REMOTE SENSING OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS IN SURFACE WATERS

Abstract

Reflected and incident solar radiation 20 to 50 cm above the water surface were measured on six northern Mississippi reservoirs between August 1973 and December 1974. Linear regression analyses showed the best fit for the relationship between reflected solar radiation, or reflectance, and suspended sediment concentration of surface water was between 700 and 800 nm. Further analyses, using sun angle grouping, showed that sun angle had a definite effect on these relationships. These studies showed that quantitative estimates of suspended sediment concentration of surface water could be made using reflected solar radiation.