accessibility and rational use and management. Authors argue that conventional
land-based techniques must be complemented by using satellite and airborne
remote sensors. Authors describe using various technology applications: multispectral and radar sensors for mapping surface water systems, microwave radiometers
for sensing soil moisture in the unsaturated zone, multispectral cameras for
mapping freshwater wetlands, thermal infrared radiometers for detecting freshwater
springs, and satellite remote sensors and satellite gravitational surveys with ancillary data analysis to infer groundwater behavior from surface expressions and to
estimate groundwater aquifer storage.
In “Imaging Spectrometry of Inland Water Quality in Italy Using MIVIS: An
Overview,” Giardino, Bresciani, Matta, and Brando state that airborne imaging
spectrometry is a powerful tool to investigate key biophysical parameters in inland
waters. Authors present examples of applications using airborne MIVIS imagery of
Italian inland waters acquired at a spatial resolution varying from 3 to 5 m.
Examples include the retrieval of water quality parameters (i.e., chlorophyll-a,
suspended particulate matter, and colored dissolved organic matter), the detection
and monitoring of submerged vegetation, the observation of cyanobacteria bloom
in productive lakes, and the signal reflected by floating materials of terrestrial origin
(i.e., pollens and oil).
In “Using Remote Sensing to Assess the Impact of Human Activities on Water
Quality: Case Study of Lake Taihu, China,” Villa, Duan, and Loiselle state that the
capacity of remote sensing to deliver spatial and temporal information about
fundamental environmental dynamics makes it an ideal tool for performing an
integrated assessment of water quality stressors and the causes of water quality
deterioration at watershed scale. Authors focus on harmful algal blooms in Lake
Taihu, as a case study. The temporal and spatial variabilities of the conditions in
Lake Taihu and its watershed were derived from satellite data to produce a monthly
time series of algal bloom coverage, aquatic vegetation extent, and land cover.
Environmental features related to nutrient loading, climate conditions, and agricultural practices were also used to analyze the driving forces of algal blooms.
In “Remote Sensing for Regional Lake Water Quality Assessment: Capabilities
and Limitations of Current and Upcoming Satellite Systems,” Olmanson, Brezonik,
and Bauer state that remote, satellite-based, sensing is a cost-effective way to gather
information needed for regional water quality assessments in lake-rich areas. For
example, in the Midwest United States, historic and recent Landsat water clarity
assessments have been conducted on >20,000 lakes to investigate spatial and
temporal patterns and explore factors that affect lake water quality. Advances over
the past decade have enabled the use of satellite imagery for regional scale measurement of lake characteristics, such as clarity and chlorophyll. The spatial characteristics of Landsat imagery allow for the assessment of all lakes greater than ~4 ha, but
the broad nature and placement of its spectral bands have assessments limited
largely to water clarity. Improvements of the recently launched Landsat-8 and the
upcoming ESA Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites will expand capabilities further
and enable assessment of other optically related water quality characteristics, such
as colored dissolved organic matter and mineral-suspended solids.
Volume Preface
xv
land-based techniques must be complemented by using satellite and airborne
remote sensors. Authors describe using various technology applications: multispectral and radar sensors for mapping surface water systems, microwave radiometers
for sensing soil moisture in the unsaturated zone, multispectral cameras for
mapping freshwater wetlands, thermal infrared radiometers for detecting freshwater
springs, and satellite remote sensors and satellite gravitational surveys with ancillary data analysis to infer groundwater behavior from surface expressions and to
estimate groundwater aquifer storage.
In “Imaging Spectrometry of Inland Water Quality in Italy Using MIVIS: An
Overview,” Giardino, Bresciani, Matta, and Brando state that airborne imaging
spectrometry is a powerful tool to investigate key biophysical parameters in inland
waters. Authors present examples of applications using airborne MIVIS imagery of
Italian inland waters acquired at a spatial resolution varying from 3 to 5 m.
Examples include the retrieval of water quality parameters (i.e., chlorophyll-a,
suspended particulate matter, and colored dissolved organic matter), the detection
and monitoring of submerged vegetation, the observation of cyanobacteria bloom
in productive lakes, and the signal reflected by floating materials of terrestrial origin
(i.e., pollens and oil).
In “Using Remote Sensing to Assess the Impact of Human Activities on Water
Quality: Case Study of Lake Taihu, China,” Villa, Duan, and Loiselle state that the
capacity of remote sensing to deliver spatial and temporal information about
fundamental environmental dynamics makes it an ideal tool for performing an
integrated assessment of water quality stressors and the causes of water quality
deterioration at watershed scale. Authors focus on harmful algal blooms in Lake
Taihu, as a case study. The temporal and spatial variabilities of the conditions in
Lake Taihu and its watershed were derived from satellite data to produce a monthly
time series of algal bloom coverage, aquatic vegetation extent, and land cover.
Environmental features related to nutrient loading, climate conditions, and agricultural practices were also used to analyze the driving forces of algal blooms.
In “Remote Sensing for Regional Lake Water Quality Assessment: Capabilities
and Limitations of Current and Upcoming Satellite Systems,” Olmanson, Brezonik,
and Bauer state that remote, satellite-based, sensing is a cost-effective way to gather
information needed for regional water quality assessments in lake-rich areas. For
example, in the Midwest United States, historic and recent Landsat water clarity
assessments have been conducted on >20,000 lakes to investigate spatial and
temporal patterns and explore factors that affect lake water quality. Advances over
the past decade have enabled the use of satellite imagery for regional scale measurement of lake characteristics, such as clarity and chlorophyll. The spatial characteristics of Landsat imagery allow for the assessment of all lakes greater than ~4 ha, but
the broad nature and placement of its spectral bands have assessments limited
largely to water clarity. Improvements of the recently launched Landsat-8 and the
upcoming ESA Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites will expand capabilities further
and enable assessment of other optically related water quality characteristics, such
as colored dissolved organic matter and mineral-suspended solids.
Volume Preface
xv