Remote sensing in the coastal and marine environment. Proceedings of the US North Atlantic Regional Workshop

Presentations were grouped in the following categories: (1) a technical orientation of Earth resources remote sensing including data sources and processing; (2) a review of the present status of remote sensing technology applicable to the coastal and marine environment; (3) a description of data and information needs of selected coastal and marine activities; and (4) an outline of plans for marine monitoring systems for the east coast and a concept for an east coast remote sensing facility. Also discussed were user needs and remote sensing potentials in the areas of coastal processes and management, commercial and recreational fisheries, and marine physical processes

Phytoplankton composition from sPACE: Requirements, opportunities, and challenges

Ocean color satellites have provided a synoptic view of global phytoplankton for over 25 years through near surface measurements of the concentration of chlorophyll a. While remote sensing of ocean color has revolutionized our understanding of phytoplankton and their role in the oceanic and freshwater ecosystems, it is important to consider both total phytoplankton biomass and changes in phytoplankton community composition in order to fully understand the dynamics of the aquatic ecosystems. With the upcoming launch of NASA\u27s Plankton, Aerosol, Clouds, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission, we will be entering into a new era of global hyperspectral data, and with it, increased capabilities to monitor phytoplankton diversity from space. In this paper, we analyze the needs of the user community, review existing approaches for detecting phytoplankton community composition in situ and from space, and highlight the benefits that the PACE mission will bring. Using this three-pronged approach, we highlight the challenges and gaps to be addressed by the community going forward, while offering a vision of what global phytoplankton community composition will look like through the “eyes” of PACE

The Observation, Modeling, and Retrieval of Bio-Optical Properties for Coastal Waters of the Southern Chesapeake Bay

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an inverse method to retrieve the inherent optical properties (IOPs) and biogeochemical parameters (e.g. chlorophyll a concentration and salinity) appropriate to monitor the water quality and biogeochemical processes from remote sensing of the coastal waters in the southern Chesapeake Bay and coastal Mid-Atlantic Bight region (MAB) dominated by Case 2 waters. For this purpose, knowledge of the relationship between remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) and IOPs and the effect from bottom reflectance on Rrs, is required. A substantial investigation of IOPs has been conducted for the coastal waters of the southern Chesapeake Bay. Although phytoplankton are the dominant contributors to IOPs of oceanic Case 1 waters, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) derived from non-phytoplankton sources and sedimentary particles also play very important roles in coastal Case 2 waters. Strongly influenced by riverine discharge, the shallow coastal waters of the southern Chesapeake Bay provide challenges and opportunities to develop regionally specific IOP retrieval methods from remotely sensed ocean color imagery. A semi-analytical radiative transfer model (PZ06_Ed), based on the analysis of the simulated results of an exact radiative transfer model, Hydrolight® [Mobley, 1994], was developed to estimate the vertical distribution of downwelling plane irradiance [Ed(z)] from IOPs and sky conditions (e.g. cloud coverage and solar zenith angle). Compared to the significant overestimation of the simple Gordon [1989] model for particle-rich environments, PZ06_Ed agreed with Hydrolight® with \u3c 6% of the root-mean-square (RMS) error. Field observations from the coastal waters of the southern Chesapeake Bay validated the predictions of PZ06_ Edwith RMS error from 10% to 14%. The SeaWiFS imagery of the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) estimated from PZ06_Ed is significantly improved from the Mueller [2000] model and displays obviously the coastal processes in the lower MAB, including the riverine outflow from the Chesapeake Bay and the mixing of the Gulf Stream with the local waters. The quadratic model (e.g. GSMO1) describing Rrs and IOPs has been widely used in bio-optics to retrieve inherent optical properties (IOPs). In this study, the derived coefficients (l1 and l2) by Gordon et al. [1988] were re-evaluated from Hydrolight® simulations and incorporated into a semi-analytical radiative transfer model (PZ06_ Rrs) that included bottom effects for optically shallow waters. Compared with Hydrolight® simulations and field observations in the Chesapeake Light Tower (CLT), Rrs calculated from PZ06_Rrs typically agreed within 5% and about 7% to 13% of RMS, respectively. Hydrolight ® simulations and field observations also confirmed that PZ06_Rrs improved the retrieval of biogeochemical-related parameters, including [Chl], adg(443), and bbp(443), compared to global ocean color algorithms (e.g. OC3M) and semi-analytic models without considering the bottom effects (e.g. GSM01-CLT). Finally, the relatively successful inverse modeling provides a promising method to study ecosystem-level biogeochemical and physical parameters from remote sensing for coastal waters of southern Chesapeake Bay and even lower MAB

