Spectral reflectance is a reliable water-quality estimator for small, highly turbid wetlands

0447706 - ÚVGZ 2016 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Vinciková, H. - Hanuš, Jan - Pechar, L.
Spectral reflectance is a reliable water-quality estimator for small, highly turbid wetlands.
Wetlands Ecology and Management. Roč. 23, č. 5 (2015), s. 933-946. ISSN 0923-4861. E-ISSN 1572-9834
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LM2010007; GA MŠMT 2B06068
Institutional support: RVO:67179843
Keywords : remote sensing * water quality * hyperspectral reflectance * turbid inland waters * chlorophyll * TSS
Subject RIV: DA - Hydrology ; Limnology
Impact factor: 1.407, year: 2015

Spectral reflectance from water surfaces was measured in small (0.01–5 km2), turbid, eutrophic fishponds and mesotrophic quarry lakes in the Třeboň basin (South Bohemia, Czech Republic). A spectral scanner for direct field measurements from water surfaces and a hyperspectral airborne scanner were both used. The quarry lakes and fishponds differed in their spectral signature, which reflected the extent of their eutrophication. Their chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations ranged from 2 to 455 µg/l−1. Various algorithms were tested to best fit the relationships between reflectance patterns and the water-quality parameters used—concentration of chl-a and the total amount of suspended solids. The reflectance ratios at 714 and 650 nm gave the best estimates for chl-a concentrations, and simple reflectance at near infrared wavelengths, especially at 806 nm, gave the best predictive values for total suspended solid evaluation (r 2 = 0.89). Field surface reflectance and airborne sensing measurements were well correlated; however, airborne reflectance data showed higher variability (r 2 = 0.93 and 0.86, respectively). The results support the validity of reflectance measurements, both field and airborne, as a rapid tool for evaluating water quality in many turbid and greatly disturbed, small water bodies.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0249492