[Comparison of chlorophyll a concentration estimation in Taihu Lake using different methods]

Based on the measured remote sensing reflectance and concurrent chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration in Taihu Lake from January 7 to 9 and July 29 to August 1, 2006, this study comparatively analyzed the estimation precision of three-band-model, two-band-model, reflectance peak position method and first derivative method, and further discussed the feasibility of the four methods to estimate Chl-a using remote sensing image. The data set of two samplings contained widely variable total suspended matter (12.24-285.20 mg x L(-1), Chl-a (4.83-155.11 microg x L(-1)) and chromophoric dissolved organic matte absorption coefficient at 440 nm (0.27-2.36 m(-1)). The former four methods all got high precisions on Chl-a concentration estimation in Taihu Lake with determination coefficients (r2) of 0.813, 0.838, 0.872 and 0.819, respectively. The root mean square error (RMSE) between measured and estimated Chi-a concentrations using the four models was 13.04, 12.12, 13.41 and 12.13 microg x L(-1), respectively, and the relatively error (RE) was 35.5%, 34.9%, 24.6% and 41.8%, respectively. Although the reflectance peak position method had the highest estimation precision, it was difficult to be applied on remote sensing image due to lacking spectral channel. The three-band-model and two-band-model had higher estimation precisions than the first order differential method and good application foreground in Chl-a retrieval using remote sensing image. The r2, RMSE, RE of [R(-1) (665)- R(-1) (709)] x R(754) in three-band-model and R(709)/R(681) in two-band-model based on simulation MERIS data were 0.788, 13.87 microg x L(-1), 37.3%, and 0.815, 12.96 microg x L(-1), 34.8%, respectively. The results in this study demonstrated MERIS data could be applied to retrieve Chl-a concentration in turbid Case-II waters as Taihu Lake.