Earth Resources: A continuing bibliography with indexes, issue 15, October 1977

This bibliography lists 387 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1 and September 30, 1977. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis

Satellite microwave observations of polar lows

Includes bibliographical references

Modelling Coastal Vulnerability: An integrated approach to coastal management using Earth Observation techniques in Belize

This thesis presents an adapted method to derive coastal vulnerability through the application of Earth Observation (EO) data in the quantification of forcing variables. A modelled assessment for vulnerability has been produced using the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) approach developed by Gornitz (1991) and enhanced using Machine learning (ML) clustering. ML has been employed to divide the coastline based on the geotechnical conditions observed to establish relative vulnerability. This has been demonstrated to alleviate bias and enhanced the scalability of the approach – especially in areas with poor data coverage – a known hinderance to the CVI approach (Koroglu et al., 2019).Belize provides a demonstrator for this novel methodology due to limited existing data coverage and the recent removal of the Mesoamerican Reef from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) List of World Heritage In Danger. A strong characterization of the coastal zone and associated pressures is paramount to support effective management and enhance resilience to ensure this status is retained.Areas of consistent vulnerability have been identified using the KMeans classifier; predominantly Caye Caulker and San Pedro. The ability to automatically scale to conditions in Belize has demonstrated disparities to vulnerability along the coastline and has provided more realistic estimates than the traditional CVI groups. Resulting vulnerability assessments have indicated that 19% of the coastline at the highest risk with a seaward distribution to high risk observed. Using data derived using Sentinel-2, this study has also increased the accuracy of existing habitat maps and enhanced survey coverage of uncharted areas.Results from this investigation have been situated within the ability to enhance community resilience through supporting regional policies. Further research should be completed to test the robust nature of this model through an application in regions with different geographic conditions and with higher resolution input datasets

Earth resources, a continuing bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 541 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system. Emphasis is placed on the use of remote sensing and geophysical instrumentation in spacecraft and aircraft to survey and inventory natural resources and urban areas. Subject matter is grouped according to agriculture and forestry, environmental changes and cultural resources, geodesy and cartography, geology and mineral resources, hydrology and water management, data processing and distribution systems, instrumentation and sensors, and economic analysis

Teadusuuringutest rakendusteni–optiliselt keerukate vete seire satelliitsensori MERIS/ENVISAT abil

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Järved ja rannikuveed pakuvad olulisi ökosüsteemi teenuseid. Tagamaks veekeskkondade seire ja ökoloogilise seisundi hindamise on Euroopa Liidus loodud mitmeid direktiive ja regionaalseid konventsioone. Kuna vee kvaliteet võib olla muutlik nii sesoonselt kui ruumiliselt võimaldab kaugseire efektiivset seire meetodit, mille abil saab hinnata vee kvaliteedi hetkeolukorda, muutusi võrreldes varasema seisundiga ning seda ka veekogudes, mis ei ole kaetud tavaseireprogrammide raames. Käesolevas töös uuriti esimese spetsiaalselt optilistelt keerukate vete seireks loodud satelliitsensori MERIS/ENVISAT andmete kasutamisvõimalusi viie Põhja Euroopa järve ja kahe Läänemere rannikuala bio-optiliste andmete alusel. Olemasolevate MERIS standardalgoritmide õigsuse hinnang näitas, et need ei anna täpseid tulemusi veekogudes, kus on kõrge lahustunud orgaanilise aine ja klorofüll a hulk. Fütoplanktoni parameetrite (klorofüll a, sinivetikate biomass, fütoplanktoni biomass) hindamiseks kasutati punases ja lähisinfrapunases spektriosas töötavat spektraalset indeksit, mis kalibreeriti kohalikesse oludesse. Kuna indeks on rakendatav MERIS L1b andmetele, lubab see kvantitatiivselt hinnata vee kvaliteedi parameetreid sinivetika õitsengute korral, mille puhul MERIS standardalgoritmid ei tööta. Hindamaks kaugseire andmetest veealust valgusvälja, millest sõltub veealuste organismide elutegevus, loodi kaalufunktsioonidel põhinev kombineeritud kanalisuhte algoritm, mis selgemate vete puhul kasutab kanalite 490/709 suhet ning sogasemate puhul 560/70 ning hindab edukalt valguse difuusset nõrgenemiskoefitsienti, Kd(490), satelliidiandmetest. Secchi sügavuse hindamiseks andis parimaid tulemusi algoritm, mis võttis pikselhaaval sisendiks satellidiandmetest arvutatud diffusse ja summaarse nõrgenemiskoefitsiendi ning peegeldusteguri väärtused üle nähtava laineala. Töös arendatud algoritmid rakendati MERIS arhiivi 2002–2011 andmetele hindamaks erinevate järvede ökoloogilist seisundit nii nagu on nõutud EL veepoliitika raamdirektiivi poolt. Tulemused näitasid, et kaugseire andmeid saab kasutada täiendava infoallikana ökoloogilise seisundi hindamisel. Väljatöötatud algoritmid ja rakendused on kohandatavad 2016. aasta veebruaris tööd alustanud Sentinel-3/OLCI andmetele, mille abil on optiliselt keerukate vete seire kosmosest võimalik vähemalt aastani 2029.Lakes and coastal areas provide a wide range of essential ecosystem services. Various directives and regional conventions have been established to ensure the monitoring and assessment of the ecological status of the aquatic ecosystems. Since water quality can have rapid changes in temporal and spatial scale, remote sensing can provide a cost-effective approach to assess the current and derive historic water quality information also for waterbodies that have not been part of conventional monitoring programmes. This thesis presents research about applications for MERIS/ENVISAT data in order to monitor optically-complex aquatic environment such as inland and coastal waters on the basis of bio-optical data from five North European lakes and two Baltic Sea coastal sites. The validation of MERIS standard water quality products indicated their unsuitability for waters with high amounts of chlorophyll a and humic substances. To map the phytoplankton parameters (CHL, cyanobacterial biomass, phytoplankton biomass) a spectral index which operates on red and near-infrared bands was used and calibrated to local conditions. So, this index allows derivation of the water quality parameters quantitatively in case of highly scattering cyanobacterial blooms, which is not possible with standard algorithms. To estimate underwater light field via transparency, an empirical combined band ratio algorithm was developed which switches from various band ratios based on the water transparency and determines the diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd(490) with high accuracy. Additionally, Secchi depth can be also estimated reliably via satellite derived inputs of diffuse and total beam attenuation coefficients and reflectance over visible wavelengths. The developed algorithms were applied on the MERIS archive from 2002 to 2011 to estimate the ecological status in lakes as required by the EU Water Framework Directive which showed that remote sensing products could be used as an additional source of information for assessment and reporting purposes. Despite the study in this thesis is based on the MERIS/ENVISAT data, the developed algorithms and methods can be applied on new Sentinel3/OLCI data that will provide EO data over optically complex waters at least until 2029

