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Water quality from space: examples of satellite remote sensing for monitoring applications
Citation:
Salls, W. Water quality from space: examples of satellite remote sensing for monitoring applications. Presentation to USGS, Troy, NY, December 20, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
Stakeholders interested in understanding water quality desire complete data records in both space and time, yet resource limitations prohibit monitoring plans that are completely synoptic. Satellite remote sensing offers a comprehensive solution that can complement traditional in situ sampling. Applications are broad, and include the ability to measure phytoplankton (including cyanobacteria), water clarity, water temperature, seagrass, and oil spills. Such water quality remote sensing efforts enable more sound, efficient decision making, as demonstrated in this presentation.
Description:
In an age of changing climate and overexploited resources, our work to understand water quality is more important than ever. Satellite remote sensing has emerged as a useful water quality monitoring tool, offering a cost-effective means of supplementing traditional in situ sampling methods across time and space for various parameters. Seagrass, oil spills, water clarity, water temperature, and—perhaps most notably—phytoplankton, including harmful cyanobacteria blooms, can all be measured by satellite sensors. This talk will describe applications of each of these parameters, with an emphasis on cyanobacteria detection and the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) project. CyAN is a collaboration between EPA, USGS, NASA, NOAA, and USACE that has developed a system to process, distribute, and facilitate use of a satellite-derived cyanobacteria data product for lakes at the national scale. This product is used by federal, state, local, and non-profit entities across the country. Example uses of the CyAN data will be covered, including analysis of landscape drivers associated with cyanobacterial occurrence and a recently developed cyanobacteria forecasting model. Also discussed will be ongoing efforts to expand coverage of phytoplankton monitoring using a satellite platform with finer spatial resolution.
