Evaluation of MODIS SWIR and NIR-SWIR atmospheric correction algorithms using SeaBASS data

Using the NASA maintained ocean optical and biological in situ data that were collected during 2002-2005, we have evaluated the performance of atmospheric correction algorithms for the ocean color products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Aqua. Specifically, algorithms using the MODIS shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands and an approach using the near-infrared (NIR) and SWIR combined method are evaluated, compared to the match-up results from the NASA standard algorithm (using the NIR bands). The in situ data for the match-up analyses were collected mostly from non-turbid ocean waters. It is critical to assess and understand the algorithm performance for deriving MODIS ocean color products, providing science and user communities with the important data quality information. Results show that, although the SWIR method for data processing has generally reduced the bias errors, the noise errors are increased due mainly to significantly lower sensor signal-noise ratio (SNR) values for the MODIS SWIR bands, as well as the increased uncertainties using the SWIR method for the atmospheric correction. This has further demonstrated that future ocean color satellite sensors will require significantly improved sensor SNR performance for the SWIR bands. The NIR-SWIR combined method, for which the non-turbid and turbid ocean waters are processed using the NIR and SWIR method, respectively, has been shown to produce improved ocean color products.     

Water property monitoring and assessment for China's inland Lake Taihu from MODIS-Aqua measurements

We provide results of quantitative measurements and characterization for inland freshwater Lake Taihu from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the satellite Aqua. China's Lake Taihu, which is located in the Yangtze River delta in one of the world's most urbanized and heavily populated areas, contains consistently highly turbid waters in addition to frequent large seasonal algae blooms in various lake regions. Thus, satellite data processing requires use of the shortwave infrared (SWIR) atmospheric correction algorithm. Specifically for Lake Taihu, an iterative SWIR-based atmospheric correction algorithm has been developed and proven to provide reasonably accurate water-leaving radiance spectra data. Using MODIS-Aqua measurements, the blue-green algae bloom in Lake Taihu in 2007 has been studied in detail, demonstrating the importance and usefulness of satellite water color remote sensing for effectively monitoring and managing a bloom event.Seasonal and interannual variability, as well as spatial distributions, of lake water properties were studied and assessed using the MODIS-Aqua measurements from 2002 to 2008. Results show that overall waters in Lake Taihu are consistently highly turbid all year round, with the winter and summer as the most and least turbid seasons in the lake, respectively. Extremely turbid waters in the winter are primarily attributed to strong winter winds that lead to significant amounts of total suspended sediment (TSS) in the water column. In addition, MODIS-Aqua-measured water-leaving radiance at the blue band is consistently low in various bay regions in Lake Taihu, indicating high algae concentration in these regions. Climatological water property maps, including normalized water-leaving radiance spectra nL_w(λ), chlorophyll-a concentration, and water diffuse attenuation coefficient at the wavelength of 490 nm (K_d(490)), are derived from all MODIS-Aqua data from 2002 to 2008 for Lake Taihu, showing overall spatial distribution features for the lake water property.     

Evaluation of the NIR-SWIR atmospheric correction algorithm for MODIS-Aqua over the Eastern China Seas

The performance of the near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) combined atmospheric correction algorithm (NIR-SWIR) for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-Aqua over the Eastern China Seas (ECS) was evaluated. The in situ data set for evaluation in this study was collected during 2005 and 2012 through eight cruises in the ECS, wherein 49 in situ observation points were successfully matched with MODIS-Aqua data. The remote-sensing reflectance derived from MODIS-Aqua data using the NIR-SWIR algorithm and the NIR algorithm were compared to the in situ measurements in the matched-up data set, which included ocean bands (412, 443, 488, 531, 547, 667, and 678 nm) and land bands (469, 555, and 645 nm). The results show that the performance of the NIR-SWIR algorithm has been improved in turbid waters, and the effect at the short-wave bands (blue and green bands) is more significant than that at the long-wave bands (red bands). In addition, MODIS-Aqua data at the land bands (469, 555, and 645 nm) show a similar performance to those of nearby ocean bands. However, the lower estimation accuracy is still a remarkable question at bands 412, 645, 667, 678 nm. The results from both the NIR-SWIR and NIR algorithms were applied to the images of MODIS-Aqua in the ECS and they indicate that the extent to which the quality of the derived remote-sensing reflectance using the NIR-SWIR algorithm can be improved shows major differences for different seasons. The minimum area is in summer, and the maximum area in winter. The NIR-SWIR algorithm should be used for the whole of the Bohai Sea in winter.     

