Using Landsat 8 data to estimate suspended particulate matter in the Yellow River estuary

Abstract

The distribution of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and its variations in estuary regions are key to promoting carbon, oxygen, and nutrient cycling in coastal regions and nearby seas. This study presents SPM estimations for the Yellow River estuary from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (L8/OLI) data from 2013 to 2016. L8/OLI‐measured remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) was cross‐validated with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements, and SPM concentrations calculated from the tuned retrieval model were validated with in situ observations. The validation shows that L8/OLI can provide reasonably Rrs, which can be used to quantify SPM distributions and variations in the Yellow River estuary. Three year averaged SPM maps show that highly turbid waters are mostly found in an ovate area surrounding the mouth of the Yellow River. The corresponding area proportion is less than 30%, with SPM concentrations greater than 100 g m−3. High variations of SPM distributions are consistent with high SPM concentrations, and vice versa. Significant difference is observed between dry and wet seasons. Higher SPM in the dry season is observed both in range and intensity compared to those of the wet season. Furthermore, multiyear averaged SPM distributions with high concentrations are mainly attributable to currents. Significant seasonal variations are mainly controlled by sediment resuspension processes driven by wind‐wave forces. Due to human interventions, seasonal variability in river runoff and sediment discharge from the Yellow River has decreased in recent years. Accordingly, seasonal variability in SPM distributions in the Yellow River estuary due to sediment discharge has decreased.

Saturation of water reflectance in extremely turbid media based on field measurements, satellite data and bio-optical modelling

“…The OLI sensor has high-quality shortwave-infrared (SWIR) spectral bands well designed for the atmospheric correction of data recorded in the visible and NIR wavebands over such turbid waters [13,18]. The specifications of L8/OLI satellite data, in terms of radiometric sensitivity (12-bit resolution), spectral (with respectively four, one and two wavebands in the visible, NIR and SWIR spectral regions) and spatial (30 m) resolutions, are well adapted for the remote sensing of (extremely) high SPM concentrations in the maximum turbidity zones usually encountered in estuaries, bays and river plumes [13,[18][19][20][21].…”

Satellite Observations of the Diurnal Dynamics of Particulate Organic Carbon in Optically Complex Coastal Oceans: The Continental Shelf Seas of China

“…Therefore, the diurnal POC variations may also be caused by tidal dynamics in HT waters. Furthermore, sediment discharge, wind, and hydrodynamic conditions may represent other factors related to TSM and POC variations over a relatively long time scale (e.g., over seasons or years; Qiu et al, ).…”

A Reconstruction Method for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Reflectance in the Visible Domain and Applications

“…When data from a hyperspectral sensor or the eight‐band scheme is not available, this method provides an alternative option for restoring R rs with multi‐bands on a specific satellite sensor. Since more algorithms have recently been specifically designed for existing satellite optical sensors (Hu et al, ; Qiu et al, ), this method also helps to generalize the algorithms by reconstructing spectra at identical bands for different sensors. Moreover, the method has provided a new insight for comparison of satellite‐derived R rs data from different sensors, and also benefits the radiometric calibration from the reconstructed full spectral data in the visible range.…”