Cornell Biological Field Station, 900 Shackelton Pt. Rd. Bridgeport, NY 13030 USA


*Corresponding author: jmw237@cornell.edu

Abstract

   Satellite-based sensors provide synoptic measurements of surface parameters useful in detecting physical and biological conditions of the Great Lakes. Satellite surface temperature measurements using infrared spectra are compatible with buoy measurements and the time series now covers more than two decades in length. This time-series tracks seasonal warming patterns and localized upwelling events. The use of visible spectra for remote sensing of water clarity and particle composition is improving with new algorithms to separate chlorophyll a, inorganic particles, and dissolved organic matter. The use of satellites to measure these variables holds promise for future quantification of phytoplankton production, calcite precipitation (whiting), and suspended sediment from rivers and resuspension events. Satellite imagery has also been useful for interpreting ship-collected data such as those associated with the bi-national Lake Ontario Lower Foodweb Assessment (LOLA) in 2003.