An assessment of the black ocean pixel assumption for MODIS SWIR bands

Recent studies show that an atmospheric correction algorithm using shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands improves satellite-derived ocean color products in turbid coastal waters. In this paper, the black pixel assumption (i.e., zero water-leaving radiance contribution) over the ocean for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) SWIR bands at 1240, 1640, and 2130 nm is assessed for various coastal ocean regions. The black pixel assumption is found to be generally valid with the MODIS SWIR bands at 1640 and 2130 nm even for extremely turbid waters. For the MODIS 1240 nm band, however, ocean radiance contribution is generally negligible in mildly turbid waters such as regions along the U.S. east coast, while some slight radiance contributions are observed in extremely turbid waters, e.g., some regions along the China east coast, the estuary of the La Plata River. Particularly, in the Hangzhou Bay, the ocean radiance contribution at the SWIR band 1240 nm results in an overcorrection of atmospheric and surface effects, leading to errors of MODIS-derived normalized water-leaving radiance at the blue reaching ~ 0.5 mW cm^− 2 μm^− 1 sr^− 1. In addition, we found that, for non-extremely turbid waters, i.e., the ocean contribution at the near-infrared (NIR) band < ~ 1.0 mW cm^− 2 μm^− 1 sr^− 1, there exists a good relationship in the regional normalized water-leaving radiances between the red and the NIR bands. Thus, for non-extremely turbid waters, such a red-NIR radiance relationship derived regionally can possibly be used for making corrections for the regional NIR ocean contributions without using the SWIR bands, e.g., for atmospheric correction of ocean color products derived from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS).     

Image-based atmospheric correction of QuickBird imagery of Minnesota cropland

High spatial resolution QuickBird satellite data have provided new opportunities for remote sensing applications in agriculture. In this study, image-based algorithms for atmospheric correction were evaluated on QuickBird imagery for retrieving surface reflectance (ρ_λ) of corn and potato canopies in Minnesota. The algorithms included the dark object subtraction technique (DOS), the cosine approximation model (COST), and the apparent reflectance model (AR). The comparison with ground-based measurements of canopy reflectance during a 3-year field campaign indicated that the AR model generally overestimated ρ_λ in the visible bands, but underestimated ρ_λ in the near infrared (NIR) band. The DOS-COST model was most effective for the visible bands and produced ρ_λ with the root mean square errors (RMSE) of less than 0.01. However, retrieved ρ_λ in the NIR band were more than 20% (mean relative difference or MRD) lower than ground measurements and the RMSE was as high as 0.16. The evaluation of the COST model showed that atmospheric transmittance (T_λ^θ) was substantially overestimated on humid days, particularly for the NIR band because of the undercorrection of water vapor absorption. Alternatively, a contour map was developed to interpolate appropriate T_λ^θ for the NIR band for clear days under average atmospheric aerosol conditions and as a function of precipitable water content and solar zenith angle or satellite view angle. With the interpolated T_λ^θ, the accuracy of NIR band ρ_λ was significantly improved where the RMSE and MRD were 0.06 and 0.03%, respectively, and the overall accuracy of ρ_λ was acceptable for agricultural applications.     

Regional and seasonal variability of chlorophyll-a in Chesapeake Bay as observed by SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua

Concentrations of the phytoplankton pigment chlorophyll-a (C_a) provide indicators of nutrient over-enrichment that has negatively affected Chesapeake Bay, U.S.A. C_a time-series from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard the Aqua spacecraft (MODIS-Aqua) provide observations on temporal and spatial scales that far exceed current field and aircraft sampling strategies. These sensors provide consistent, frequent, and high density data to potentially complement ongoing Bay monitoring activities. We used the in situ Water Quality Monitoring Data set of the Chesapeake Bay Program to evaluate decade-long time-series of SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua C_a retrievals in the Bay. The accuracy of the retrievals generally degraded with increasing latitude as the optical complexity increases northward. C_a derived using empirical (“band ratio”) algorithms overestimated in situ measurements by 10-50 and 40-100% for SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua, respectively, but with limited variability. C_a derived using spectral-matching algorithms showed less bias for both sensors, but with significant variability and sensitivity to radiometric errors. Regionally-tuned empirical algorithms performed best throughout the Bay, offering a combination of reasonable accuracy and high spatial coverage. The radiometric spectral resolution used as input to the algorithms strongly influenced the quality of C_a retrievals from both sensors. These results establish a baseline quantification of algorithm and sensor performance in a variable and stressed ecosystem against which novel approaches might be compared.     

