MONITORING OF TIMELY VARIATIONS IN COASTAL WATER TURBIDITY USING GOCI

Abstract

The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) is the worlds first ocean color observation satellite positioned in a geostationary orbit. The GOCI collects images every hour in the daytime, allowing hourly monitoring of variation in ocean properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate hourly variation in image-derived turbidity in coastal waters along the west coast of Korea. Maps of SSC were generated using GOCI images that were acquired at 1-h intervals within 1 day. From these maps, we assessed whether the GOCI could be used to monitor turbidity changes in coastal waters based on the tidal cycle and thus sediment movement along the west coast of Korea. The study area wasthe coastal zone of the city of Mokpo, located at the western tip of the southwest coast of the Korean Peninsula. Temporal variation in turbidity was successfully identified from the hourly GOCI images. The GOCI can be effectively used to monitor the temporal dynamics of the turbidity of coastal waters.