Comparison of MODIS and Landsat-8 retrievals of Chlorophyll-a and water temperature over Lake Titicaca

Chlorophyll-a concentration ([Chl-a]) and Lake Surface Temperature (LST) were retrieved in Lake Titicaca (Peru-Bolivia) using MODIS and Landsat-8 images. The lake was chosen as a case-study for evaluating the feasibility of Landsat-8 images for [Chl-a] and LST monitoring in oligotrophic and mesotrophic water bodies. The big size of the lake and its spatial and temporal variability, allowed the comparison of MODIS and Landsat-8 products for a wide range of [Chl-a] and LST. The atmospheric correction of the images was facilitated by the very high altitude of the lake. MODIS images were processed with standard ocean color algorithms whereas for Landsat-8, specific algorithms were tested and va…