POSTER SESSION 4
10:30–12:30, Thursday, September 17
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
ABSTRACT 1267 | POSTER 172
TEMPORAL VARIABILITY AT THE BELGIAN WATERHYPERNET – THORNTON BANK VALIDATION SITE
Satellite optical remote sensing is essential for monitoring coastal and inland water quality by retrieving parameters such as chlorophyll-a and suspended particulate matter (SPM). The reliability of satellite operational data depends on rigorous validation supported by in-situ measurements of water-leaving radiance reflectance. The WATERHYPERNET, an innovative international network of ground-based automated radiometers on zenith and azimuth pointing systems, delivers continuous, hyperspectral, in-situ validation covering the spectral range of 400–900 nm, sufficient for all the visible and near-infrared bands used by current and forthcoming satellite missions—including Sentinel-3/OLCI, MODIS, ENMAP, PACE, and CHIME.
A PANTHYR (PAN-and-Tilt HYperspectral Radiometer) system, part of WATERHYPERNET, operates on the C-Power Windfarm Offshore Transformer Station (OTS) in the southern North Sea, Belgium, since May 2023. The OTS is located in the Thornton sandbank, approximately 30 km off the Belgian coastline, occupying an intermediate position between turbid-coastal and clear-offshore waters. Measurements are acquired every 20 minutes from sunrise to sunset, with the primary purpose of providing in situ data for satellite validation; nonetheless, the availability of high-frequency and long-term in-situ hyperspectral water reflectance measurements can be useful for many other applications related to Belgian water monitoring.
This work focuses on the analysis of the optical spectral features of the water at this site, with emphasis on the SPM dynamics and the forces driving the high temporal variability, daily and seasonal, observed in the PANTHYR data time series. The goal is to characterize Thornton Bank as a high-value validation site and advance understanding of local water dynamics.
Francesca Ortenzio, RBINS, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0697-5938
Kevin Ruddick, RBINS, [email protected]
Quinten Vanhellemont, RBINS, [email protected]
Dieter Vansteenwegen, VLIZ, [email protected]
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
