A physically based, simultaneous air/water constituent algorithm is used for automatic processing... more A physically based, simultaneous air/water constituent algorithm is used for automatic processing of 5 MERIS level 1B FR datasets of Lake Constance. Its sensitivity to the adjacency correction tool ICOL is tested, and compared to variations in the wavelength dependence of aerosols. Further comparisons are made with MERIS NN algorithms for eutrophic lakes and case II waters. Reference data measured during the MERIS lakes field campaign in April 2007 is used, consisting of both direct concentration and optical in situ measurements. AERONET data of the two closest stations are evaluated. A good representation of a pattern of extending suspended matter is found for adjacency corrected MIP outputs and MERIS NN products, while chlorophyll and gelbstoff are insufficient.
The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster at the German Aerospace Center DLR has long lasting experience... more The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster at the German Aerospace Center DLR has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition and processing of hyperspectral image data. Jointly with the German Space Operations Center it is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) which is planned to be launched in 2013. The primary goal of EnMAP is to quantify and analyze diagnostic parameters describing key processes on the Earth’s surface. Extensive calibration and validation activities are foreseen during the planned five years of operations to ensure high quality data products, which include radiometric, geometric and atmospheric correction. This paper focuses on the automatic processing chain, as well as the calibration and quality control activities for the generation of standard EnMAP products.
Many Earth observing sensors have been designed, built and launched with primary objectives of ei... more Many Earth observing sensors have been designed, built and launched with primary objectives of either terrestrial or ocean remote sensing applications. Often the data from these sensors are also used for freshwater, estuarine and coastal water quality observations, bathymetry and benthic mapping. However, such land and ocean specific sensors are not designed for these complex aquatic environments and consequently are not likely to perform as well as a dedicated sensor would. As a CEOS action, CSIRO and DLR have taken the lead on a feasibility assessment to determine the benefits and technological difficulties of designing an Earth observing satellite mission focused on the biogeochemistry of inland, estuarine, deltaic and near coastal waters as well as mapping macrophytes, macro-algae, sea grasses and coral reefs. These environments need higher spatial resolution than current and planned ocean colour sensors offer and need higher spectral resolution than current and planned land Ear...
Smart monitoring, planning and decision making for projects in the coastal and nearshore regions ... more Smart monitoring, planning and decision making for projects in the coastal and nearshore regions requires spatial and temporal understanding on the environmental parameters. Very often time and budget constraints preclude a comprehensive physical and environmental survey data collection exercise. Bathymetry, for example, is typically valid for one timestamp (during the period of data collection), one-dimensional (e.g. single beam surveys), and has sparse resolution in the shallow nearshore regions. In recent years, significant advances in satellite sensor technology and analysis have been developed to produce relevant information for coastal and nearshore monitoring applications at a fraction of both the time and cost of traditional methods. Aquatic Earth Observation techniques have been evolving since the 1970s. The recent advances on satellite sensor hardware and analytics have allowed the once crude methodology to be efficiently applied into practice-in particular very high-resolution satellite data availability and the sound understanding on the physical modelling of the light path from the surface/seafloor to the sensor. Applying over 20 years of continuous research and development, EOMAP has advanced a unique physics-based procedure which allows mapping of shallow water bathymetry, water quality parameters, seafloor characteristics and topography in dense spatial grids. Uncertainties in Earth Observation products are subject to a number of environmental factors that need to be accounted for. At the core of the technology are state-of-the-art algorithms for extracting quantitative environmental information from the aquatic remote sensing signal. Mechanisms for quantifying uncertainties and flagging relative reliabilities are embedded in the algorithms, which include: (1) allowance for coupled atmospheric and in-water parameter retrievals, which includes a correction of the (terrestrial) adjacency effect, critical for the accurate remote sensing of any coastal or inland water body, (2) a physically accurate implementation of the bi-directional effect inside the water column, at the water surface and in the atmosphere, (3) accounting for the full range of reflecting, absorbing and scattering properties of the water body and the interfaces. Those procedures are included in EOMAP’s Watcor-X physics-based Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) software. This paper provides an overview of SDB, demonstrates successful project applications, and describe tools that support coastal and nearshore monitoring projects through the use of the software in the Pacific, Caribbean Sea and Arabian waters. We showcase the capability to monitor spatial seabed changes in highly dynamic environments, and demonstrate the latest technology that jointly incorporates the passive multispectral satellite imagery with complementary active Satellite-Lidar bathymetric data technology using NASA’s ICESAT-2 Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) sensor.