Benthic habitat mapping in coastal waters of south–east Australia

The Victorian Marine Mapping Project will improve knowledge on the location, spatial distribution, condition and extent of marine habitats and associated biodiversity in Victorian State waters. This information will guide informed decision making, enable priority setting, and assist in targeted natural resource management planning. This project entails benthic habitat mapping over 500 square kilometers of Victorian State waters using multibeam sonar, towed video and image classification techniques. Information collected includes seafloor topography, seafloor softness and hardness (reflectivity), and information on geology and benthic flora and fauna assemblages collectively comprising habitat. Computerized semi-automated classification techniques are also being developed to provide a cost effective approach to rapid mapping and assessment of coastal habitats.Habitat mapping is important for understanding and communicating the distribution of natural values within the marine environment. The coastal fringe of Victoria encompasses a rich and diverse ecosystem representative of coastal waters of South-east Australia. To date, extensive knowledge of these systems is limited due to the lack of available data. Knowledge of the distribution and extent of habitat is required to target management activities most effectively, and provide the basis to monitor and report on their status in the future.<br /

The Lavic Lake Fault: A Long-Term Cumulative Slip Analysis via Combined Field Work and Thermal Infrared Hyperspectral Airborne Remote Sensing

The 1999 Hector Mine earthquake ruptured to the surface in eastern California, with >5 m peak right-lateral slip on the Lavic Lake fault. The cumulative offset and geologic slip rate of this fault are not well defined, which inhibits tectonic reconstructions and risk assessment of the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ). With thermal infrared hyperspectral airborne imagery, field data, and auxiliary information from legacy geologic maps, we created lithologic maps of the area using supervised and unsupervised classifications of the remote sensing imagery. We optimized a data processing sequence for supervised classifications, resulting in lithologic maps over a test area with an overall accuracy of 71 ± 1% with respect to ground-truth geologic mapping. Using all of the data and maps, we identified offset bedrock features that yield piercing points along the main Lavic Lake fault and indicate a 1036 +27/−26 m net slip, with 1008 +14/−17 m horizontal and 241 +51/−47 m vertical components. For the contribution from distributed shear, modern off-fault deformation values from another study imply a larger horizontal slip component of 1276 +18/−22 m. Within the constraints, we estimate a geologic slip rate of <4 mm/yr, which does not increase the sum geologic Mojave ECSZ rate to current geodetic values. Our result supports previous suggestions that transient tectonic activity in this area may be responsible for the discrepancy between long-term geologic and present-day geodetic rates