Distribution of suspended particulate matter determined by in-situ observations and satellite images in the NW Aegean Sea (Greece)

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) patterns in the surface waters of the NW Aegean Sea were studied by (1) determining SPM concentration by water filt ration, (2) measuring light transmission, and (3) evaluating satellite imag es. The SPM signals of the three major rivers discharging into the study ar ea were recorded by all three methods, thereby providing information about the sources, transport pathways, and regional dispersion patterns of the SP M. The filtration of water samples and light transmission measurements were found to be good indicators of SPM concentrations in surface waters. Most of the SPM is composed of terrigenous minerals, thus explaining the correla tion between the beam attenuation coefficient and the SPM concentration. A Landsat image obtained for the study period was found to adequately reveal regions with high SPM concentrations. Low concentrations, on the other hand , remain obscured.