3.2.1 Plume Characterisation (field studies)

Description

A field program was undertaken during a large scale capital dredging program near Onslow, northwestern Australia (the Wheatstone Project) to collect in situ total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and coincident optical data. These data have been used to develop and test relationships between surface reflectance and TSS.

Aims

• Develop and test relationships between surface reflectance and TSS, leading to the development of remote sensing algorithms applicable to MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Landsat and WorldView-2 satellite data.
• Develop a model of spectral attenuation of light in turbid waters as a function of TSS. This model has been applied to MODIS TSS data to produce maps of relative light intensity at the substrate.
• Provide inputs to, and to help validate, modelling of plume dynamics, reported in Sun et al. (2018)