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Review of the Forel–Ule Index based on in situ and remote sensing methods and application in water quality assessment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 29, pages 13024–13041 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Water pollution is considered an acute worldwide environmental issue. At present, the commonly adopted method of water quality characterisation involves the retrieval of optically active water quality parameters based on remote sensing reflectance (Rrs), but this method is subject to the limitation that understanding local scatter and absorption characteristics of light is essential to precisely derive these parameters. Water colour primarily depends on water constituents and is traditionally gauged with the Forel–Ule (FU) scale. In recent years, Rrs within the visible region has been considered to determine the Forel–Ule Index (FUI) for water colour measurement. The FUI exhibits the advantages of remote sensing and does not rely on local retrieval algorithms. Therefore, this index can characterise natural waters in a simple and globally effective manner. As there exists a lack of review articles on the FUI, we present a comprehensive review of this index that may help researchers progress. First, we introduce the most recent techniques for FUI measurement, especially remote sensing–deriving methods. Then, we summarise FUI applications in water quality assessment of oceans and inland waters. Finally, FUI development trends, challenges and application perspectives are examined.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC0406006, 2017YFC0406004), the Science Foundation of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission (SQKM201710028013) and the Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (BJJWZYJH01201910028032) for the provided financial support. And thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback.

Funding

This research was jointly supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC0406004, 2017YFC0406006), the Science Foundation of Beijing Municipal Education Commission (SQKM201710028013) and the Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist Program (BJJWZYJH01201910028032).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China

    Miao Ye & Yonghua Sun

  2. Laboratory Cultivation Base of Environment Process and Digital Simulation, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China

    Miao Ye & Yonghua Sun

  3. Beijing Laboratory of Water Resources Security, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China

    Miao Ye & Yonghua Sun

Authors
  1. Miao Ye
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  2. Yonghua Sun
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Contributions

Miao Ye contributed to reference collection and manuscript writing. Dr. Yonghua Sun contributed to the paper outline (choice of topics, structure and references) and text editing. Both authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yonghua Sun.

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Ye, M., Sun, Y. Review of the Forel–Ule Index based on in situ and remote sensing methods and application in water quality assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 13024–13041 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18083-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18083-0

Keywords

  • Water colour
  • Forel–Ule Index
  • Remote sensing
  • Water quality
  • Forel–Ule scale
  • Hue angle