Mapping total suspended sediments in the Po River prodelta with multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI data

Suspended matter in coastal waters may originate from river discharge, coastal erosion and resuspension. The aim of this research is to capture suspended sediment patterns in the Po river prodelta (Northern Adriatic Sea) by means of Landsat-8 (L-8) satellite imagery (see Fig.1). L-8 data provide a synoptic mapping of surface turbidity and total suspended sediment (TSM) concentration at high spatial resolution. We here describe some examples of sediment distribution at sub-mesoscale. The results of the investigation will provide a better understanding of the factors controlling these patterns through time, i.e. river discharge rates, wind and wave fields, regional and local circulation pathways, and their interaction.