Remote Sensing of Particle Backscattering in Chesapeake Bay: A 6-year SeaWiFS Retrospective View

Authors

David G. Zawada, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
Chuanmin Hu, University of South FloridaFollow
Tonya Clayton, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
Zhiqiang Chen, Institute for Marine Remote Sensing
John C. Brock, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, 600 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
Frank E. Muller-Karger, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2007

Keywords

water quality, remote sensing, light backscattering, suspended particulate matter, ocean color, SeaWiFS, Chesapeake Bay

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2007.03.005

Abstract

Traditional field techniques to monitor water quality in large estuaries, such as boat-based surveys and autonomous moored sensors, generally provide limited spatial coverage. Satellite imagery potentially can be used to address both of these limitations. Here, we show that satellite-based observations are useful for inferring total-suspended-solids (TSS) concentrations in estuarine areas. A spectra-matching optimization algorithm was used to estimate the particle backscattering coefficient at 400 nm, b_bp(400), in Chesapeake Bay from Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite imagery. These estimated values of b_bp(400) were compared to in situ measurements of TSS for the study period of September 1997–December 2003. Contemporaneous SeaWiFS b_bp(400) values and TSS concentrations were positively correlated (N = 340, r² = 0.4, P < 0.0005), and the satellite-derived b_bp(400) values served as a reasonable first-order approximation for synoptically mapping TSS. Overall, large-scale patterns of SeaWiFS b_bp(400) appeared to be consistent with expectations based on field observations and historical reports of TSS. Monthly averages indicated that SeaWiFS b_bp(400) was typically largest in winter (>0.049 m⁻¹, November–February) and smallest in summer (<0.031 m⁻¹, June–August), regardless of the amount of riverine discharge to the bay. The study period also included Hurricanes Floyd and Isabel, which caused large-scale turbidity events and changes in the water quality of the bay. These results demonstrate that this technique can provide frequent synoptic assessments of suspended solids concentrations in Chesapeake Bay and other coastal regions.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, v. 73, issues 3-4, p. 792-806

Scholar Commons Citation

Zawada, David G.; Hu, Chuanmin; Clayton, Tonya; Chen, Zhiqiang; Brock, John C.; and Muller-Karger, Frank E., "Remote Sensing of Particle Backscattering in Chesapeake Bay: A 6-year SeaWiFS Retrospective View" (2007). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 2023.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2023