Atmospheric correction of ENVISAT/MERIS data over case II waters: the use of black pixel assumption in oxygen and water vapour absorption bands

The Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor, with its good physical design, can provide excellent data for water colour monitoring. However, owing to the shortage of shortwave-infrared (SWIR) bands, the traditional near-infrared (NIR)–SWIR algorithm for atmospheric correction in inland turbid case II waters cannot be extended to the MERIS data directly, which limits its applications. In this study, we developed a modified NIR black pixel method for atmospheric correction of MERIS data in inland turbid case II waters. In the new method, two special NIR bands provided by MERIS data, an oxygen absorption band (O₂ A-band, 761 nm) and a water vapour absorption band (vapour A-band, 900 nm), were introduced to keep the assumption of zero water-leaving reflectance valid according to the fact that both atmospheric transmittance and water-leaving reflectance are very small at these two bands. After addressing the aerosol wavelength dependence for the cases of single- and multiple-scattering conditions, we further validated the new method in two case lakes (Lake Dianchi in China and Lake Kasumigaura in Japan) by comparing the results with in situ measurements and other atmospheric correction algorithms, including Self-Contained Atmospheric Parameters Estimation for MERIS data (SCAPE-M) and the Basic ERS (European Remote Sensing Satellite) & ENVISAT (Environmental Satellite) (A)ATSR ((Advanced) Along-Track Scanning Radiometer) and MERIS (BEAM) processor. We found that the proposed method had acceptable accuracy in the bands within 560–754 nm (MERIS bands 5–10) (average absolute deviation (AAD) = 0.0081, average deviation (AD) = 0.0074), which are commonly used in the estimation models of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations. In addition, the performance of the new method was superior to that of the BEAM processor and only slightly worse than that of SCAPE-M in these bands. Considering its acceptable accuracy and simplicity both in principle and at implementation compared with the SCAPE-M method, the new method provides an option for atmospheric correction of MERIS data in inland turbid case II waters with applications aiming for chl-a estimation.     

Satellite observations of optical and biological properties in the Korean dump site of the Yellow Sea

With the standard near-infrared (NIR) atmospheric correction algorithm for ocean color data processing, a high chlorophyll-a concentration patch was consistently observed from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Aqua platform in the middle of the Yellow Sea during the spring (end of March to early May). This prominent patch was not observed in the historical ocean color satellite imageries in late 1970s to early 1980s, and a location corresponding to this patch has been used as a Korean dump site since 1988. At the same time, MODIS chlorophyll-a concentrations derived using the shortwave infrared (SWIR) atmospheric correction algorithm developed for the ocean color satellite data in turbid coastal or high-productive ocean waters were significantly reduced.Comparison between in situ and MODIS chlorophyll-a measurements shows that the chlorophyll-a from the MODIS-Aqua products using the standard-NIR atmospheric correction algorithm is significantly overestimated. The images of the MODIS-derived normalized water-leaving radiance spectra and water diffuse attenuation coefficient data using the NIR-SWIR-based atmospheric correction approach show that absorption and scattering by organic and inorganic matter dumped in the Korean dump site have strongly influenced the satellite-derived chlorophyll-a data. Therefore, the biased high chlorophyll-a patch in the region is in fact an overestimation of chlorophyll-a values due to large errors from the standard-NIR atmospheric correction algorithm. Using the NIR-SWIR algorithm for MODIS-Aqua ocean color data processing, ocean color products from 2002 to 2008 for the Korean dump site region have been generated and used for characterizing the ocean optical and biological properties. Results show that there have been some important changes in the seasonal and interannual variations of phytoplankton biomass and other water optical and biological properties induced by colored dissolved organic matters, as well as suspended sediments.     

