Visualization of the Distribution of Dissolved Organic Matter in Osaka Bay Using a Satellite Ocean Color Sensor (COMS/GOCI)

Abstract

A study of the use of a visualization technique for the distributions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in coastal seas was conducted to assist environmental water management. In this study, the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (aCDOM) obtained from a satellite equipped with an ocean color sensor as an index for visualizing the DOM distributions. In 2010, the first geostationary satellite having the sensor (COMS/GOCI) was launched, enabling hourly high-resolution data (~500 m) on aCDOM to be obtained. The spatial and temporal resolutions of the data derived from this satellite are the most appropriate for investigating the water quality in coastal seas, which changes dynamically depending on weather conditions. A surface water sampling was undertaken in 2015 in Osaka Bay, Japan. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, the main components of DOM, were highly correlated with field-obtained aCDOM, (R² = 0.91, 0.90 (n = 39), respectively). The field-obtained aCDOM was significantly correlated with the satellite-derived aCDOM (R² = 0.60, (n = 54)). These results indicate the potential to use satellite ocean color sensors (GOCI) to visualize and assess the distribution of DOM in coastal seas at high temporal resolution.