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REMOTE SENSING OF SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS IN SURFACE WATERS, USING 
MODIS IMAGES. 
j Mobasheri, M. Reza, 
Physics Department, KNT University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. 
Mobasheri@jik-ac.org 
Mousavi Hamid, 
Khoozistan Water & Electricity Organization Ahvaz, Iran. 
KEY WORDS: Remote Sensing, Coast, Estuary, 
ABSTRACT: 
Retrieval, Algorithms, Suspended Sediment. 
Collecting information about (Suspended Sediment Concentration) SSC, in coastal Waters 
and estuaries is vital for proper management of coastal environments. Traditionally, SSC used to be 
measured by time consuming and costly point measurements. This Method allows you to accurately 
measure SSC only for a point in space and time. Remote sensing from air-borne and space-borne 
sensors have proved to be a useful method to such studies as it provides an instantaneous and 
synoptic view of sediments that would otherwise be unavailable. The reason for success of remote 
sensing in such surveys is the strong positive relationship that exists between SSC and remotely 
sensed spectral radiance L; . This Spectral radiance could be in the sun reflected and/or scattered or 
thermal terrestrial wavelength bands. 
Many workers have shown that the relationship between SSC and Ly, strongly depends on 
the intervening atmospheric constituents as well as the suspended material and depth. 
To find an algorithm relating SSC to L; 
of Persian Gulf, a three-month field measurem 
had MODIS sensor on board of Orbview-3 over 
fifteen trips were collected. Also the environm 
and water temperature, current direction and sp 
humidity were measured simultaneously. 
over Bahmansheer River Estuary at the North-West 
ent (April to June 2003) were conducted while we 
-passed the scene simultaneously. Ninety samples in 
ental parameters such as atmospheric visibility, air 
eed of water at the sampling point, wind speed and 
The collected samples were analyzed thoroughly by measuring density, diameters of the 
sediment particles and determining the sediment constituents. Total density were ranging between 
30 to 500 (mg/lit), the range of particle diameter were from less than a micrometer to more than 20 
micrometers and finally it was found that the sediment were composed of Quartz, Kaolinite, 
Orthoclase, Chlorite, Calcite, Gypsum, Muscovite, Halite, Anhydrite, Apatite, Biotite, and low 
amount of Albite. It is found that the spectral characteristics of these compositions are partly 
responsible for the reflected and/or scattered energy in different bands while the correlation 
between larger suspended particle density and L, 
parameters on the results were discussed. It is bel 
reason for the poorness of the correlation coefficie 
1- Introduction 
Since the late 1970's remote sensing 
studies of suspended sediments have been made 
using the fact that suspended sediments increase 
the radiance emergent from surface waters in 
were profound. Also the effects of environmental 
ieved that the atmospheric aerosols are the main 
nts. 
the visible and near infrared region of the 
electromagnetic spectrum (Ritchie and Schiebe 
2000). Most researches that had a large range 
(Le, 0-200+ mg/l) of suspended sediment 
concentration has found a curvilinear 
relationship between suspended sediments and 
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