Dulcinea Avouris, PhD (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Assessing impacts of wildfire on water and habitat quality in downstream aquatic ecosystems using remote sensing
This project focuses on the downstream effects of wildfires on lakes, reservoirs, and coastal water within the larger context of the USGS project on Post-fire Hazards and Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE): Support for Response, Recovery, and Mitigation. The overall objective of this work is to leverage the historic satellite remote sensing record to provide insight on the impact of...
Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy and associated water quality measurements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, collected in 2024 and 2025 Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy and associated water quality measurements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, collected in 2024 and 2025
Broad-area, high-resolution, boat-based water quality mapping surveys of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) were conducted in June and September of 2024. Each survey was comprised of one day of high-resolution mapping. The regions covered included Discovery Bay and Old and Middle Rivers in the South Delta Tidal Transition Zone. On each day, the route of the mapping survey was...
Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States
This dynamic data release presents an aquatic reflectance product with 20-meter spatial resolution derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for the conterminous United States using the Atmospheric Correction for OLI “lite” (ACOLITE). Aquatic reflectance, noted Rhow in ACOLITE documentation, is defined here as unitless water-leaving radiance reflectance and represents the ratio of water...
Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy measurements at Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy measurements at Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Hand-held hyperspectral spectroscopy data were collected in 2022 in Franks Tract, a flooded area located in the central Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California. The data were collected from a boat and co-located within pixels from the Ocean Land Color Imaging (OLCI) sensor on the Sentinel-3A and 3-B satellites. Data from 16 sites within 7 OLCI pixels were collected on three days: July...
High resolution and discrete temporal and spatial water-quality measurements in support of modeling mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta High resolution and discrete temporal and spatial water-quality measurements in support of modeling mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
The Sacramento / San Joaquin River Delta (SSJRD) is contaminated with legacy mercury (Hg) from historical mining and mineral processing activities throughout the watershed, as well as from contemporary atmospheric and industrial inputs. The current project was designed for the purpose of developing high-resolution spatial and temporal models for estimating concentrations of mercury...
Aquatic reflectance derived from Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager data for inland waters in the conterminous United States Aquatic reflectance derived from Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager data for inland waters in the conterminous United States
Satellite-based earth observation is a robust tool for tracking change in ecosystems. While terrestrially focused applications of remote sensing have empowered wide adoption for research and management, remote sensing of inland aquatic ecosystems remains comparably nascent. This divergence, in part, stems from the lack of standardized, accessible, and near real-time remotely sensed...
Authors
Scott D. Ducar, Tyler V. King, Michael Frederick Meyer, Stephen A. Hundt, Grady P. Ball, Konrad C. Hafen, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Brendan Flynn Wakefield, Victoria G. Stengel, Quinten Vanhellemont
Post-wildfire sediment fluxes and turbidity plumes in a coastal-draining watershed Post-wildfire sediment fluxes and turbidity plumes in a coastal-draining watershed
Coastal watersheds impacted by wildfires experience higher erosion resulting in increased sediment delivery to the ocean that alters limiting factors (i.e., light) for marine organisms. With increasing wildfire magnitude and severity, it is critical to explore changes in riverine discharges to the ocean to assess cascading hazards associated with wildfires. In situ data, remotely sensed...
Authors
Amanda M. Lopez, Tesfa W. Meshesha, Christine M. Lee, Ibrahim N. Mohammed, Erin L. Hestir, Thomas C. Harmon, Dulcinea Marie Avouris
Advancements in satellite observations of inland and coastal waters: Building towards a global validation network Advancements in satellite observations of inland and coastal waters: Building towards a global validation network
The use of satellite-based remote sensing imagery for water quality monitoring of inland and coastal waters has become widespread over the last few decades, with the expansion of, and investment in, operational Earth-observing missions. Satellite-based sensors are uniquely suited to provide synoptic, system-wide water quality parameter estimates that supplement traditional field-based...
