Remote-sensing reflectance characteristics of highly turbid estuarine waters – a comparative experiment of the yangtze river and the yellow river

An outdoor tank experiment is carried out to analyse the interrelationships between remote-sensing reflectance and sediment characteristics in the highly turbid waters of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River estuaries. The results show that the sensitivity of remote-sensing reflectance to water turbidity is inversely related to suspended sediment concentration (SSC). SSC estimation in the highly turbid waters (SSC > 0.15 g l⁻¹) is best achieved by using ocean colour ratios, especially the ratio at 810 nm: 700 nm. The effect of particle size of suspended sediment matter (SSM) on the observed remote-sensing reflectance is significant and depends on wavelengths and a SSC range. The mineral composition of SSM has a weak effect on observed reflectance in comparison to that of particle size.