The European collaborative project GLaSS aims to prepare for the use of the data streams from Sen... more The European collaborative project GLaSS aims to prepare for the use of the data streams from Sentinel 2 and Sentinel 3. Its focus is on inland waters, since these are considered to be sentinels for land-use- and climate change and need to be monitored closely. One of the objectives of the project is to compare existing water quality algorithms and parameterizations on the basis of in-situ spectral observations and Hydrolight simulations. A first achievement of the project is the collection of over 400 Rrs spectra with accompanying data on CHL, TSM, aCDOM and Secchi depth. Especially the dataset on Lake CDOM measurements represents a rather unique reference dataset.
The map represents the depth spatial distribution of the benthic habitats in shallow waters of th... more The map represents the depth spatial distribution of the benthic habitats in shallow waters of the Mexican Mesoamerican Reef System, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak. This represents an area of 1001 km2 with an average maximum depth of 18 m. It was generated from the analysis of 23 WorldView-2 satellite images (2010-2016) and it was validated with information from in-situ bathymetric soundings. The information is presented in TIFF format. This product belonging to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), constitutes a tool within the Marine-Coastal Information and Analysis System (SIMAR), in support of decision-making for the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems in a scenario of climate change and variability.<br><b>Acknowledgement:</b><b><br></b>The authors acknowledge the logistical and technical support provided by by National Financial Trust Fund for Biodiversity and National Commission for the Knowledge...
This collection integrates data from the project "Spatial distribution of benthic habitats i... more This collection integrates data from the project "Spatial distribution of benthic habitats in shallow water marine ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean using WorldView-2 (ArrecifeSAM) satellite images (2010-2018)". The study area covers the shallow waters of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak, as part of the Mesoamerican Reef System. The collection includes the following datasets: (1) the database of in-situ sampling at 715 stations, including records of percentage values of benthic cover obtained from the sampling; (2) records of the in-situ bathymetric survey carried out with echosounder; (3) cartographic maps of benthic cover, (4) underwater relief, (5) benthic habitat, and (6) bathymetry; all derived from the processing of 23 WorldView-2 satellite images and validated from the in-situ sampling data. The ArrecifeSAM project has been coordinated by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). The products support d...
Satellites that capture large areas with high spatial and temporal resolution allow extensive ana... more Satellites that capture large areas with high spatial and temporal resolution allow extensive analyses of water bodies and thus represent an ideal supplement to existing in situ point measurements. In the joint project WasMon-CT (Water Monitoring of Chlorophyll and Turbidity) the usability of satellite data for official monitoring of flowing waters and lakes was examined. The subproject at the Institute for Lake Research of the LUBW focused on satellite-based monitoring of chlorophyll a, an important indicator for water quality, in lakes. Freely available data from spatially reasonable high-resolution satellites, e.g. Sentinel-2, open up new possibilities for monitoring the water quality of a larger number of small lakes. The aim of the comprehensive validation study presented here was to get information about applicability and potential limitations of remote sensing techniques for different types of lakes. EOMAP processed the satellite data used in the validation (Sentinel-2/3, Lan...
