Reducing Vulnerability to Severe Water Shortage in Northeast China: Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Determine the Extent of Bohai Sea Ice Reserves

Abstract

Advances in satellite sensor technology and information systems have contributed to the near real-time availability of high-quality sea ice data in the Bohai Sea. In this paper, the extent of Bohai sea ice and its spatio-temporal changes are analyzed using AVHRR data at visible and infra-red wavelengths. A methodology is put forth to automate the differentiating of sea ice from sea water and land using NOAA-AVHRR band 3 spectral reflectances. It is shown that sea ice is concentrated on the east coast of the Bohai Sea, with the most promising reserves on the eastern coastal region of Liaodong Bay. In particular, the harvesting of Bohai sea ice reserves is estimated to yield a total freshwater volume of approximately 1.585 to 7.089 billion cubic meters (BCM). This corresponds to approximately 33.7 m3 to 150.8 m3 of freshwater per person in the Bohai Sea region.

Keywords:

• remote sensing
• drought
• Bohai Sea
• sea ice extent
• sea ice reserves
• fresh water resources
• spectral reflectance