We’re excited to announce the launch of a powerful new dataset in the Lens Library: the Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI), derived from publicly available ESA Sentinel-2 satellite data. This layer is designed to provide valuable insights into water quality, empowering conservationists and water managers to glean insight into dynamic aquatic ecosystems and the impacts of changing conditions or land use.
With Lens, you can go beyond static analysis—using Lookouts, our automated monitoring feature, to set custom thresholds and receive alerts for spikes in turbidity. Whether you're monitoring a specific site or an entire watershed, Lookouts ensure you stay ahead of critical changes, helping you respond quickly and confidently. For more information or to start using this dataset, visit the Lens Library, sign up for Lens today, or connect with us at lens@upstream.tech.
How it Works
The NDTI is a crucial tool for assessing turbidity levels in water bodies. By analyzing the reflectance of specific wavelengths in the visible and near-infrared spectrum, it quantifies the presence of suspended particles in water—often a sign of pollution or sedimentation.
High turbidity levels can negatively affect aquatic life, disrupt ecosystems, and signal potential contamination from runoff, industrial activity, or other environmental stressors. Using NDTI, you can pinpoint changes in water clarity, identify pollution risks, and monitor restoration efforts with precision.
Why it Matters
Whether you're monitoring a local river, a coastal area, or a freshwater lake, understanding turbidity is key to tracking ecosystem health. With the addition of Lookouts, our automated monitoring feature, you can set site-specific thresholds, and receive timely alerts when turbidity exceeds those limits, enabling quicker responses to potential threats.
Take, for example, this lake on the North Slope of Alaska. Over the past decade, this lake has shown a regular seasonal turbidity pattern, with increases during the summer months tied to snowmelt and runoff.
Using Lens, you can analyze these long-term trends with time-series data, identify seasonal patterns, and leverage Lookouts to detect unexpected deviations that could indicate new stressors.
This dataset will be a vital addition to conservation strategies, helping environmental teams monitor water quality, assess impacts of land-use practices, and evaluate the effectiveness of restoration projects. We’re proud to offer the NDTI layer in the Lens Library and look forward to seeing how it helps our users gain deeper insights into water quality and ecosystem health.
To get started, visit the Lens Library or sign up for Lens today.
