Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006TX224B

Estimation of Water Quality Parameters for Lake Kemp Texas Derived From Remotely Sensed Data

Institute: Texas
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-03-01 End Date: 2007-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $4,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,804

Principal Investigators: Bassil El-Masri, Faiz Rahman

Project Summary: Remote sensing of water quality has the capability to advance resource managers ability to monitor and maintain water bodies in a well-timed and cost-effective manner. The primary aim of this study is to estimate chlorophyll a, total phosphorus (TP), and turbidity using remote sensing data derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS). Based on in situ measurements and reflectance data collected from May 2001 to January 2002, spectral indices for the above mentioned water quality parameters that were originally derived from hyperspectral airborne sensors will be modified for use with multispectral sensors. Chlorophyll a and TP concentrations will be quantified using the ratios of MOD14/MOD13 and MOD12/MOD14, respectively, which should show a linear relationship with in-situ data. Turbidity will be quantified using the difference between MOD16 and MOD15. These correlations should enable estimate chlorophyll a concentration and the level of turbidity in Lake Kemp even when ground measurements are not available. Maps for chlorophyll a distribution as well as for TP and turbidity will be generated from MODIS data.