Using MODIS Terra 250 m imagery to map concentrations of total suspended matter in coastal waters

High concentrations of suspended particulate matter in coastal waters directly affect or govern numerous water column and benthic processes. The concentration of suspended sediments derived from bottom sediment resuspension or discharge of sediment-laden rivers is highly variable over a wide range of time and space scales. Although there has been considerable effort to use remotely sensed images to provide synoptic maps of suspended particulate matter, there are limited routine applications of this technology due in part to the low spatial resolution, long revisit period, or cost of most remotely sensed data. In contrast, near daily coverage of medium-resolution data is available from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Terra instrument without charge from several data distribution gateways. Equally important, several display and processing programs are available that operate on low cost computers. The utility of MODIS 250 m data for analyzing complex coastal waters was examined in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Using simple processing procedures, MODIS images were used to map the concentration of Total Suspended Matter (TSM). A robust linear relationship was established between band 1 (620–670 nm) MODIS Terra 250 m data and in situ measurements of TSM ( r 2=0.89; n=52; MSE=4.74) acquired during six field campaigns. This study demonstrates that the moderately high resolution of MODIS 250 m data and the operating characteristics of the instrument provide data useful for examining the transport and fate of materials in coastal environments, particularly smaller bodies of water such as bays and estuaries.