THE RELATIONSHIP OF MSS AND TM DIGITAL DATA WITH SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS, CHLOROPHYLL, AND TEMPERATURE IN MOON LAKE, MISSISSIPPI

A comparison of six concurrent Landsat MSS and TM scenes was made to determine the relationship of Landsat digital data with suspended sediments, chlorophyll, and temperature in the surface water of an agricultural lake. There were no significant differences in best correlations between MSS or TM data with surface suspended sediments. Thus, the advantage of using MSS is the ability to monitor large areas with significantly less data. TM data can be efficiently used to monitor smaller lakes and reservoirs. TM Band 1 reflectance was the only Landsat data that accounted for at least 50% of the variability in the chlorophyll data. This would not be adequate for a monitoring program for chlorophyll in sediment dominated lakes, such as Moon Lake. TM thermal data were highly correlated with surface water temperature. TM measured surface water temperatures could be useful in determining water balance in small agricultural reservoirs. A monitoring program based on Landsat MSS and TM scanners can provide data on suspended sediments that would allow the location of reservoirs with significant suspended sediment and allow better conservation assessment and planning. © 1990.