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NASA Technology Used to Investigate Lake Erie Algal Blooms

Aerospace Engineering technicians Mike Krinov and Steve Hughell inspect the hyperspectral sensor mounted on the S-3 Viking research aircraft before flight.
Credits: NASA/Marvin Smith
Principal Investigator John Lekki monitors the data being gathered by the hyperspectral sensor while flying over Lake Erie.
Credits: NASA/Roger Tokars

When drinking water was declared contaminated for half a million people in Toledo, Ohio recently, attention turned immediately toward the source- Lake Erie.  The lake has seen increased harmful algal blooms due to higher temperatures and phosphorus levels as well as its shallow depth.

Earth scientists and engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland have been studying Lake Erie’s algal blooms for a number of years.  But when the Toledo crisis occurred, NASA was asked to step up its investigation and look closely at water intakes along the coast.

Deploying a hyperspectral imager and miniature spectrometers aboard NASA’s S-3 aircraft, Glenn researchers in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. are using high-resolution instruments to capture images that will reveal western Lake Erie’s characteristics across the light spectrum. 

Hyperspectral imaging divides the electromagnetic spectrum into a multitude of bands not visible to the human eye.  It creates a signature that provides a far more complex picture of an algal bloom, often showing the difference between toxic and non-toxic properties.

“Fresh water is one of Earth’s most precious commodities and is essential to our civilization’s survival,” said John Lekki, an optical systems research engineer at Glenn.  “Our collaboration with NOAA, and now the U.S. Naval Research Lab in this effort, will increase our understanding of how to confront this significant environmental and human health threat.”

As it continues through the fall, the flight campaign can offer a better view than satellite monitoring from space.  “Satellite images are often hampered by cloud cover and some atmospheric conditions,” says Larry Liou, NASA engineer and earth scientist.  “Our planes can fly low and under the clouds giving the hyperspectral sensors a chance to capture better data. And with the help of direct water samples, we can gather meaningful information on the magnitude of the algal problem.”

This remote-sensing project is part of an overall effort by NASA’s Applied Sciences Program to monitor Earth’s vital signs from land, air and space with a fleet of satellites and ambitious airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. All data is shared with the global science community to tackle difficult problems such as algal bloom proliferation in the Great Lakes and beyond.