Mapping aerosol optical thickness and water-leaving signals using an improved NIR/SWIR switching atmospheric correction model: A case study in the Bohai Sea

In this study, the performance of the near-infrared & short wave infrared switching atmospheric correction (NSSAC) model in estimating remote sensing reflectance (R_rs(λ)) and aerosol optical thickness at 869 nm (τ_a(869)) were assessed by field measurements taken in the Bohai Sea. It was found that the NSSAC model had approximately 30% uncertainty for retrievals of R_rs(λ) in the green regions but provided approximately 50% uncertainty for estimations of τ_a(869) and R_rs(λ) at all other moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) visible wavelengths. Therefore, an optimised method is proposed for optimizing the retrieval results of the NSSAC model; it was validated using the field measurements collected from the Oujiang River estuary. The results show that the performance of the NSSAC model for τ_a(869) and R_rs(λ) at the blue, red, and near-infrared bands was greatly improved by using the optimised NSSAC model. Moreover, the study also finds that the τ_a(869) shows a large variation in the Bohai Sea, decreasing from coastal to offshore regions. The monthly average τ_a(869) has a maximum at February and August. Due to the imperfect atmospheric correction procedure, the NSSAC model-derived R_rs(λ) is always larger than those of the field measurements. Future work is needed to minimise the detected water-leaving signals in the short wave infrared (SWIR) images.     

Spectral optimization for constituent retrieval in Case 2 waters II: Validation study in the Chesapeake Bay

Coastal waters (Case 2) are generally more optically complex than oceanic waters and contain much higher quantities of colored detrital matter (CDM, a combination of dissolved organic matter and detrital particulates) as well as suspended sediment. Exclusion of CDM in the retrieval can lead to an overestimation of chlorophyll a concentration (C). We present a validation of a Case 2 version of the coupled spectral optimization algorithm (SOA) for simultaneous atmospheric correction and water parameter retrieval using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite ocean color data. Modeling of water constituents uses the Garver, Siegel and Maritorena (GSM) semi-analytic bio-optical model locally tuned for Chesapeake Bay. This includes a parameterization for CDM through its absorption spectrum.SOA-retrieved C and CDM are compared with in situ measurements in Chesapeake Bay. Results are also compared with output from two alternate models 1) the standard algorithm (Std) and 2) the standard atmospheric correction combined with the locally tuned GSM model (StdGSM). The comparisons indicate that the SOA is a viable alternative to both given models in Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, StdGSM appears to require improvement before it can be considered for operational use in these waters. Perhaps the most important result is the high-quality of CDM retrievals with the SOA. They suggest that there is value added using the SOA method in Chesapeake waters, as the Std method does not retrieve CDM. In a companion paper we describe in detail the model implementation, and its accuracy and limitations when applied to the Chesapeake Bay.     

High spatial resolution burn severity mapping of the New Jersey Pine Barrens with WorldView-3 near-infrared and shortwave infrared imagery

The WorldView-3 (WV-3) sensor, launched in 2014, is the first high-spatial resolution scanner to acquire imagery in the shortwave infrared (SWIR). A spectral ratio of the SWIR combined with the near-infrared (NIR) can potentially provide an effective differentiation of wildfire burn severity. Previous high spatial resolution sensors were limited to data from the visible and NIR for mapping burn severity, for example using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Drawing on a study site in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, USA, we investigate optimal processing methods for analysing WV-3 data, with a focus on the pre-fire minus post-fire differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR). Although the imagery, originally acquired with a 3.7 m instantaneous field of view, was aggregated to 7.5 m pixels by DigitalGlobe due to current licensing constraints, a slight additional smoothing of the data was nevertheless found to help reduce noise in the multi-temporal dNBR imagery. The highest coefficient of determination (R²) of the regressions of dNBR with the field-based composite burn index was obtained with a dNBR ratio produced with the NIR1 and SWIR6 bands. Only a very small increase in R² was found when dNBR was calculated using the average of NIR1 and NIR2 for the NIR bands, and SWIR5 to SWIR8 for the SWIR bands. dNBR calculated using SWIR1 as the NIR band produced notably lower R² values than when either NIR1 or NIR2 were used. Differenced NDVI data was found to produce models with a much lower R² than dNBR, emphasizing the importance of the shortwave infrared region for monitoring fire severity. High spatial resolution dNBR data from WV-3 can potentially provide valuable information on finer details regarding burn severity patterns than can be obtained from Landsat 30 m data.     

