Decline of suspended particulate matter concentrations in Lake Taihu from 1984 to 2020: observations from Landsat TM and OLI

Abstract

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) affects the optical properties of water, which can be used as a marker of water quality. The water quality of Lake Taihu has changed immensely since the 1980's. However, despite the link between water quality and SPM, long-term systematic studies on SPM have not been conducted in this lake. Here, we used Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 OLI data to model changes in the SPM concentration of Lake Taihu from 1984 to 2020. Various models were generated, calibrated, and finally validated using in situ SPM, remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) data, and synchronous satellite data. After comparing various commonly used models, it was found that the exponential model based on band combination [R rs (red) + R rs (NIR)/R rs (green)] had the highest accuracy, with an average unbiased relative error greater than 35%. Subsequently, the SPM products of Lake Taihu during 1984–2020 were generated. Overall, the SPM concentration showed a downward trend over the study period, which might be primarily attributable to a decline in wind speed. These findings may assist in the conservation of Lake Taihu and its associated water resources.