NASA LogoNTRSNTRS - NASA Technical Reports ServerSearchmore_vertCollectionsAboutNewsHelpLogin Back to ResultsAirborne Hyperspectral Sensing of Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Great Lakes Region: System Calibration and ValidationHarmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie have been prominent in recent years. The bloom in 2014 reached a severe level causing the State of Ohio to declare a state of emergency. At that time NASA Glenn Research Center was requested by stakeholders to help monitor the blooms in Lake Erie. Glenn conducted flights twice a week in August and September and assembled and distributed the HAB information to the shoreline water resource managers using its hyperspectral imaging sensor (in development since 2006), the S􀂱3 Viking aircraft, and funding resources from the NASA Headquarters Earth Science Division. Since then, the State of Ohio, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have elevated their funding and activities for observing, monitoring, and addressing the root cause of HABs. Also, the communities and stakeholders have persistently requested NASA Glenn􀂶s participation in HAB observation. Abundant field campaigns and sample analyses have been funded by Ohio and NOAA, which provided a great opportunity for NASA to advance science and airborne hyperspectral remote sensing economically. Capitalizing on this opportunity to advance the science of algal blooms and remote sensing, NASA Glenn conducted the Airborne Hyperspectral Observation of harmful algal blooms campaign in 2015 that was, in many respects, twice as large as the 2014 campaign. Focusing mostly on Lake Erie, but also including other small inland lakes and the Ohio River, the campaign was conducted in partnership with a large number of partners specializing in marine science and remote sensing. Airborne hyperspectral observation of HABs holds promise to distinguish potential HABs from nuisance blooms, determine their concentrations, and delineate their movement in an augmented spatial and temporal resolution and under clouds􀂲all of which are excellent complements to satellite observations. Working with collaborators at several Ohio and Michigan institutions as well as one in South Dakota and one in Alabama, this effort was able to provide next-day georeferenced estimates of cyanobacteria and scum concentrations. Very prompt processing and analysis of the hyperspectral imagery is necessary for the information to be acted upon. For example, a next-day report of an overflight over the Ohio River indicated that a bloom could be present as far downstream as the Cincinnati intake, but the Ohio EPA had not received visual reports of a bloom that far downstream. Water samples were obtained at the Cincinnati water intake, based on the flight data, and detected microcystins in the source water. The flight data helped State and municipal authorities realize the potential extent of that bloom, and triggered response sampling, before the visual river-wide scums started forming. The present document describes the process that was utilized to take raw remote sensing data and create information products; this includes system calibration and validation, efforts to correct atmospheric effects, and algorithms that produce the data products. Furthermore, successful research into improved algorithms for expanding the capability to delineate in water constituents is included. Finally, comparisons that show expected relationships between ground-based measurements and hyperspectral imager version 2 (HSI2) data results are presented, giving confidence in the remote sensing products.Document ID20170002298Acquisition SourceGlenn Research CenterDocument TypeTechnical Memorandum (TM)AuthorsLekki, John*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Anderson, Robert*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Avouris, Dulcinea*(Kent State Univ. OH, United States)*Becker, RIchard*(Toledo Univ. Toledo, OH, United States)*Churnside, James*(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)*Cline, Michael*(Toledo Univ. Toledo, OH, United States)*Demers, James*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Leshkevich, George*(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Liou, Larry*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Luvall, Jeffrey*(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)*Ortiz, Joseph*(Kent State Univ. OH, United States)*Royce, Anthony*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Ruberg, Steve*(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Sawtell, Reid*(Michigan Technological & Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Sayers, Michael*(Michigan Technological & Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Schiller, Stephen*(South Dakota State Univ. Brookings, SD, United States)*Shuchman, Robert*(Michigan Technological & Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Simic, Anita*(Bowling Green State Univ. OH, United States)*Stuart, Dack*(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Sullivan, Glenn*(Michigan Technological & Research Institute Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Tavernelli, Paul*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Tokars, Roger*(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)*Vander Woude, Andrea*(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)*Date AcquiredMarch 17, 2017Publication DateFebruary 1, 2017Subject CategoryEarth Resources And Remote SensingOceanographyReport/Patent NumberE-19202GRC-E-DAA-TN29647NASA/TM-2017-219071Funding Number(s)WBS: WBS 281945.02.14.03.61Distribution LimitsPublicCopyrightPublic Use Permitted.KeywordsHyperspectral ImagingAlgal BloomAvailable DownloadsNameType20170002298.pdfSTIcloud_downloadcontent_copyvisibilityRelated RecordsThere are no records associated with this record.visibility_offNo Preview Available
 No Fear Act | Freedom of Information Act | Office of the Inspector General | Agency Financial ReportsNASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices | NASA Guidelines for Quality of InformationDisclaimers, Copyright, Terms of Use | Accessibility | NASA OCIO | USA.gov | NASA.govContact Us | Site MapSTI LogoNASA Official: JoAnne R. Calhoun Site Curator: STI Compliance and Distribution Services Last Modified: September 12, 2024