Suspended sediment observations from ERTS-1.

Abstract

Satellite imagery from four successful ERTS-1 passes over Delaware Bay during different portions of the tidal cycle are interpreted with special emphasis on visibility of suspended sediment and its use as a natural tracer for gross circulation patterns. The MSS red band (band 5) appears to give the best contrast, although the sediment patterns are represented by only a few neighboring shades of grey. Color density slicing improves the differentiation of turbidity levels. However, color additive enhancements are of limited value since most of the information is in a single color band. The ability of ERTS-1 to present a synoptic view of the surface circulation over the entire bay is shown to be a valuable and unique contribution of ERTS-1 to coastal oceanography.