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At least 19 records

Lake eutrophication as indicated by ERTS satellite imagery

Light reflectance from water in the laboratory always correlates to the water quality parameter of turbidity. This turbidity is caused by suspended solids in the water and for a particular type of material there is a good correlation between the weight of these suspended solids and turbidity. However, this correlation is different for different types of material. When this suspended material is living green matter as in an eutrophic lake, the changes in reflectance can be detected as changes in brightness on a particular aerial image. Two test sites have shown that there is indeed a good correlation between the brightness on an ERTS image and lake eutrophication.

Scherz, J. P.

Application of LANDSAT to the surveillance of lake eutrophication in the Great Lakes basin

The author has identified the following significant results. A step-by-step procedure for establishing and monitoring the trophic status of inland lakes with the use of LANDSAT data, surface sampling, laboratory analysis, and aerial observations were demonstrated. The biomass was related to chlorophyll-a concentrations, water clarity, and trophic state. A procedure was developed for using surface sampling, LANDSAT data, and linear regression equations to produce a color-coded image of large lakes showing the distribution and concentrations of water quality parameters, causing eutrophication as well as parameters which indicate its effects. Cover categories readily derived from LANDSAT were those for which loading rates were available and were known to have major effects on the quality and quantity of runoff and lake eutrophication. Urban, barren land, cropland, grassland, forest, wetlands, and water were included.

Rogers, R. H.

Updated MISR Over-Water Research Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm - Part 2: A Multi-Angle Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm for Shallow, Turbid, Oligotrophic, and Eutrophic Waters

Coastal waters serve as transport pathways to the ocean for all agricultural and other runoff from terrestrial sources, and many are the sites for upwelling of nutrient rich, deep water; they are also some of the most biologically productive on Earth. Estimating the impact coastal waters have on the global carbon budget requires relating satellite-based remote-sensing retrievals of biological productivity (e.g., chlorophyll alpha concentration) to in situ measurements taken in near-surface waters. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) can uniquely constrain the "atmospheric correction" needed to derive ocean color from remote-sensing imagers. Here, we retrieve aerosol amount and type from MISR over all types of water. The primary limitation is an upper bound on aerosol optical depth (AOD), as the algorithm must be able to distinguish the surface. This updated MISR research aerosol retrieval algorithm (RA) also assumes that light reflection by the underlying ocean surface is Lambertian. The RA computes the ocean surface reflectance (R (sub rs)) analytically for a given AOD, aerosol optical model, and wind speed. We provide retrieval examples over shallow, turbid, and eutrophic waters and introduce a productivity and turbidity index (PTI), calculated from retrieved spectral R (sub rs), that distinguished water types (similar to the the normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI, over land). We also validate the new algorithm by comparing spectral AOD and Angstrom exponent (ANG) results with 2419 collocated AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations. For AERONET 558 nanometer-interpolated AOD less than 1.0, the root-mean square error (RMSE) is 0.04 and linear correlation coefficient is 0.95. For the 502 cloud-free MISR and AERONET collocations with an AERONET AOD greater than 0.20, the ANG RMSE is 0.25 and r is 0.89. Although MISR RA AOD retrieval quality does not appear to be substantially impacted by the presence of turbid water, the MISR-RA-retrieved Angstrom exponent seems to suffer from increased uncertainty under such conditions. MISR supplements current ocean color sources in regions where sunglint precludes retrievals from single-view-angle instruments. MISR atmospheric correction should also be more robust than that derived from single-view instruments such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This is especially true in regions of shallow, turbid, and eutrophic waters, locations where biological productivity can be high, and single-view-angle retrieval algorithms struggle to separate atmospheric from oceanic features.

Satellite Remote Sensing

Utilization of ERTS-1 data to monitor and classify eutrophication of inland lakes

A technique is being developed for use of ERTS in estimating and monitoring trophic levels of inland lakes. Preliminary findings are that Michigan lakes and ponds of one acre or more are resolvable in bands 5, 6 and 7 of NASA MSS imagery under fair conditions (haze and 70% cloud cover). In processed imagery (CCT) smaller features, including water color patterns, are evident within some lakes of 40 acres or more. Image distortion of lake size, shape, orientation, etc. is minimal; discrimination of lakes and ponds from various wetlands is good. Subsequent ERTS and aircraft imagery will be correlated with detailed ground truth of water color and quality in eutrophic test lakes.

Chase, P. E.

