ABSTRACT
The maximum benefit of chromaticity to relating remote estimates of water color to the responsible colorants might lie in the monitoring of clear natural waters. Water color may be expressed as a function of volume reflectance; thus, water color may also be considered as a function of the optical cross sections and concentrations of the co-existing aquatic components. The earliest chromaticity studies of natural water bodies from satellite altitudes were performed using the multispectral scanning spectrometer (MSS) mounted aboard the earth-orbiting Landsat vehicles. Chromaticity loci curves based on three MSS channels were generated and regressed with suspended solids concentrations taken from natural waters found in the Bay of Fundy and the James River and off the eastern shore of Virginia. The optically competitive organic and inorganic material comprising inland and coastal waters, therefore, prohibits the use of chromaticity as a single-component monitoring aid.
