Date of Award

1993

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Earth & Environmental Systems

Abstract

Water quality is an important environmental variable as it affects human health, ecosystem health, and economic activity. Surface water quality from the affects of coal mining has been recognized as a major environmental problem in southwestern Indiana, as well as, mining areas world wide. Airborne or polar orbiting instruments seem to represent the only practical means of obtaining large regional estimates which spatially characterize or map with reasonable time resolution. Remotely sensed estimation of water quality within the small lakes and impoundments found within the coal mine environments present an interesting challenge to Remote Sensors and Physical Geographers. This study analyzed spectral reflectance and trace metal concentration relationships over six abandoned coal mine surface waterbodies in southwestern Indiana; a state fishing impoundment was included as a seventh waterbody. A portable field data-logging spectroradiometer was used to gather hyperspectral radiometric data. Portable chemical analysis were used to measure hydrological contamination in the water column. This research analyzed these two data sets to determine the differences between the lakes sampled. The data were independently generalized into 4 classes based on spectral curves, pH, and Secchi depth. Classification of the data on spectral curves emphasized differences in peak reflectance and overall brightness across the spectrum, pH classes were developed by graphing pH along a continuum from 0 to 10, and Secchi depths were classed by plotting depths along a continuum of 0 to 8 feet. Type 1 lakes are composed of surface water with metals dissolved in the water column. Type 2a lakes are lakes with metals partitioned to sediments in well mixed water columns and Type 2b were those with metal partitioned to sediments in stagnant water columns. Type 3 lakes included surface water without any indication of the influence of acids or sediments. Type 4 lakes are composed of acid water columns with negligible metal concentrations or sediments.

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