Abstract: In this study, cross-comparisons of the reflectance at the top of atmosphere (ρTOA),
atmospherically corrected water-leaving reflectance (Rrs), and suspended sediment matter
(SPM) concentration derived from three high spatial resolution sensors (Landsat-8/OLI,
Sentinel-2A/MSI and GF-1/WFV) were conducted. The purpose was to examine the
consistency among multi-source satellite products and their potential to fill the temporal gap
of high-resolution satellites time series. Geostationary ocean color imager (GOCI) data and in
situ data were used to verify the accuracy and reliability of the high-resolution satellite
derived products. The results showed that the ρTOA and Rrs data of high-resolution sensors
were consistent with GOCI data, especially at the red spectral ranges. The satellite-derived
SPM concentrations exhibited good agreement and acceptable errors when compared with
both GOCI-derived and in situ SPM data. With regard to the influence of the signal-to-noise
ratios, the results showed that the radiometric sensitivities of GF-1/WFV and Landsat-8/OLI
were relatively high and presented minimally detectable variations greater than 0.06% in the
ρTOA and 0.5 mg/L in the SPM concentration for solar zenith angles < 30°. However, the
spatial resolution’s impact on the SPM data can be greater than that of the signal-to-noise
ratio for turbid waters.