Google Earth Engine Tools for Water Quality Assessment

Описание: Anna Cardall,
Brigham Young University

Lightening talks from scientists & Googlers hosted at Google's booth @ the 2022 American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference.

Abstract by speakers:
Chlorophyll-a (chl-a), a pigment produced by algae, is often used as an index for algal mass, an indicator of water quality. However, datasets of in-situ chl-a measurements that are both spatially and temporally comprehensive are rarely available. Landsat satellite imagery (remotely-sensed spectral data from which chl-a can be estimated) is uniquely positioned to supply such a dataset—images have a 30-meter resolution and have been taken at least every 16 days since 1984. Historically, however, use of remote sensing data required significant computational resources, and many studies have not been able to take full advantage of over 1000 images and almost 40 years of Landsat data. We present “no-code” tools, requiring only a web browser, which provide users with chl-a models, maps, and complete time series data for any lake in the world. These generated maps and datasets provide valuable insights into lake processes and trends that can serve to inform sustainable management decisions.