The German Aerospace Center DLR - namely the Applied Remote Sensing Cluster CAF and the German Sp... more The German Aerospace Center DLR - namely the Applied Remote Sensing Cluster CAF and the German Space Operations Center GSOC - is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program). The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition, processing, and analysis
A physically based, simultaneous air/water constituent algorithm is used for automatic processing... more A physically based, simultaneous air/water constituent algorithm is used for automatic processing of 5 MERIS level 1B FR datasets of Lake Constance. Its sensitivity to the adjacency correction tool ICOL is tested, and compared to variations in the wavelength dependence of aerosols. Further comparisons are made with MERIS NN algorithms for eutrophic lakes and case II waters. Reference data measured during the MERIS lakes field campaign in April 2007 is used, consisting of both direct concentration and optical in situ measurements. AERONET data of the two closest stations are evaluated. A good representation of a pattern of extending suspended matter is found for adjacency corrected MIP outputs and MERIS NN products, while chlorophyll and gelbstoff are insufficient.
The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster at the German Aerospace Center DLR has long lasting experience... more The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster at the German Aerospace Center DLR has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition and processing of hyperspectral image data. Jointly with the German Space Operations Center it is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program) which is planned to be launched in 2013. The primary goal of EnMAP is to quantify and analyze diagnostic parameters describing key processes on the Earth’s surface. Extensive calibration and validation activities are foreseen during the planned five years of operations to ensure high quality data products, which include radiometric, geometric and atmospheric correction. This paper focuses on the automatic processing chain, as well as the calibration and quality control activities for the generation of standard EnMAP products.
Many Earth observing sensors have been designed, built and launched with primary objectives of ei... more Many Earth observing sensors have been designed, built and launched with primary objectives of either terrestrial or ocean remote sensing applications. Often the data from these sensors are also used for freshwater, estuarine and coastal water quality observations, bathymetry and benthic mapping. However, such land and ocean specific sensors are not designed for these complex aquatic environments and consequently are not likely to perform as well as a dedicated sensor would. As a CEOS action, CSIRO and DLR have taken the lead on a feasibility assessment to determine the benefits and technological difficulties of designing an Earth observing satellite mission focused on the biogeochemistry of inland, estuarine, deltaic and near coastal waters as well as mapping macrophytes, macro-algae, sea grasses and coral reefs. These environments need higher spatial resolution than current and planned ocean colour sensors offer and need higher spectral resolution than current and planned land Ear...
Smart monitoring, planning and decision making for projects in the coastal and nearshore regions ... more Smart monitoring, planning and decision making for projects in the coastal and nearshore regions requires spatial and temporal understanding on the environmental parameters. Very often time and budget constraints preclude a comprehensive physical and environmental survey data collection exercise. Bathymetry, for example, is typically valid for one timestamp (during the period of data collection), one-dimensional (e.g. single beam surveys), and has sparse resolution in the shallow nearshore regions. In recent years, significant advances in satellite sensor technology and analysis have been developed to produce relevant information for coastal and nearshore monitoring applications at a fraction of both the time and cost of traditional methods. Aquatic Earth Observation techniques have been evolving since the 1970s. The recent advances on satellite sensor hardware and analytics have allowed the once crude methodology to be efficiently applied into practice-in particular very high-resolution satellite data availability and the sound understanding on the physical modelling of the light path from the surface/seafloor to the sensor. Applying over 20 years of continuous research and development, EOMAP has advanced a unique physics-based procedure which allows mapping of shallow water bathymetry, water quality parameters, seafloor characteristics and topography in dense spatial grids. Uncertainties in Earth Observation products are subject to a number of environmental factors that need to be accounted for. At the core of the technology are state-of-the-art algorithms for extracting quantitative environmental information from the aquatic remote sensing signal. Mechanisms for quantifying uncertainties and flagging relative reliabilities are embedded in the algorithms, which include: (1) allowance for coupled atmospheric and in-water parameter retrievals, which includes a correction of the (terrestrial) adjacency effect, critical for the accurate remote sensing of any coastal or inland water body, (2) a physically accurate implementation of the bi-directional effect inside the water column, at the water surface and in the atmosphere, (3) accounting for the full range of reflecting, absorbing and scattering properties of the water body and the interfaces. Those procedures are included in EOMAP’s Watcor-X physics-based Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) software. This paper provides an overview of SDB, demonstrates successful project applications, and describe tools that support coastal and nearshore monitoring projects through the use of the software in the Pacific, Caribbean Sea and Arabian waters. We showcase the capability to monitor spatial seabed changes in highly dynamic environments, and demonstrate the latest technology that jointly incorporates the passive multispectral satellite imagery with complementary active Satellite-Lidar bathymetric data technology using NASA’s ICESAT-2 Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) sensor.
