Abstract:
Remote Sensing techniques can be used to
assess several water quality parameters (i.e.,
suspended sediments, chlorophyll, and total
phosphorous). The optical and thermal
sensors on boats, aircraft, and satellites
provide both spatial and temporal
information needed to understand changes
in water quality parameters necessary for
developing better management practices to
improve water quality. With recent trends
like hyperspectral remote sensing and
planned launches of satellites with improved
spectral and spatial resolution sensors,
greater application of remote sensing
techniques to assess and monitor water
quality parameters will be possible. In June
2003 hyperspectral sensing in 96 bands in
visible, near-infrared and thermal range was
performed from a plane over the study area
using a Compact Airborne Spectrographic
Imager (CASI) sensor. Concurrently, water
quality samples were collected directly from
sampling points along Woluwe River on the
same day as the flyovers. The samples were
analysed for biological and chemical water
qualities. Using correlations between
ground-truth data and combinations of
spectral bands from the remotely sensed
data, spectral indices were developed which
could be used to estimate water quality
parameters. Maps of the relative
distributions of chlorophyll a, totalfrom the hyperspectral images of the study
area.
phosphorous and secchi depth were created