Satellite remote sensing of surface oceanic fronts in coastal waters off west-central Florida

Two algorithms designed to detect deepwater oceanic features and arbitrary edge profiles were tuned to automatically delineate fronts in coastal waters off west-central Florida using satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl), normalized water-leaving radiance (nL_w), and fluorescence line height (FLH) images during select periods in the spring and fall of 2004 and 2005. The dates correspond to recreational king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, tournaments. A histogram-based algorithm was useful to detect coastal surface SST, nL_w, and FLH fronts, specifically. A gradient-based algorithm, with a smaller kernel box of 3 × 3 pixels, best identified nearshore (< 10 m depth) features in Chl images at the mouth of Tampa Bay, but was less effective for fronts farther offshore where gradients were weaker. Local winds and tide levels estimated from a coastal observing buoy, and bathymetric gradients were examined to help understand the factors that influenced front formation and stability. Periods of strong and variable winds led to front movement of up to 10 km per day or dissipation within 2-3 days in over 80% of the fronts detected in SST, Chl, nL_w, and FLH imagery. Short episodes of less variable wind velocities typically led to more stable and stationary fronts, within 3-5 km, for up to four days. The occurrence of fronts closely associated with the coastal bathymetry, namely at the 20 m and 30 m isobaths, was significantly higher in the fall SST imagery and in the spring Chl imagery. Fall SST fronts related to bathymetric gradients likely resulted from progressive cooling of the water with depth. Stronger Chl and nL_w443 gradients at the mouths of estuaries in the fall compared to the spring were attributed to increased precipitation and periods of stronger winds or tides. The FLH imagery was most useful in delineating coastal algal blooms. The automatic front detection techniques applied here can be an important tool for resource managers to track coastal oceanographic features daily, over synoptic spatial scales.     

Monitoring turbidity in Tampa Bay using MODIS/Aqua 250-m imagery

We developed an approach to map turbidity in estuaries using a time series (May 2003 to April 2006) of 250-m resolution images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite, using Tampa Bay as a case study. Cross-calibration of the MODIS 250-m data (originally designed for land use) with the well-calibrated MODIS 1-km ocean data showed that the pre-launch radiometric calibration of the 250-m bands was adequate. A simple single scattering atmospheric correction provided reliable retrievals of remote sensing reflectance at 645 nm (0.002 < R_rs(645) < 0.015 sr^− 1, median bias = − 7%, slope = 0.95, intercept = 0.00, r² = 0.97, n = 15). A more rigorous approach, using a multiple scattering atmospheric correction of the cross-calibrated at-sensor radiances, retrieved similar R_rs(645). R_rs(645) estimates, after stringent data quality control, showed a close correlation with in situ turbidity (turbidity = 1203.9 × R_rs(645)^1.087, 0.9 < turbidity < 8.0 NTU, r² = 0.73, n = 43). MODIS turbidity imagery derived using the developed approach showed that turbidity in Hillsborough Bay (HB) was consistently higher than that in other sub-regions except in August and September, when higher concentrations of colored dissolved organic matter seem to have caused underestimates of turbidity. In comparison, turbidity in Middle Tampa Bay (MTB) was generally lowest among the Bay throughout the year. Both Old Tampa Bay (OTB) and Low Tampa Bay (LTB) showed marked seasonal variations with higher turbidity in LTB during the dry season and in OTB during the wet season, respectively. This seasonality is linked to wind-driven bottom resuspension events in lower portion of the Bay and river inputs of sediments in the upper portion of the Bay. The Bay also experiences significant interannual variation in turbidity, which was attributed primarily to changes in wind forcing. Compared with the once-per-month, non-synoptic in situ surveys, synoptic and frequent sampling facilitated by satellite remote sensing provides improved assessments of turbidity patterns and thus a valuable tool for operational monitoring of water quality of estuarine and coastal waters such as in Tampa Bay.     

