Work

35 years of Landsat and Sentinel-2-derived water color and clarity in Baiyangdian Lake: Spatiotemporal variations and driving factors

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Baiyangdian Lake (BYD) is a critical ecological component of the Xiong’an New Area, maintaining regional ecosystem stability and biodiversity in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan region. Prolonged intensive human activities have reduced lake inflows and caused severe water pollution, biodiversity loss, and degradation of ecosystem functions. Landsat and Sentinel-2 data from 1988 to 2023 were employed to track water clarity (Secchi disk depth, Zsd) and water color (Forel-Ule Index, FUI), enabling multi-dimensional analysis of spatiotemporal variations and associated driving factors. The results reveal spatial heterogeneity, with higher turbidity in peripheral zones possibly attributed to sediment and nutrient inputs from inflowing rivers. Seasonally, BYD tended to exhibit clearer in summer and autumn, while higher turbidity occurred in spring, likely driven by ecological water replenishment and precipitation. At the interannual scale, the water quality fluctuated but tended to improve particularly after 2014, which may be attributed to the impact of governance and restoration measures. And water quality may occur alongside climate, land use, landscape and water replenishment. Furthermore, land use and landscape patterns surrounding BYD are identified as significant driving factors of water quality variations. By integrating long-term remote sensing observations, this study quantitatively elucidates the spatiotemporal variations of water quality and its response to these driving factors. Furthermore, the lagged effect of water quality to post-2017 was assessed. The findings provide scientific support for optimizing field monitoring strategies, sustained water quality monitoring and ecological restoration in BYD.

Source: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.indic.2026.101590