ASSESSING THE APPLICABILITY OF SATELLITE RADAR DATA FOR DETECTING RIVER PLUMES IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE GULF OF RIGA

  • N. A. Knyazev Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.29006/1564-2291.JOR-2025.53(3).1
Keywords satellite monitoring, river plumes, radar remote sensing, Sentinel-1 C-SAR, Lielupe, Western Dvina (Daugava), Gauja, Gulf of Riga, Baltic Sea

Abstract

This study investigates the potential and constraints of river plume identification in the southern Gulf of Riga using satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from 2022–2024. The research evaluates SAR data’s capacity to delineate plume boundaries and monitor their seasonal and interannual variability. The visibility of plumes in SAR images arises from capillary wave modulation at freshwater-seawater interfaces and surfactant-induced suppression of short-wave turbulence. Winter conditions improve plume visibility through ice-associated river discharge, clearly detectable in SAR images. Through the See the Sea (STS) monitoring system, 62 plumes were identified from three rivers: the Daugava (Western Dvina), Lielupe, and Gauja. The Daugava exhibited the most extensive plumes, reflecting its large watershed and high discharge volumes. Maximum plume expansion occurred in 2023, with the Lielupe and Gauja plumes covering 2–4 times larger areas than in 2022. Although 2024 saw reduced activity, plume metrics remained elevated above baseline levels. The results demonstrate that SAR data can effectively track river plumes under specific hydrometeorological conditions, proving valuable for environmental monitoring, water resource management, and coastal anthropogenic impact assessments in the Baltic region.

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Published
2025-09-21
Issue
Vol 53 No 3 (2025): Journal of Oceanological Research
Section
Ocean physics and climate

Transfer of copyrights occurs on the basis of a license agreement between the Author and Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS