Airborne Hyperspectral and Satellite Multispectral Imagery of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Region

The Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) and the satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provide detailed information about the environment U.S. Naval forces choose to operate. In recent years environmental conditions have been a driving factor in preventing the detection of underwater objects like mines. Suspended sediments are an environmental condition of interest. Remote sensors provide an opportunity to detect suspended sediments in a region prior to the commencement of operations and better prepare the force while reducing time required to complete operations. Monthly data sets collected using MODIS, from February 2005 to February 2006 show variations in weather patterns in the Mississippi Bight that cause the persistent presence of suspended sediments in certain areas of the Mississippi Bight. Major storm events such as hurricanes alter the location that suspended sediments persist in this region during hurricane season. MODIS with 250m-pixel resolution is capable of detecting large-scale suspended sediment plumes while CASI with 1m-pixel resolution is capable of detecting very fine suspended sediment filaments as well as provide early warning of possible mine locations. As the mine warfare fleet diminishes in size, CASI and MODIS coupled with current sensors may provide an increase in detection capability while reducing the workload of the ships. Continued research and study of suspended sediment transport during hurricane seasons would provide more information about how the environment changes.