Retrieval of Secchi disk depth in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea using 8-day MODIS data

Secchi disk depth (SDD), is widely used as an indicator of water clarity. The traditional sampling method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also limited in terms of temporal and spatial coverage. Remote sensing technology may deal with these limitations. In this paper, the applicability of 8-day MODIS-Aqua remote sensing reflectance data with 4 km spatial resolution for estimating water clarity in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea was investigated. Field data such as Secchi depths were collected from two cruises conducted in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea from 5 May to 7 June 2009. A three-band algorithm to retrieve SDD was developed based on remote sensing reflectance at bands of 488, 555, and 678 nm, which performed better than single-band model and band ratio algorithm, with a determination coefficient of 0.72 and a mean relative error of 19%. This suggests that 8-day MODIS-Aqua products of remote sensing reflectance could be used to assess water transparency in the study area.