Utilization of ERTS-1 data to monitor and classify eutrophication of inland lakes

The author has identified the following significant results. Significant findings are: (1) one-acre lakes and one-acre islands are detectable; (2)removal of atmospheric parameters derived from RPMI measurements show test lakes to have reflectances of 3.1 to 5.5% in band 4 and 0.3 to 2.3% in band 5; (3) failure to remove reflectance caused by atmosphere results in errors up to 500% in computing lake reflectance from ERTS-1 data; (4) in band 4, up to seven reflectance levels were observed in test lakes; (5) reflectance patterns have been displayed on a color-coded TV monitor and on computer-generated gray scales; (6) deep and shallow water can be separated by a trained photointerpreter and automatic machine processing, with estimates of water depth possible in some cases; (7) RPMI provides direct spectral signature measurements of lakes and lake features such as algal scums and floating plants; (8) a method is reported for obtaining lake color, as estimated by Forel-Ule standards, from ERTS-1 data; (9) a strong correlation between browner water color, diminishing water transparency; and (10) classifying lake eutrophication by observation of surface scums or macrophytes in shallow water seems straightforward.

Rogers, R. H.

Automatic classification of eutrophication of inland lakes from spacecraft data

The author has identified the following significant results. Spacecraft data and computer techniques can be used to rapidly map and store onto digital tapes watershed land use information. Software is now available by which this land use information can be rapidly and economically extracted from the tapes and related to coliform counts and other lake contaminants (e.g. phosphorus). These tools are basic elements for determining those land use factors and sources of nutrients that accelerate eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs.

Rogers, R. H.

Remote sensing and lake eutrophication

An infrared photograph of part of Clear Lake, Cal., shows complex patterns of blue-green algal blooms which were not observed by conventional limnological techniques. Repeated observations of patterns such as these can be used to chart the surface movement of these buoyant algae and can also be used to help control algal scums in eutrophic lakes. Although it is believed that most of the observed patterns resulted from Aphanizomenon (a few were also observed which resulted from suspended sediment), spectral signatures of the algal patterns varied.

Wrigley, R. C.

Application of LANDSAT to the surveillance and control of lake eutrophication in the Great Lakes basin

The author has identified the following significant results. By use of distilled water samples in the laboratory, and very clear lakes in the field, a technique was developed where the atmosphere and surface noise effects on LANDSAT signals from water bodies can be removed. The residual signal dependent only on the material in water was used as a basis for computer categorization of lakes by type and concentration of suspended material. Several hundred lakes in the Madison and Spooner, Wisconsin area were categorized by computer techniques for tannin or nontannin waters and for the degree of algae, silt, weeds, and bottom effects present. When the lakes are categorized as having living algae or weeds, their concentration is related to the enrichment or eutrophication of the lake.

Rogers, R. H.

The potential storage of carbon caused by eutrophication of the biosphere

The hypothesis that the rate of atmospheric CO2 increase has been reduced due to increased net storage of carbon in forests, coastal oceans, and the open sea, caused by eutrophication of the biosphere with nitrogen and phosphorus, is examined. The potential for carbon storage, the balance of C, N, and P, and man's influence on the forests, rivers, coastal oceans, and the open sea is studied and discussed. It is concluded that biotic carbon sinks are small relative to the rate of CO2 release from fossil fuel; therefore, storage is limited. Man has reduced the stocks of carbon held in forests and soils and there is a redistribution of C, N, and P from the land to the oceans.

Peterson, B. J.

Utilization of ERTS-1 data to monitor and classify eutrophication of inland lakes

The author has identified the following significant results. Channel 7 is highly useful in surveying surface water in lakes, rivers, and large marshes. It is likely to miss detection of elliptically shaped bodies of 4 acres or less. Further, it is possible that the bodies are distorted and displaced because of lack of correction for sensor response time. These errors might not be critical because:(1) location accuracy is not essential to a surface water survey; and (2) an obviously distorted image is often not in error in excess of 5% The finding that Orchard Lake and other lakes in Oakland County have different densities in channels 4, 5, 6, and 7 is important because it implies that the lake wide water color average is different in the separate channels. Channels 6 and 7 were constant in tonal quality among all the lakes while channels 4 and 5 varied from lake to lake and in various parts of Orchard Lake. These findings are significant because it means that small inland lake color differences are recorded by the MSS even on a cloudy or hazy day. It also confirms that ERTS-1 is performing well enough to be used for correlation to ground truth and aircraft underflights.

Chase, P. E.

