Satellites used to measure water clarity in the Great Lakes
Ann Arbor, MI — Historically, water clarity of the Great Lakes has been measured in the field using relatively simple tools, providing only limited coverage of a large geographic area. Through the use of satellite technologies, methods are now available to obtain lake-wide daily observations of water clarity, providing a cost-effective addition to ground-based sampling.
"Water clarity is affected by substances which alter the color of the water, such as algae and suspended sediments," says Caren Binding, a research fellow at Environment Canada's Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research Division. "Satellite sensors measuring water color have been in operation since the 1970's. These satellite observations have allowed the detection of changes in water clarity in the Great Lakes on scales not previously seen."
Satellite data have been used to map areas of increasing or decreasing water clarity in the Great Lakes, confirming in particular the large increases in the clarity of Lake Ontario waters in recent years.
This work was completed with the support of the Canadian Space Agency under the Government Related Initiatives Program.
Original Publication Information
Results of this study, "Trends in Water Clarity of the Lower Great Lakes from Remotely Sensed Aquatic Color," are reported by Caren E. Binding, John H. Jerome, Robert P. Bukata and William G. Booty in the latest issue (Volume 33, No. 4, pp. 828-841) of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, published by the International Association for Great Lakes Research, 2007.
Contacts
For more information about the study, contact Caren Binding, National Water Research Institute, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6, caren.binding@ec.gc.ca, (905) 336 4721.
For information about the Journal of Great Lakes Research, contact Marlene Evans, Editor, National Water Research Institute, 11 Innovation Boulevard, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada; editor@iaglr.org; (608) 692-1076.
Links
Since 1967, IAGLR has served as the focal point for compiling and disseminating multidisciplinary knowledge on North America's Laurentian Great Lakes and other large lakes of the world and their watersheds. In part, IAGLR communicates this knowledge through publication of the Journal of Great Lakes Research, available to members in print and electronic form. A searchable archive of the journal is available online and includes the abstracts of articles from the journal's inception in 1975 through the most recent issue. In addition, complete articles are available to members who have signed up for an electronic subscription.
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