Worldview-2 high resolution remote sensing image processing for the monitoring of coastal areas

Abstract

The spectral information provided by the multispectral Worldview-2 satellite increases the amount of spectral data available, thereby improving the quality of coastal environmental products. The atmospheric correction has proven to be a very important step in the processing of Worldview-2 high resolution images. On the other hand, specular reflection of solar radiation on non-flat water surfaces is a serious confounding factor for bathymetry and benthic remote sensing classification in shallow-water environments. This paper describes an optimal atmospheric correction model, as well as an improved algorithm for sun-glint removal based on combined physical and image processing techniques. This way, the atmospheric reflectance can be estimated and the effects from the apparent reflectance leaving from the water surface and the seafloor can be eliminated. Finally, using the corrected multispectral data, we have implemented an efficient physics-based method to obtain the remote bathymetry and a supervised classification for benthic mapping.