Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing

We describe our work to improve the cloud masking for satellite ocean color data processing over extremely turbid waters and intensive algae blooms (or floating algae), which are often identified as cloud mistakenly. An improved cloud masking approach is proposed using additional information of the...

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Main Authors: Menghua Wang, Lide Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156984322500055X
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author Menghua Wang
Lide Jiang
author_facet Menghua Wang
Lide Jiang
author_sort Menghua Wang
collection DOAJ
description We describe our work to improve the cloud masking for satellite ocean color data processing over extremely turbid waters and intensive algae blooms (or floating algae), which are often identified as cloud mistakenly. An improved cloud masking approach is proposed using additional information of the Alternate Floating Algae Index (AFAI) and a new normalized AFAI (nAFAI), as well as ratios of the Rayleigh-corrected reflectance ε(RC)(λi, λj) from the blue and near-infrared bands. Specifically, the proposed algorithm adds a recovery procedure after the original cloud masking to retrieve falsely masked pixels and identifies these pixels as turbid waters, floating algae or absorbing aerosols, from which ocean color products can be further derived. The new cloud masking algorithm has been implemented in the NOAA Multi-Sensor Level-1 to Level-2 (MSL12) ocean color data processing system for routine global data processing for various satellite ocean color sensors, e.g., the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), etc. Results show that the new cloud masking has remarkably improved ocean color data coverage, particularly over highly turbid coastal and inland waters, as well as intensive floating algae, eliminating almost all false cloud pixels. For example, using the new cloud masking algorithm, the falsely masked pixels are recovered, reducing cloud masking pixels by ∼30–40% and ∼40–50% over highly turbid China East Coast and China’s Lake Taihu, respectively.
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spelling doaj-art-cf2a2e6be6c843f7841b8a8c2daeec162025-08-20T02:59:50ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322025-03-0113710440810.1016/j.jag.2025.104408Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensingMenghua Wang0Lide Jiang1NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Center for Satellite Applications and Research, E/RA3, 5830 University Research Ct., College Park, MD 20740, USA; Corresponding author.NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Center for Satellite Applications and Research, E/RA3, 5830 University Research Ct., College Park, MD 20740, USA; CIRA at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USAWe describe our work to improve the cloud masking for satellite ocean color data processing over extremely turbid waters and intensive algae blooms (or floating algae), which are often identified as cloud mistakenly. An improved cloud masking approach is proposed using additional information of the Alternate Floating Algae Index (AFAI) and a new normalized AFAI (nAFAI), as well as ratios of the Rayleigh-corrected reflectance ε(RC)(λi, λj) from the blue and near-infrared bands. Specifically, the proposed algorithm adds a recovery procedure after the original cloud masking to retrieve falsely masked pixels and identifies these pixels as turbid waters, floating algae or absorbing aerosols, from which ocean color products can be further derived. The new cloud masking algorithm has been implemented in the NOAA Multi-Sensor Level-1 to Level-2 (MSL12) ocean color data processing system for routine global data processing for various satellite ocean color sensors, e.g., the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), etc. Results show that the new cloud masking has remarkably improved ocean color data coverage, particularly over highly turbid coastal and inland waters, as well as intensive floating algae, eliminating almost all false cloud pixels. For example, using the new cloud masking algorithm, the falsely masked pixels are recovered, reducing cloud masking pixels by ∼30–40% and ∼40–50% over highly turbid China East Coast and China’s Lake Taihu, respectively.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156984322500055XCloud maskingFloating algaeTurbid watersOcean colorRemote sensing
spellingShingle Menghua Wang
Lide Jiang
Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation
Cloud masking
Floating algae
Turbid waters
Ocean color
Remote sensing
title Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
title_full Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
title_fullStr Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
title_full_unstemmed Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
title_short Recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
title_sort recovery of pixels with extremely turbid waters and intensive floating algae from false cloud masking in satellite ocean color remote sensing
topic Cloud masking
Floating algae
Turbid waters
Ocean color
Remote sensing
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156984322500055X
work_keys_str_mv AT menghuawang recoveryofpixelswithextremelyturbidwatersandintensivefloatingalgaefromfalsecloudmaskinginsatelliteoceancolorremotesensing
AT lidejiang recoveryofpixelswithextremelyturbidwatersandintensivefloatingalgaefromfalsecloudmaskinginsatelliteoceancolorremotesensing