The European collaborative project GLaSS aims to prepare for the use of the data streams from Sen... more The European collaborative project GLaSS aims to prepare for the use of the data streams from Sentinel 2 and Sentinel 3. Its focus is on inland waters, since these are considered to be sentinels for land-use- and climate change and need to be monitored closely. One of the objectives of the project is to compare existing water quality algorithms and parameterizations on the basis of in-situ spectral observations and Hydrolight simulations. A first achievement of the project is the collection of over 400 Rrs spectra with accompanying data on CHL, TSM, aCDOM and Secchi depth. Especially the dataset on Lake CDOM measurements represents a rather unique reference dataset.
The map represents the depth spatial distribution of the benthic habitats in shallow waters of th... more The map represents the depth spatial distribution of the benthic habitats in shallow waters of the Mexican Mesoamerican Reef System, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak. This represents an area of 1001 km2 with an average maximum depth of 18 m. It was generated from the analysis of 23 WorldView-2 satellite images (2010-2016) and it was validated with information from in-situ bathymetric soundings. The information is presented in TIFF format. This product belonging to the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), constitutes a tool within the Marine-Coastal Information and Analysis System (SIMAR), in support of decision-making for the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems in a scenario of climate change and variability.<br><b>Acknowledgement:</b><b><br></b>The authors acknowledge the logistical and technical support provided by by National Financial Trust Fund for Biodiversity and National Commission for the Knowledge...
This collection integrates data from the project "Spatial distribution of benthic habitats i... more This collection integrates data from the project "Spatial distribution of benthic habitats in shallow water marine ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean using WorldView-2 (ArrecifeSAM) satellite images (2010-2018)". The study area covers the shallow waters of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, from Cabo Catoche to Xcalak, as part of the Mesoamerican Reef System. The collection includes the following datasets: (1) the database of in-situ sampling at 715 stations, including records of percentage values of benthic cover obtained from the sampling; (2) records of the in-situ bathymetric survey carried out with echosounder; (3) cartographic maps of benthic cover, (4) underwater relief, (5) benthic habitat, and (6) bathymetry; all derived from the processing of 23 WorldView-2 satellite images and validated from the in-situ sampling data. The ArrecifeSAM project has been coordinated by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). The products support d...
Satellites that capture large areas with high spatial and temporal resolution allow extensive ana... more Satellites that capture large areas with high spatial and temporal resolution allow extensive analyses of water bodies and thus represent an ideal supplement to existing in situ point measurements. In the joint project WasMon-CT (Water Monitoring of Chlorophyll and Turbidity) the usability of satellite data for official monitoring of flowing waters and lakes was examined. The subproject at the Institute for Lake Research of the LUBW focused on satellite-based monitoring of chlorophyll a, an important indicator for water quality, in lakes. Freely available data from spatially reasonable high-resolution satellites, e.g. Sentinel-2, open up new possibilities for monitoring the water quality of a larger number of small lakes. The aim of the comprehensive validation study presented here was to get information about applicability and potential limitations of remote sensing techniques for different types of lakes. EOMAP processed the satellite data used in the validation (Sentinel-2/3, Lan...
The German Aerospace Center DLR - namely the Applied Remote Sensing Cluster CAF and the German Sp... more The German Aerospace Center DLR - namely the Applied Remote Sensing Cluster CAF and the German Space Operations Center GSOC - is responsible for the establishment of the ground segment of the future German hyperspectral satellite mission EnMAP (Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program). The Applied Remote Sensing Cluster has long lasting experiences with air- and spaceborne acquisition, processing, and analysis
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Papers by Heege, Thomas