Performance of Landsat ETM+, OLI and OLI-2 Imagery in ICESat-2-Aided Coastal Bathymetry: The Effect of Radiometric Resolution

Satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) combining the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) measurements and multispectral images is expected to fill the gap of depth data in global coastal areas. Image radiometric resolution is an important index of surface reflectance recorded by satellite, which affects the seabed details by bathymetric methods. With the improvement of radiometric resolution, the effect of the radiometric resolution remains to be clarified. This study quantifies the performance of Landsat ETM+, OLI, and OLI-2 images through a mature workflow and provides a reference for selecting data with a suitable radiometric resolution for bathymetry. The results in Culebra, Puerto Rico, show that the performance of Landsat 8 OLI is the best, with an RMSE of 2.53 m. The radiometric resolution affects the sensor’s perception of watercolor changing with depth and environmental radiation changing. With the improvement of radiometric resolution, the negative impact of environmental factors will reduce the performance of images.