes.

Chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration of lake water can be measured with airborne (or spaceborne) optical remote sensing instruments. The rmse obtained here with empirical algorithms and 122 measurement points was 8.9 microg/l (all points used for training and testing). Airborne Imaging Spectrometer for Applications (AISA) was used in four lake water quality measurement campaigns (8 measurement days) in southern Finland during 1996-1998 with other airborne instruments and extensive in situ data collection. As empirical algorithms are employed for chl-a retrieval from remote sensing data, temporally varying factors such as surface reflection and atmospheric effects degrade the estimation accuracy. This paper analyzes the quantitative accuracy of empirical chl-a retrieval algorithms available as methods to correct temporal disturbances are either included or excluded. The aim is to evaluate the usability of empirical chl-a retrieval algorithms in cases when no concurrent reference in situ data are available. Four methods to reduce the effects of temporal variations are investigated. The methods are: (1) atmospheric correction; (2) synchronous radiometer data; (3) wind speed data; and (4) bidirectional scattering model based on wind speed and sun angle data. The effects of different correction methods are analyzed by using single-date test data and multi-date training data sets. The results show that the use of a bidirectional scattering model and atmospheric correction reduces the bias component of the measurement error. Radiometer data also appear to improve the accuracy. However, if concurrent in situ reference data are not available, the retrieval algorithms and correction methods should be improved for reducing the bias error.