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Fleischer, P.

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1 . RiOPOrt "0 . 12. Cov.,nm.nt AcciOu ion 1010 . 3. R .. cip i.nt ' , Cotolog lola . 
4. Titl. ond Sub'ill. TO RELATE CHLOROPHYLL AND T.lr.P;;tl)Ol. 
SUSPENDED SEDmENT CONTE NT IN THE LOWER November 14 1973 
CHESAPE AKE BAY TO ERTS-l IMAGERY (TASK 2) 6. p .. ,fo,ming o.; ';;;i lolion Cod. 
7. Aulho, (. ) 8. p .. ,fo,m ing O'gonilol ion Repo, t 1'10 . 
Peter Fleischer 
f-9.P .. ,fo,mi ng O'goni lol lon Hom .. and Add, .... 10. Wo,k Unit lola . 
Old Dominion University Research Foundation 
P. O. Box 6173 11 ";ant,oct 0' Grant lola . 
Norfo 1 k, VA 23508 NAS5-21816 
13. Typ .. of Repo,t and P .. riod CovNed 
12. Sponso'i nr Ai1.e ncy Ham .. and Add, . .. Administration Semi-annual Report Nationa eronautics & Space Feb. 1- Jul. 31, .1973 Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbe 1 t Road 14. Sponsoring Agency Cod .. 
Greenbe It. r~D 20771 
15. SupplemiOntary HOI ... 
16. Abstract The use of multispectral imagery from ERTS-l to quantitativel¥ 
monitor tur bidity, suspended matter, and chlorophyll is being evalu-
ated in this study. Synoptic measurements of surface-water charac-
teristics are being made on thre2 baselin~and twenty statior.~ in 
lower Chesapea ke Bay in synchrony with satellite overpasses . Tur-
bidity is measured as transmittance by a continuously recc i"ding 
I transmi ssometer, and sl' :; pended matter is coll ected by f i ltration. Prelimi nary correlati r) ns to ERTS multispectral imagery have heen made 
by mi crodens i tometri (~ methods . Final correlations will be made from 
the bulk tape format . 
17. K .. y Words (Sel .. ct.d by Autha,(s)) 18. Dist,ibu, ion S'a t~m~" t 
19. Sec u, ity Class if. (of Ih is r .. po , t) 20 . S .. c u,ity ClossH . (of th i s pagp) 21. 1'10 . of Pag.. 22 . Pri ce ' 
10 
"For sa le by th .. CI";"'"Shou . .. (or Federa l Sci .. n ti fic and Trchn ica l In(ormation, SprinSli .. ld, Virginia 22 151. 
----~ - - ---------------------------------------------------------~ 
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT 
(February through July 1973) 
Principal Investigator: Peter F1 ei scher 
Old Domi ni on Uni vers ity 
Norfolk, Virginia 23508 
Title: To relate chlorophyll and suspended sediment content in the lower 
Chesapeake Bay to ERTS-l imagery. 
Objectives: 
Correlate ERTS-l imagery with surface measurements of suspended sediments, 
salinity, plankton content, bottom topography, and other properties of lower 
Chesapeake Bay waters. 
Describe the estuarine environment of portion of the lower Chesapeake Bay 
in terms of phytoplankton productivity and of sediment transport. 
Develop ground-truth measurement technique5 applicable to the i~terpre-
tation for coastal zones of remote sensor data to be obtained from future 
earth observation satellites. 
Test Sites: 
The primary site is 1m~er Chesapeake Bay and the Bay entrance. Two 
comparison areas also investigated are the Hampton Roads-lower James River, 
and the inner continental shelf off the Chesapeake Bay entrance. 
Procedures: 
In this study of lower Chesapeake Bay we are monitoring three primary 
parameters for correlation with ERTS imagery. These are: turbidity, measured 
as percent light transmittance and expressed as the attenuation coefficient, 
alpha, where 
\ 
1 
a = - beam path-length 1n (transmittance); 
suspended matter concentration an~ conlposition; and chlorophyll concentration. 
These parameters have been selected because they may be most readily 
expected to possess a spectral signature. Secondary parameters, which are 
monitored because they are intimately related to the others, but which 
do not necessarily have a unique spectral signature, are water temperature, 
salinity, and depth, and sea state. 
[l:} ta co 11 ecti on of the above parameters is perfonned every 18 days, in 
synchrony with ERTS overpasses. Two platforms are used. The Old Dominion 
University research vessel LINWOOD HOLTON occupies three baselines in 10\~r 
Chesapeake Bay (Fig . 1) or adjacent waters, and collects transmissometric, 
bathymetric, temperature and salinity data, and water samples fOI' suspended 
sediment and analysis. Additional water samples for suspended matter and 
chlorophyll analysis are collected at about 20 spot samples in lower Chesapeake 
Bay and the adjacent James River by helicopter. 
Light transmission is measured with a continuously recording transmissometer 
system. This consists of a Bendix/Marine Advisors Transmissometer Probe and 
a strip chart recorder. The recorder contains an automatic balancing circuit 
that replaces the conventional manual readout of this transmissometer, and a 
crystal-controlled drivE.' that makes the recorder suitable for small-boat use 
(Bryant, 1973). The beam path-length of the instrument hilS beer. reduced from 
1 meter to 0.43 meters to make it operable in the turbid waters characteristic 
of this estuary (Melchor, 1972). The transmissometer has a bandpass of about 
500 A, centered at 5250 A, which corresponds approximately to channel 4 of 
the ERTS multispectral scanner (Fig. 2). In order to permit rapid, continuous 
profiling of the Bay so that an ERTS overpass can be bracketed within several 
hours by the ship's date, the transmissometer probe is keel-mounted on the 
2 
---------------------------------------------------------------~ 
LI~WOOD HOLTON at a location 4 feet below the water surface. Mounting and 
removal are accomplished in about 20 minutes each by two Scuba divers. This 
