| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-1.1-0065 |
| Title of Abstract | Multi-Sensor satellite observations of Suspended Sediment Concentration along the central west coast of India |
| Authors | Santhosh Kumar S*, Mani Murali R, Jaya Kumar Seelam, Ratheesh Ramakrishnan |
| Organisation | CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa |
| Address | SAB-8, NIO Colony Dona Paula, Goa, India Pincode: 403004 E-mail: ssantosh.nio@csir.res.in |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Oral |
| Abstract | Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of estuaries and coastal waters plays a pivotal role in managing sediment budgets, coastal stability, primary productivity, and ecosystem condition. SSC is highly dynamic and governed by tidal mixing, riverine input, coastal erosion, and hydro-meteorological forcing. While in-situ measurements provide point data with high accuracy, they are insufficient to quantify the overall spatio-temporal variability in these complex systems. Remote sensing has proven to be an effective alternative, with ocean colour sensors such as Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) enabling SSC mapping on a large scale. However, their low spatial resolution limits their use for optically complex nearshore waters and estuaries where high-resolution sediment processes dominate. Over the last few years, advances in high-resolution multispectral sensors have significantly improved SSC retrieval in such environments. This study integrates data from multiple sensors�Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI), and ResourceSAT 2/2A Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS)�to study suspended sediment dynamics along the central west coast of India, including the Goa coastal waters (2014�2020) and Zuari estuary (2016�2022), complemented with intensive AWiFS monitoring (2020�2022). Coastal application-specific algorithms were utilised to retrieve SSC estimates, and satellite-retrieved estimates were cross-checked with in situ laser-based particle size distribution and concentration measurements. Validation indicated a very high correlation (R� = 0.89) of SSC from AWiFS-derived SSC with in situ measurements, establishing the sensor's viability for operational monitoring. Results document SSC gradients of upstream sections of rivers (15�18 mg/l) through the estuary (8�12 mg/l) into coastal waters adjacent to the estuary (5�10 mg/l). The study highlights the advantages of using multiple satellite platforms to gain insight into the suspended sediment fluxes, sediment management and strengthening of coastal resilience in rapidly changing environments. |
| Keywords | Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC), Landsat-8 OLI, Sentinel-2 MSI, ResourceSAT2/2A AWiFS and central west coast. |