Mapping surface temperature in large lakes with MODIS data

Satellite sensor MODIS on two platforms can produce Sea Surface Temperature over certain regions about three to four times per day. Our objective was to test if the MODIS SST product can be applied for lakes whose surface areas are large enough to be observed at the MODIS spatial resolution and to compare the satellite-derived lake surface temperatures with in situ measurements. Surface temperatures for Lakes Vänern and Vättern in Sweden, two of the largest European lakes, are extracted from the MODIS/Terra images for period 2001–2003. The results are analyzed on different quality levels, as all MODIS L2 products are equipped with an additional quality flag. We present temperature development over 2001–2003, and show the capability of the MODIS SST product to couple the known thermodynamical features in the lakes under study, where temperature varies greatly with space and time. These results can complement lake monitoring programs anywhere.