Water Quality Viewer (UWQV) for Sentinel -2

The Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer is an innovative tool designed to monitor and assess water quality using data from the Sentinel-2 satellite. Sentinel-2, part of the European Space Agency’s Copernicus program, provides high-resolution imagery crucial for environmental monitoring.

This viewer leverages advanced algorithms to analyze satellite imagery, offering real-time insights into various water quality parameters such as chlorophyll concentration, turbidity, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). By processing Sentinel-2 data, the Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer can detect changes in water quality with remarkable accuracy, making it an essential tool for researchers, environmentalists, and policy makers.

Key features of the Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer include user-friendly interfaces, customizable analysis options, and detailed visualization tools. It allows users to select specific regions and timeframes, enabling targeted analysis and monitoring. Furthermore, the integration with Sentinel-2 ensures continuous and updated data, which is crucial for tracking temporal changes in water bodies.

The viewer includes a detailed legend to interpret the visual data effectively. The chlorophyll content is depicted in a color gradient, ranging from dark blue to red. Dark blue indicates low chlorophyll content, progressing through green for moderate levels, and culminating in red for high chlorophyll content. This color coding allows for quick identification of areas with varying levels of phytoplankton, which is crucial for understanding the ecological health of water bodies.

Sediment concentrations are shown in shades of brown. Areas with high sediment content are represented by opaque brown, indicating turbidity and potential water quality issues. This feature is particularly useful for identifying erosion, runoff events, and other sediment-related changes in aquatic environments.

The importance of the Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer is particularly evident when applied to La Mata and Torrevieja salt lagoons. These unique and ecologically significant bodies of water are vital habitats for a variety of flora and fauna, including migratory birds. Monitoring water quality in these lagoons is essential for several reasons:

Environmental Health: The lagoons’ health directly impacts local biodiversity. High chlorophyll levels, indicating algal blooms, can lead to oxygen depletion and harm aquatic life. Understanding chlorophyll concentrations helps manage and protect these ecosystems.
Tourism and Recreation: Both lagoons are popular tourist destinations. Poor water quality can affect recreational activities and the local economy. Real-time monitoring ensures that water quality remains safe and attractive for visitors.
Salt Production: Torrevieja Lagoon is renowned for its salt production. Monitoring sediment and chlorophyll levels ensures that the conditions remain optimal for salt extraction processes.
Scientific Research: Continuous and accurate data from the Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer supports scientific research, providing insights into ecological changes and helping to develop conservation strategies.

In summary, the Ulyssys Water Quality Viewer harnesses the power of Sentinel-2 satellite data to provide comprehensive and accurate water quality assessments. Its intuitive legend and visualization capabilities significantly enhance the user’s ability to interpret and act on environmental data, contributing to better water management and conservation efforts worldwide, particularly in ecologically and economically significant areas like La Mata and Torrevieja salt lagoons.

https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2020/04/01/radio_cartagena/1585733206_473997.html
https://info.igme.es/ielig/LIGInfo.aspx?codigo=SB015
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2019JC015188
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_natural_de_las_Lagunas_de_La_Mata_y_Torrevieja

Hope you guys find it interesting.

Alberto C.
GIS analyst