Evaluation of a physically based Inland Water Processor for MERIS Data

Abstract

The physically based Modular Inversion & Processing System (MIP) is used in a processing chain for inland water constituent retrieval from MERIS level 1B full resolution data. Reformatting, data import, water/land masking, atmospheric correction and water constituent retrieval are fully automatic, in order to allow the efficient analysis of large data. The adequacy of a first parameterisation
for Lake Constance is tested for two datasets acquired in spring and summer. Pelagic, littoral and a Rhine estuary site are considered to study the results’ adequacy under varying water constituent concentrations and atmospheric influences. The results will be used to improve the overall accuracy for the processing of a time series of Lake Constance, and to individualise the processing chain to the optical properties of other Swiss Lakes.