Remote sensing of suspended sediments: the Lake Chicot, Arkansas project

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Abstract
Landsat-MSS satellite data and corresponding water quality measurements of suspended sediment concentration for Lake Chicot, Arkansas, were used to evaluate several possible models For the relation between these two data types. Satellite data were converted to physical values of radiance and reflectance using both the NASA standard curve and the spectrum recommended by the World Radiation Center. Incorporation of an orbital eccentricity correction factor into the computation of solar spectral irradiance was also tested. Results of the analyses, which involved 310 observations suggest that a theoretically-derived expontential curve best characterizes the relation between exo-atmospheric reflectance and suspended sediment concentration. Based on the strength of the model relations and the range of data tested, it is concluded that temporal and spatial variability in the concentration of suspended sediments within lakes and reservoirs can be inventoried and monitored from space-based sensor systems.