Utilization of ERTS-1 data to monitor and classify eutrophication of inland lakes

The author has identified the following significant results. Significant findings are: (1) one acre lakes and one acre islands are detectable; (2) circular lakes of 7.5 acres and greater reach full density; (3) long channels 100 ft wide are detectable; (4) orientation of lakes is independent of scan direction; (5) lake features are observable in enlargements of CCT imagery produced in the Bendix Earth Resources Data Center; and (6) a decision surface water outline map is presented that was produced from ERTS-1 CCT. A water color literature review, baseline water quality data of the test lakes, and a discussion of geometric corrections of the CCT decision water surface outline map are also presented.

Chase, P. E.

Utilization of ERTS-1 data to monitor and classify eutrophication of inland lakes

The author has identified the following significant results. Bands 6 and 7 have fine structure as obtained by proper selection of digital levels in processing the CCT's. This is contrary to the imagery density received. This means that the small lakes can be classified in IR for different types of water masses. At least four distinct water masses have been determined for test lakes. They are shoreline, shallow water, and two deep waters. One deep water is patchy and presents difficulty in training set selection. The excellent weather and a completely successful field test form a significant happening. It required 12 orbits over the test area before perfect weather occurred.

Chase, P. E.

Remote sensing of Myriophyllum spicatum L. in a shallow, eutrophic lake

An aerial 35 mm system was used for the acquisition of vertical color and color infrared imagery of the submergent aquatic macrophytes of Lake Wingra, Wisconsin. A method of photographic interpretation of stem density classes is tested for its ability to make standing crop biomass estimates of Myriophyllum spicatum. The results of film image density analysis are significantly correlated with stem densities and standing crop biomass of Myriophyllum and with the biomass of Oedogonium mats. Photographic methods are contrasted with conventional harvest procedures for efficiency and accuracy.

Gustafson, T. D.

Application of LANDSAT to the surveillance and control of lake eutrophication in the Great Lakes Basin

The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary results in Saginaw Bay show that processed LANDSAT data provides a synoptic view of turbidity and circulation patterns that no degree of ground monitoring can provide. Processed imagery was produced to show nine discrete categories of turbidity, as indicated by nine Secchi depths between 0.3 and 3.3 meters. Analysis of lakes near Madison, Wisconsin show that inland lake water can be categorized by LANDSAT as clear, tannin, algal, and red clay. LANDSAT's capability to inventory watershed land use was throughly demonstrated in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana regional planning area. Computer tabulations providing area covered by each of 16 land use categories were rapidly and economically produced for each of the 225 watersheds and nine counties.

Rogers, R. H.

Application of LANDSAT to the Surveillance and Control of Eutrophication in Saginaw Bay

The author has identified the following significant results. LANDSAT digital data and ground truth measurements for Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), Michigan, for 3 June 1974 can be correlated by stepwise linear regression technique and the resulting equations used to estimate invisible water quality parameters in nonsampled areas. Correlation of these parameters with each other indicates that the transport of Saginaw River water can now be traced by a number of water quality features, one or more of which are directly detected by LANDSAT. Five of the 12 water quality parameters are best correlated with LANDSAT band 6 measurements alone. One parameter (temperature) relates to band 5 alone and the remaining six may be predicted with varying degrees of accuracy from a combination of two bands (first band 6 and generally band 4 second).

Rogers, R. H.

Application of LANDSAT to the Surveillance and Control of Lake Eutrophication in the Great Lakes Basin

The author has identified the following significant results. Computer techniques developed for mapping water quality parameters from LANDSAT data were demonstrated, using ground truth collected in an ongoing survey of water quality in Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), Michigan. Regression correlation coefficients varied from 0.99 for total phosphorus to 0.72 for chlorophyll-a corrected. Five water quality parameters are best correlated with LANDSAT band 6 alone. Temperature relates to band 5 alone and only two bands are justified for mapping the remaining six parameters. LANDSAT CCTs were used as a basis for inventorying land use within each of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana regional commissions, 225 drainage areas, and nine counties. Sixteen categories were merged into ten categories and mapped at a scale of 1 in. = 5,000 ft, with detail to 0.44 hectares for the 2,700 sq mi region. These products were produced in less than 90 days at a cost of one cent an acre. LANDSAT CCTS were also used as a basis for inventorying land cover within the Triangle J council of governments 1,750 sq mi study area. The complete inventory was accomplished within a period of 60 days at a cost of about one half cent per acre.

Rogers, R. H.