Ocean surface current retrieval at Hangzhou Bay from Himawari-8 sequential satellite images

• Published in: Science China. Earth sciences Vol. 63; no. 7; pp. 1026 - 1038
• Main Authors: Zhu, Zhenye, Geng, Xupu, Li, Shihui, Xie, Ting, Yan, Xiao-Hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 01.07.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Coastal currents; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Economic activities; Error analysis; Estuaries; Estuarine dynamics; Geosynchronous orbits; Hough transformation; Marine environment; Mathematical models; Meteorological satellites; Methods; Numerical models; Ocean currents; Ocean surface; Oceans; Offshore; Remote sensing; Research Paper; Satellite data; Satellite imagery; Satellites; Sea currents; Sea surface; Socioeconomic aspects; Spaceborne remote sensing; Surface currents; Turbidity; Generalized Hough Transform (GHT); Himawari-8; Maximum Correlation Coefficient (MCC); Sea surface current
• ISSN: 1674-7313; 1869-1897
• DOI: 10.1007/s11430-019-9557-7

Ocean surface currents play a key role in the earth’s climate. They affect virtually all processes occurring in the ocean and can also directly affect many important socio-economic activities. Himawari-8 meteorological satellite has an international advanced geostationary orbit imager sensor, AHI, with high time resolution and spatial coverage, Himawari-8 can be used to observe the subtle changes in marine environments. In this study, we used Himawari-8 data received from the Joint Receiving Station for Satellite Remote Sensing of Xiamen University to retrieve coastal currents in Hangzhou Bay. Particularly, the Maximum Correlation Coefficient (MCC) and the Generalized Hough Transform (GHT) methods were used to retrieve them respectively The retrieved sea surface currents are analyzed and verified by the numerical model data of the Taiwan Strait current forecasting system (TFOR). The results show that (1) the Himawari-8 satellite data can be used to effectively estimate the ocean current; (2) The results of the two methods are in agreement with each other, and the error in the current measured using the GHT method is smaller in the Yangtze estuary and offshore areas, where the turbidity characteristic front is stronger.