Quantification of bio-physical intertidal sediment properties using hyperspectral measurements.

Abstract

In this work, the use of hyperspectral remote sensing for the quantification of bio-physical characteristics of the surface intertidal sediments is explored. A two-step approach is followed. Firstly, algorithms based on absorption features for the quantification of bio-physical sediment properties are developed using laboratory measurements of known sediment mixture compositions. Secondly, the appropriateness of the method in natural conditions is explored by i) applying the algorithms on in situ spectra, and ii) applying the methods on these spectra resampled to a lower spectral resolution, namely the resolution of HyMAP, a typical airborne hyperspectral sensor. In laboratory conditions, high correlation coefficients (R > 90%) are found between absorption features and moisture ( 75%) are obtained between the absorption feature of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a content using in situ spectral measurements. Interestingly, resampling the very high spectral resolution measurements to the spectral resolution of a HyMAP sensor influences the results to a very limited extent, leading to the conclusion that absorption features obtained by hyperspectral remote sensing might be suitable for quantifying bio-physical intertidal sediment properties. However, the appropriate spectral resolution for a particular application should be investigated.