Detection of turbid waters and absorbing aerosols for the MODIS ocean color data processing

Atmospheric correction for the ocean color products derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) uses two near-infrared (NIR) bands centered at 748 and 869 nm for identifying aerosol type and correcting aerosol contributions at the MODIS visible wavelengths. The ocean is usually assumed to be black for open oceans at these two NIR bands with modifications for the productive waters and aerosols are assumed to be non- or weakly absorbing. For cases with strongly absorbing aerosols and cases with the significant NIR ocean contributions, the derived ocean color products will have significant errors, e.g., the derived MODIS normalized water-leaving radiances are biased low considerably. Both cases lead to a significant drop of the sensor-measured radiance at the short visible wavelengths, and they both have similar and indistinguishable radiance characteristics at the short visible wavelengths. To properly handle such cases, the strongly absorbing aerosols and turbid waters need to be identified. Therefore, an appropriate approach (different from the standard procedure) may be carried out. In this paper, we demonstrate methods to identify the turbid waters and strongly absorbing aerosols using combinations of MODIS-measured radiances at the short visible, NIR, and short wave infrared (SWIR) bands. The algorithms are based on the fact that for the turbid waters the ocean has significantly large contributions at the NIR bands, whereas at the SWIR bands the ocean is still black due to much stronger water absorption. With detection of the turbid waters, the strongly absorbing aerosols can then be identified using the MODIS measurements at the short visible and NIR bands. We provide results and discussions for test and evaluation of the algorithm performance with various examples in the coastal regions for the turbid waters and for various absorbing aerosols (e.g., volcano ash plumes, dust, smoke). The proposed algorithms are efficient in the data processing, and can be carried out prior to the atmospheric correction procedure.     

Comparison of three SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithms for turbid waters using AERONET-OC measurements

The use of satellites to monitor the color of the ocean requires effective removal of the atmospheric signal. This can be performed by extrapolating the aerosol optical properties in the visible from the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region assuming that the seawater is totally absorbant in this latter part of the spectrum. However, the non-negligible water-leaving radiance in the NIR which is characteristic of turbid waters may lead to an overestimate of the atmospheric radiance in the whole visible spectrum with increasing severity at shorter wavelengths. This may result in significant errors, if not complete failure, of various algorithms for the retrieval of chlorophyll-a concentration, inherent optical properties and biogeochemical parameters of surface waters.This paper presents results of an inter-comparison study of three methods that compensate for NIR water-leaving radiances and that are based on very different hypothesis: 1) the standard SeaWiFS algorithm (Stumpf et al., 2003; Bailey et al., 2010) based on a bio-optical model and an iterative process; 2) the algorithm developed by Ruddick et al. (2000) based on the spatial homogeneity of the NIR ratios of the aerosol and water-leaving radiances; and 3) the algorithm of Kuchinke et al. (2009) based on a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean spectral optimization inversion. They are compared using normalized water-leaving radiance nL_w in the visible. The reference source for comparison is ground-based measurements from three AERONET-Ocean Color sites, one in the Adriatic Sea and two in the East Coast of USA.Based on the matchup exercise, the best overall estimates of the nL_w are obtained with the latest SeaWiFS standard algorithm version with relative error varying from 14.97% to 35.27% for λ = 490 nm and λ = 670 nm respectively. The least accurate estimates are given by the algorithm of Ruddick, the relative errors being between 16.36% and 42.92% for λ = 490 nm and λ = 412 nm, respectively. The algorithm of Kuchinke appears to be the most accurate algorithm at 412 nm (30.02%), 510 (15.54%) and 670 nm (32.32%) using its default optimization and bio-optical model coefficient settings.Similar conclusions are obtained for the aerosol optical properties (aerosol optical thickness τ(865) and the Ångström exponent, α(510, 865)). Those parameters are retrieved more accurately with the SeaWiFS standard algorithm (relative error of 33% and 54.15% for τ(865) and α(510, 865)).A detailed analysis of the hypotheses of the methods is given for explaining the differences between the algorithms. The determination of the aerosol parameters is critical for the algorithm of Ruddick et al. (2000) while the bio-optical model is critical for the algorithm of Stumpf et al. (2003) utilized in the standard SeaWiFS atmospheric correction and both aerosol and bio-optical model for the coupled atmospheric-ocean algorithm of Kuchinke. The Kuchinke algorithm presents model aerosol-size distributions that differ from real aerosol-size distribution pertaining to the measurements. In conclusion, the results show that for the given atmospheric and oceanic conditions of this study, the SeaWiFS atmospheric correction algorithm is most appropriate for estimating the marine and aerosol parameters in the given turbid waters regions.     

