Satellite Remote Sensing of Water Quality in Coastal Regions and Inland Lakes

Principal Investigator: Prof. Zhang Yuanzhi

Start Date:	2007/12/01
End Date:	2008/11/30
Type of Grant:	Direct Grant for Research (2007-2008) ¡V 1st Round

The objectives of this proposal are:

1. To investigate optical properties in the coastal region of Hong Kong and Taihu Lake of Mainland. Based on the monthly measurement of the optical properties in the coastal waters and Taihu Lake, the variation of seasonal cycles of water quality variables will be understood. As a result, the changes in water quality information can be assessed and updated using MODIS data. Furthermore, to compensate for the effects of different temporal/spatial resolutions, other satellite optical data, such as Landsat-TM, SPOT, AVHRR, SeaWiFS, and MERIS data will be evaluated as a complement in this proposed project.
2. To monitor physical properties in the coastal region of Hong Kong and Taihu Lake. Cloud cover and rainy conditions seriously limit the usefulness of optical satellite data for the monitoring of coastal waters and inland lakes. To overcome the limitation of cloudy and rainy conditions, ASAR data will be applied in all-weather conditions to retrieve and monitor the wind field and waves in the study areas. ASAR data will also be used to detect oil slicks and algal blooms in the coastal region of Hong Kong, and cyanobacterial blooms in Taihu Lake of Mainland.