transmissometer mounting allows vessel speeds of 6 to 8 knots, and makes it 
possible to occupy most baselines within 3 hours of a satellite overpass. 
Suspend2d matter is determined by filtration of ship- and helicopter-
obtained water samples, and is analyzed for concentration on a dry-weight 
basis, for particle size and number by an automated particle counter, and for 
organic matter by low-temperature oxygen ashing, and for mineralogic content 
by X-ray diffraction analysis. 
Samples collected by helicopter are analyzed for chlorophyll and par-
ticulate count. Chlorophyll analysis is performed by acetone extraction~ 
spectrophotometry. Particle counts are made with a n MC particle counter 
at NASA-Langley Research Center. 
Results: 
During the period February th :"ough July 1973, there were 10 ERTS passes 
over the lower Chesapeake Bay. Cloud cover was a recurrent problem during 
this period. Two passes resulted in good imagery, and a third pass has partly 
usable imagery . In the remainder, cloud cover obscures the test sites. 
R/V LINWOOD HOLTON baseline sampling cruises were carried out during 8 of the 
10 passes. Two cruises were cancelled or aborted because of rough seas. Water 
sampling by helicopter was done on all passes with partial or no cloud cover. 
During the last two ERTS passes of this period, 7 and 25 July, ship and 
helicopter sampling was performed 1) on a continental shelf transect extending 
eastward from Cape Charles (7 July), and 2) in Hampton Roads and lower James 
River (25 July), in place of the standard lower Chesapeake Bay sampling area. 
The purpose of these efforts was to obtain groJnd and satellite data on the 
interaction of lower Chesapeake Bay water with ~~jacent waters. The James 
3 
I 
River area was also monitored for chlorophyll in surface waters via a second 
helicopter with the experimental tunable dye laser being developed at NASA-
Langley Research Center. 
A continuous plot of transmission and radiance (MSS 4) is shown for each 
baseline on Jan. 26 and Feb. 13 (Figs. 3 & 4). The radiance data was taken 
from the 9-inch positive transparency using a microdensitometer. Atmospheric 
effects have not been considered. In general, when the transmission increases 
the radiance decreases. Also, it is noticed that the transmission is much 
lower on Feb. 13 than on Jan. 26, and as a result the radiance is much higher. 
Water samples were analyzed at several stations along the baselines for 
total sediment concentration. This data, along with the attenuati0n coefficient, 
alpha, and the radiance, are shown for both Jan. 26 and Feb. 13 (Fig. 5). 
There is excellent agreement between the suspended sediment and alpha. The 
correlation between these and the radiance also seems to be very high. It 
must be remembered that water is subject to rapid change and a time difference 
between the satellite photography and the sample collection can be very 
important. Stations 1 and 2 are about an hour apart and fallon opposite 
sides of the satellite time. It required about 4 to 6 hours to complete the 
baselines. 
Conclusions: 
Preliminary correlations by microdensitometer have shown relationships 
between radiance, alpha, and suspended matter concentrations in surface 
waters of lower Chesapeake Bay during two ERTS passes. These results indicate 
that point-sample and continuous baseline data can be successfully correlated 
to ERTS imagery. 
To put these conclusions on a firmer and more quantitative basis, 
correlations will be made in more detail and with greater precision. 
4 
" 
In the future the data will be taken from the magnetic tapes and cross 
correlations will be made for each of the variables. A regression analysis 
will be made to relate sediment to radiance. 
Additional passes will be required to evaluate the effect of environmental 
variables on the correlations. Such factors as sediment load, organic versus 
inorganic suspensates, and atmospheric haze can be evaluated in situ only 
by repeated observations. Similarly, circulation and its effects on ERTS-
observable parameters requires additional observation for elucidation. 
References Cited: 
Bryant, E.L., 1973. Automati~ recorder for a turbidity measurement probe: 
Langley Working Paper 1097, NASA/Langley Res. Center, 16 p. 
Melchor, J.R., 1972, Surface water turbidity in the entrance to Chesapeake 
Bay, Virginia: '~asters Thesis, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, 
Virginia, 67 p. 
5 
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Figure 1. Location map of lower Chesapeake 
Bay showing baselines and sampling stations 
occupied during ERTS overpasses. 
6 
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relation to band 4 of the ERTS-l multispectral scanner. 
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Cape Charles - Grandview 
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Grandview - Little Creek 
Figure 3. Light transmission profiles (percent transmission 
per 0.43 m) and rad iance profiles of MSS band 4, obtained by 
microd ensitometry of a positive transparency image of the 
January 26, 1973, overpass. 
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dens i tome try of a positive transparency image of the February 
13, 1973, overpass. 
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Figure 5. Suspended sediment; attenuation coefficient, alpha; and radiance, MSS band 4, at sampling stations on baselines in lower Ch sapeake Bay. 
10 


To Relate Chlorophyll and Suspended Sediment Content in the Lower Chesapeake Bay to ERTS-1 Imagery

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