A simple semi-analytical model for remote estimation of chlorophyll-a in turbid waters: Validation

Accurate assessment of phytoplankton chlorophyll-a (chla) concentrations in turbid waters by means of remote sensing is challenging due to the optical complexity of case 2 waters. We have applied a recently developed model of the form [R_rs^? 1(λ₁) ? R_rs^? 1(λ₂)] × R_rs(λ₃) where R_rs(λ_i) is the remote-sensing reflectance at the wavelength λ_i, for the estimation of chla concentrations in turbid waters. The objectives of this paper are (a) to validate the three-band model as well as its special case, the two-band model R_rs^? 1(λ₁) × R_rs(λ₃), using datasets collected over a considerable range of optical properties, trophic status, and geographical locations in turbid lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and coastal waters, and (b) to evaluate the extent to which the three-band model could be applied to the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and two-band model could be applied to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to estimate chla in turbid waters.The three-band model was calibrated and validated using three MERIS spectral bands (660–670 nm, 703.75–713.75 nm, and 750?757.5 nm), and the 2-band model was tested using two MODIS spectral bands (λ₁ = 662–672, λ₃ = 743–753 nm). We assessed the accuracy of chla prediction in four independent datasets without re-parameterization (adjustment of the coefficients) after initial calibration elsewhere. Although the validation data set contained widely variable chla (1.2 to 236 mg m^? 3), Secchi disk depth (0.18 to 4.1 m), and turbidity (1.3 to 78 NTU), chla predicted by the three-band algorithm was strongly correlated with observed chla (r² > 0.96), with a precision of 32% and average bias across data sets of ? 4.9% to 11%. Chla predicted by the two-band algorithm was also closely correlated with observed chla (r² > 0.92); however, the precision declined to 57%, and average bias across the data sets was 18% to 50.3%. These findings imply that, provided that an atmospheric correction scheme for the red and NIR bands is available, the extensive database of MERIS and MODIS imagery could be used for quantitative monitoring of chla in turbid waters.     

Deriving vegetation leaf water content from spectrophotometric data with orthogonal signal correction-partial least square regression

As an important element for the growth of plants, water is of great significance for real-time understanding of vegetation status, especially in the field of agricultural drought monitoring and forest fire prediction. Currently, vegetation leaf water content (LWC) estimation approaches employing remote sensing mainly include monitoring of spectral indices based on vegetation moisture feature bands and processing of continuous spectral data gained from hyperspectral remote sensing. In this article, a new approach, orthogonal signal correction-partial least square regression (OSC-PLSR), is introduced, to extract LWC from laboratory-measured reflectance spectra. Equivalent water thickness (EWT) and fuel moisture content (FMC) (based on both fresh and dry weight; FMC_w and FMC_d) were selected as indicators of LWC. Using the Leaf Optical Properties EXperiment (LOPEX) data set, first the relationships between LWC (EWT, FMC_w and FMC_d) and the spectral features of original reflectance were examined, via simple PLSR. Next, the OSC-PLSR was applied to evaluate its performance for estimating LWC (EWT, FMC_w and FMC_d) from reflectance spectra. Then, the vegetation moisture feature bands were derived from the analysis of OSC-PLSR latent variable loadings. According to the results, there are three major conclusions. (1) OSC-PLSR shows good performance for predicting all LWC indicators, and using only one latent variable, the OSC-PLSR model's complexity is greatly reduced compared with simple PLSR models. (2) Using both one and an optimal number of latent variables in OSC-PLSR models, FMC_w sees the best prediction, followed by EWT and lastly FMC_d; this order is opposite to the order of LWC data variation. (3) Through loading analysis of one-latent-variable OSC-PLSR models, the vegetation moisture feature bands can be retrieved. For EWT, the moisture-sensitive bands lie within one near-infrared (NIR) and two shortwave-infrared (SWIR) regions; for FMC_w and FMC_d, the moisture-sensitive bands lie within two SWIR regions. Also, the vegetation moisture-insensitive bands for EWT, FMC_w and FMC_d estimation are respectively acquired at around 1340, 1150 and 1330 nm.     

