This project is evaluating the spatiotemporal changes in water quality of all five Great Lakes using satellite data. The water quality will be investigated from two perspectives: 1) Overall quality and 2) Eutrophication status. Satellite-derived Secchi disk depth and nephelometric turbidity will be used as proxies of overall water quality. The degree of eutrophication will be evaluated with also two parameters, chlorophyll-a concentration ([Chl-a]) and the red-to-blue phytoplankton absorption band ratio.
Partners on these efforts include NOAA, the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), and the Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR). Satellite data is provided by MODIS Aqua (2002-), VIIRS NPP (2011-), and
VIIRS JPSS-1 (2017-).
GLRI Funding:
FY 2019: $190,000
Contact:
paul.digiacomo@noaa.gov