Authors
Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Fernanda Maciel, Samantha L. Sharp, Susanne E. Craig, Arnold G. Dekker, Courtney A. Di Vittorio, John R. Gardner, Emma C. Goldsmith, Juan I. Gossn, Steven R. Greb, Brice K. Grunert, Daniela Gurlin, Mahesh Jampani, Rabia M. Khan, Ben Lowin, Lachlan McKinna, Colleen B. Mouw, Igor Ogashawara, Sara Rivero Calle, Wilson B. Salls, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Blake Schaeffer, Bridget N. Seegers, Jari Silander, Emily A. Smail, Menghua Wang, P. Jeremy Werdell
Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a growing concern in freshwater environments. These blooms can lead to degraded water quality, ecosystem disruptions, and public health threats due to the production of potent cyanotoxins. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (California, USA; the Delta) has experienced CHABs since 1999, including CHABs that produce cyanotoxins at...
Authors
Keith Bouma-Gregson, Lisa Lucas, Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Emily T. Richardson, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Tamara E. C. Kraus
An integrated sensor network and data driven approach to satellite remote sensing of dissolved organic matter An integrated sensor network and data driven approach to satellite remote sensing of dissolved organic matter
Traditional remote sensing retrieval models for water quality have historically relied on limited, localized data sets due to the prohibitive costs of extensive field campaigns and logistical challenges of collecting match-up data with satellite overpasses. As a result, these models often lack generalizability across seasons, tides, and sites. Furthermore, small field data sets limit the...
Authors
Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Erin L Hestir, Jacob Fleck, Jeffrey A. Hansen, Brian A. Bergamaschi
Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign
We stand at the threshold of a transformative era in Earth observation, marked by space-borne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometers that promise consistent global observations of ecosystem function, phenology, and inter- and intra-annual change. However, the full value of repeat spectroscopy, the information embedded within different temporal scales, and the...
Authors
K. Dana Chadwick, Frank W. Davis, Kimberley Miner, Ryan Pavlick, Mark Reynolds, Philip A. Townsend, Philip Brodrick, Christiana Ade, Jean Allen, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Yoseline Angel, Indra Boving, Kristin B. Byrd, Petya Campbell, Luke Carberry, Katherine Cavanaugh, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Kelly Easterday, Regina Eckert, Michelle M. Gierach, Kaitlin Gold, Erin Hestir, Fred Huemmrich, Maggie Klope, Raymond F. Kokaly, Piper Lovegreen, Kelly Luis, Conor McMahon, Nicholas Nidzieko, Francisco Ochoa, Anna Ongjoco, Elsa Ordway, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Natalie Queally, Dar A. Roberts, Clare Saiki, Fabian D Schneider, Alexey N. Shiklomanov, German Silva, Jordan Snyder, Michele Thornton, Anna Trugman, Nidhi Vinod, Ting Zheng, Dulcinea M. Avouris, Brianna Baker, Latha Baskaran, Tom Bell, Megan Berg, Michael Bernas, Niklas Bohn, Renato Braghiere, Zach Breuer, Andrew J. Brooks, Nolan Burkard, Julia Burmistrova, Kerry-Anne Cawse-Nicholson, John Chapman, Johana Chazaro-Haraksin, Joel Cryer, K.C. Cushman, Kyla M. Dahlin, Phuong Dao, Athena DiBartolo, Michael Eastwood, Clayton D. Elder, Angela Giordani, Kathleen Grant, Robert O. Green, Alexa Hanson, Brendan Heberlein, Mark Helmlinger, Simon Hook, Daniel J. Jensen, Emma Johnson, Marie Johnson, Michael Kiper, Christopher Kibler, Jennifer Y. King, Kyle Kovach, Aaron Kreisberg, Daniel Lacey, Evan Lang, Christine M. Lee, Amanda M Lopez, Brittany Lopez Barreto, Andrew Maguire, Elliott Marsh, Charles E. Miller, Dieu My Nguyen, Cassandra Nickles, Jonathan Ocón, Elijah Papen, Maria Park, Benjamin Poulter, Ann M. Raiho, Porter Reim, Timothy J. Robinson, Fernando Romero Galvan, Ethan Shafron, Brenen R. Skalitzky, Sydney Stroschein, Nicole Chin Taylor, David R. Thompson, Kate Thompson, Cecily Tye, Joelie Van Beek, Cecilia Vanden Heuvel, Jonathan Vellanoweth, Evert Vermeer, Claire Villanueva-Weeks, Kristen Zumdahl, David Schimel
Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California
This study investigates the effects of post-wildfire sediment runoff on giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) populations in Malibu, California, following the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The research utilizes satellite data and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to assess changes in sediment delivery and its correlation with reduced kelp abundance. Findings indicate a significant decrease in...
