Application of the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) to mapping the temporal dynamics of coastal water turbidity

Abstract

Dynamic variations in coastal water turbidity are key to understanding the sedimentary processes on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, which has vast tidal flats and a sedimentary environment affected by semi-diurnal tides. The aim of this study is to investigate temporal variations in total suspended matter (TSM) distribution along a coastal region using Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), the world's first geostationary ocean color observation satellite. TSM concentrations and water-leaving reflectance measured on the coastal water surface in southern Gyeonggi Bay were used to develop an empirical TSM algorithm. TSM maps were generated from the GOCI images at hourly intervals to examine temporal variations in TSM concentrations. Validation of the maps (via comparisons with in situ measurements) showed that the empirical TSM algorithm had been effectively employed. A comparison with the MODIS-derived TSM concentration also supported the reliability of the maps. GOCI-derived TSM at 1-h intervals successfully represented hourly variations in TSM according to the tidal status. In conclusion, the temporal dynamics of sediment movement with the tidal cycle can be effectively estimated on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula using GOCI. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.