Bridging the divide between inland water quantity and quality with satellite remote sensing: An interdisciplinary review

Abstract

The quantity and quality of surface water are inherently connected yet are overwhelmingly studied separately in the field of remote sensing. Remotely observable water quantity (e.g., water extent, water elevation, lake/reservoir volume, and river discharge) and water quality (e.g., color, turbidity, total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, colored dissolved organic matter, and temperature) parameters of inland waterbodies interact through a series of hydrological and biogeochemical processes. In this review, we analyzed trends in remote sensing publications to understand the prevalence of studies on the quantity versus quality of open-surface inland waterbodies (rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoirs) as well as identified opportunities for integrating both water quality and quantity sensing in future work. Our bibliometric analysis found that despite the increasing number of publications using remote sensing for inland waterbodies, few studies to date have used remote sensing tools or approaches to simultaneously study water quantity and quality. Ultimately, by providing insights into potential integration of the water quality and quantity studies, we aim to identify a pathway to advance the understanding of inland water dynamics and freshwater resources through remote sensing.