Applicability of Landsat 8 thermal infrared sensor for identifying submarine groundwater discharge springs in the Mediterranean Sea basin

Abstract. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has received increasing attention over the past 2 decades as a source of nutrients, trace elements and ocean pollutants that may alter coastal biogeochemical cycles. Assessing SGD flows their impact on marine environments is difficult task, since it not easy to identify measure these water discharging into sea. The aim this study demonstrate significant usefulness freely available thermal infrared (TIR) imagery Landsat 8 sensor (TIRS) an exploratory tool for identifying springs worldwide, from local regional scales, long-term analysis. use satellite data technique in seawater based identification thermally anomalous plumes obtained contrasts between sea surface water. In study, we TIR remote sensing (TIR-RS) provided by at scale discuss principle limiting factors using studies. was developed karstic aquifers Mediterranean Sea basin during different seasons under diverse meteorological conditions. Although demonstrates useful method karst both locally regionally, include technical limitations, geological hydrogeological characteristics, environmental conditions geomorphology.