Atmospheric correction of Hyperion imagery over estuarine waters: a case study of the Pearl River Estuary in southern China

Atmospheric correction of ocean colour remote-sensing data is based on the assumption that no water-leaving reflectance occurs in the near-infrared (NIR) area. However, this assumption is not valid for highly productive waters. To solve this problem, this paper describes a modified atmospheric correction scheme for Hyperion data. Based on the assumption that the ratio of water-leaving radiance and aerosol radiance in two NIR bands follows a fixed rule, we moved a rectangular box around the imagery to calculate those two parameters, which were then used to replace the assumption of zero water-leaving radiance in the NIR. We applied the new atmospheric correction algorithm to one Hyperion image. Following comparison of in situ measurements to results of the FLAASH atmospheric correction schema, preliminary findings show that the new algorithm is effective in reducing error in retrieved water-leaving radiance values, to some extent.     

Remote sensing of cyanobacteria-dominant algal blooms and water quality parameters in Zeekoevlei, a small hypertrophic lake, using MERIS

Eutrophication and cyanobacterial algal blooms present an increasing threat to the health of freshwater ecosystems and to humans who use these resources for drinking and recreation. Remote sensing is being used increasingly as a tool for monitoring these phenomena in inland and near-coastal waters. This study uses the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) to view Zeekoevlei, a small hypertrophic freshwater lake situated on the Cape Flats in Cape Town, South Africa, dominated by Microcystis cyanobacteria. The lake's small size, highly turbid water, and covariant water constituents present a challenging case for both algorithm development and atmospheric correction. The objectives of the study are to assess the optical properties of the lake, to evaluate various atmospheric correction procedures, and to compare the performance of empirical and semi-analytical algorithms in hypertrophic water. In situ water quality parameter and radiometric measurements were made simultaneous to MERIS overpasses. Upwelling radiance measurements at depth 0.66 m were corrected for instrument self-shading and processed to water-leaving reflectance using downwelling irradiance measurements and estimates of the vertical attenuation coefficient for upward radiance, K_u, generated from a simple bio-optical model estimating the total absorption, a(λ), and backscattering coefficients, b_b(λ). The normalised water-leaving reflectance was used for assessing the accuracy of image-based Dark Object Subtraction and 6S Radiative Transfer Code atmospheric correction procedures applied to MERIS. Empirical algorithms for estimating chlorophyll a (Chl a), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Secchi Disk depth (z_SD) and absorption by CDOM (a_CDOM) were derived from simultaneously collected in situ and MERIS measurements. The empirical algorithms gave high correlation coefficient values, although they have a limited ability to separate between signals from covariant water constituents. The MERIS Neural Network algorithms utilised in the standard Level 2 Case 2 waters product and Eutrophic Lakes processor were also used to derive water constituent concentrations. However, these failed to produce reasonable comparisons with in situ measurements owing to the failure of atmospheric correction and divergence between the optical properties and ranges used to train the algorithms and those of Zeekoevlei. Maps produced using the empirical algorithms effectively show the spatial and temporal variability of the water quality parameters during April 2008. On the basis of the results it is argued that MERIS is the current optimal sensor for frequent change detection applications in inland waters. This study also demonstrates the considerable potential value for simple TOA algorithms for hypertrophic systems. It is recommended that regional algorithm development be prioritized in southern Africa and that remote sensing be integrated into future operational water quality monitoring systems.     

Ocean sand ridge signatures in the Bohai Sea observed by satellite ocean color and synthetic aperture radar measurements

Satellite measurements from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Aqua platform are used to study the ocean sand ridges in the eastern Bohai Sea in China. Even though the imaging mechanisms for SAR and MODIS-Aqua remote sensing are different, the sand ridges are shown to have exactly the same patterns in images from both sensors. Therefore, the location, extension and coverage of the ocean sand ridges can be detected and cross-examined by both SAR and MODIS-Aqua observations. Satellite images show quite different sand ridge distribution pattern from the published bathymetry map (based on in situ data) that shows six sand ridges in the area. 10 finger-shaped sand ridges are identified from satellite observations. The tidal-current/sand-ridge interaction driven physical and optical changes are assessed and evaluated. The existence of sand ridges causes enhanced water diffuse attenuation coefficient K_d(490) and elevated normalized water-leaving radiance at the red and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. The sea surface over the sand ridges experiences significant seasonal variability of water turbidity and shows remarkable differences from nearby ocean regions. During winter, K_d(490) values are about 2-3 m^− 1 over the ridges, while the maximum K_d(490) in the neighboring oceans is approximately 1.5 m^− 1. In summer, the enhancement of the sea surface turbidity is less significant than that which occurs in winter.