Comparison of measured suspended sediment concentrations with suspended sediment concentrations estimated from Landsat MSS data

Abstract Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data for 27 dates between January 1983 and June 1985 for Moon Lake in Coahoma County, Mississippi, were analysed to determine if Landsat MSS digital data could be used to estimate suspended sediment concentrations in the surface waters of a small agricultural lake. Field measurements of suspended sediment concentration in the surface water and other water quality variables were available for five locations in Moon Lake within 0 to 13 days of each of the 27 Landsat overpass dates. Pixel values, radiance and reflectance measurements from Landsat MSS data from 14 scenes were compared with field data and used to develop simple and multiple regression equations to estimate suspended sediment concentration in the surface water of the lake. The best equations were used to estimate the suspended sediment concentrations for the 13 other Landsat scenes. The coefficient of determination for the relationship between measured and estimated suspended sediment concentrations ...