Suspended particulate matter (SPM) plays an important role in water quality and the distribution and transport of organic carbon, pollutants and sediments in the coastal environment; its concentration and particle size distribution (PSD) influence seawater optical properties and ocean color. Seawater SPM concentrations and characteristics (e.g., PSD, size class) based on the LISST-100x are examined in conjunction with optical measurements (beam attenuation coefficient, backscattering coefficient, particle spectral absorption coefficients and remote sensing reflectance) in two estuarine systems - Barataria Bay (particle-dominated) and Apalachicola Bay (DOM-dominated), located in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Surface SPM concentrations varied both spatially and temporally in both the bays, with higher concentrations in Barataria Bay (mean: 66.36 +/- 29.17, 30.54 +/- 8.20 and 21.62 +/- 12.81 mg/L) compared to Apalachicola Bay (7.65 +/- 7.22, 8.05 +/- 6.08 and 3.43 +/- 1.73 mg/L) during spring, summer and fall, respectively. PSDs were highly variable in the two bays, with mean size fractions also varying seasonally. An examination of three particle size classes (2 – 20, 20 – 200 and >200 micrometers) indicated stronger correlations of the smaller size classes to attenuation and backscattering coefficients, suggesting the importance of these size classes on remote sensing reflectance. Further, an adaptive semi-analytical algorithm for the Sentinel 3/OLCI medium-resolution sensors will be used to examine backscattering coefficient and SPM spatiotemporal distributions in the two bays.
Primary Presenter: Eurico D'Sa, Louisiana State University (ejdsa@lsu.edu)
Authors:
Eurico D'Sa, Louisiana State University (ejdsa@lsu.edu)
Ishan Joshi, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (isjoshi@ucsd.edu)
Bingqing Liu, The Water Institute of the Gulf (bliu@thewaterinstitute.org)
CONTRASTING SUSPENDED PARTICLE CHARACTERISTICS AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES IN TWO ESTUARIES IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO: SEASONAL TRENDS
Category
Scientific Sessions > SS102 Inland and Coastal Aquatic Ecosystems Monitoring from In Situ and Satellite Radiometric Measurements
Description
Time: 10:30 AM
Date: 9/6/2023
Room: Sala Menorca A