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Spatial scales of biogeochemical variability and image resolution for remote sensing in river plumes.

Dirk Aurin, SSAI @ NASA GSFC, dirk.a.aurin@nasa.gov (Presenter)
Antonio Mannino, NASA GSFC, antonio.mannino@nasa.gov

Using spatial variability in total suspended material (TSM), we optimize satellite spatial resolution for the detection of, e.g., river discharge of TSM during peak and minimum flow periods. Climatic, seasonal, and event-driven fluctuations in spring freshets, major storm events, and allocthonous nutrient induced algal blooms have major implications for carbon budgets, fisheries and habitat, hypoxia, and pollution disbursement, among other things. Accurate detection of the extent and evolution of these events will require temporal, spectral, and spatial resolution as high as or higher than the best satellite data available currently. Retrievals of TSM at the outflows of four major rivers (Mississippi, Susquehanna, Orinoco, and Yangtze Rivers) from MODIS Aqua/Terra, MERIS and GOCI are analyzed to determine inter-pixel variability using a variety of statistical methods including nearest-neighbor relative percent difference, ground space distance standard deviation, and variograms. We explore the hypothesis that a pixel size of 250 – 300 m captures the majority of spatial variability in TSM at these locations, but larger pixel sizes miss significant features of the plumes.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Science in Support of Decision Making   (Wed 10:00 AM)

Associated Project(s): 

  • Related Activity

Poster Location ID: 123

 


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