Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2-2026

Department

Michigan Tech Research Institute

Abstract

The Laurentian Great Lakes, often resembling inland seas, exhibit complex interactions between wind and waves that influence lake conditions. Monitoring these dynamics currently relies on buoy-based measurements and model predictions. Recent advancements in commercial satellite technology now provide high-revisit, high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, such as ICEYE’s X-band data from the NASA Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. SAR offers all-weather, day-and-night capabilities, making it a valuable tool for Great Lakes monitoring. In this study, we assess the effectiveness of ICEYE SAR for lake monitoring, focusing on western Lake Erie. We evaluate multiple imaging modes and find that Stripmap Mode provides the highest radiometric and geometric accuracy for large water bodies. We show that this high-resolution SAR enables effective monitoring of wind speed across the western basin and captures short-period (∼4 s) wave activity—capabilities that surpass lower-resolution SAR sensors such as Sentinel-1. We also explore additional applications. First, we present a speculative case study comparing harmful algal bloom (HAB) detection using Electro-optical (EO) and ICEYE SAR imagery, suggesting SAR can detect HABs through small-scale wave-damping effects, offering a complementary tool for water-quality monitoring. Second, we examine ice-covered Saginaw Bay and find that X-band SAR returns can identify different Great Lakes ice types. Together, this represents the first operational demonstration of ICEYE for inland waters. Future work should further evaluate the robustness of SAR-derived products to improve environmental monitoring across the Great Lakes and other freshwater systems.

Publisher's Statement

© 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of International Association for Great Lakes Research. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2026.102864

Publication Title

Journal of Great Lakes Research

Version

Publisher's PDF

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