Authors
Lori A Berberian, Christine M. Lee, Erin L. Hestir, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Amanda M Lopez, Carmen Blackwood, Dulcinea Marie Avouris
Science and Products
Assessing impacts of wildfire on water and habitat quality in downstream aquatic ecosystems using remote sensing
This project focuses on the downstream effects of wildfires on lakes, reservoirs, and coastal water within the larger context of the USGS project on Post-fire Hazards and Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems (PHIRE): Support for Response, Recovery, and Mitigation. The overall objective of this work is to leverage the historic satellite remote sensing record to provide insight on the impact of...
Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy and associated water quality measurements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, collected in 2024 and 2025 Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy and associated water quality measurements in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, collected in 2024 and 2025
Broad-area, high-resolution, boat-based water quality mapping surveys of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) were conducted in June and September of 2024. Each survey was comprised of one day of high-resolution mapping. The regions covered included Discovery Bay and Old and Middle Rivers in the South Delta Tidal Transition Zone. On each day, the route of the mapping survey was...
Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States Sentinel-2 ACOLITE-DSF Aquatic Reflectance for the Conterminous United States
This dynamic data release presents an aquatic reflectance product with 20-meter spatial resolution derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for the conterminous United States using the Atmospheric Correction for OLI “lite” (ACOLITE). Aquatic reflectance, noted Rhow in ACOLITE documentation, is defined here as unitless water-leaving radiance reflectance and represents the ratio of water...
Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy measurements at Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California Above-water hyperspectral field spectroscopy measurements at Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California
Hand-held hyperspectral spectroscopy data were collected in 2022 in Franks Tract, a flooded area located in the central Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California. The data were collected from a boat and co-located within pixels from the Ocean Land Color Imaging (OLCI) sensor on the Sentinel-3A and 3-B satellites. Data from 16 sites within 7 OLCI pixels were collected on three days: July...
High resolution and discrete temporal and spatial water-quality measurements in support of modeling mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta High resolution and discrete temporal and spatial water-quality measurements in support of modeling mercury and methylmercury concentrations in surface waters of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta
The Sacramento / San Joaquin River Delta (SSJRD) is contaminated with legacy mercury (Hg) from historical mining and mineral processing activities throughout the watershed, as well as from contemporary atmospheric and industrial inputs. The current project was designed for the purpose of developing high-resolution spatial and temporal models for estimating concentrations of mercury...
Aquatic reflectance derived from Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager data for inland waters in the conterminous United States Aquatic reflectance derived from Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imager data for inland waters in the conterminous United States
Satellite-based earth observation is a robust tool for tracking change in ecosystems. While terrestrially focused applications of remote sensing have empowered wide adoption for research and management, remote sensing of inland aquatic ecosystems remains comparably nascent. This divergence, in part, stems from the lack of standardized, accessible, and near real-time remotely sensed...
Authors
Scott D. Ducar, Tyler V. King, Michael Frederick Meyer, Stephen A. Hundt, Grady P. Ball, Konrad C. Hafen, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Brendan Flynn Wakefield, Victoria G. Stengel, Quinten Vanhellemont
Post-wildfire sediment fluxes and turbidity plumes in a coastal-draining watershed Post-wildfire sediment fluxes and turbidity plumes in a coastal-draining watershed
Coastal watersheds impacted by wildfires experience higher erosion resulting in increased sediment delivery to the ocean that alters limiting factors (i.e., light) for marine organisms. With increasing wildfire magnitude and severity, it is critical to explore changes in riverine discharges to the ocean to assess cascading hazards associated with wildfires. In situ data, remotely sensed...
Authors
Amanda M. Lopez, Tesfa W. Meshesha, Christine M. Lee, Ibrahim N. Mohammed, Erin L. Hestir, Thomas C. Harmon, Dulcinea Marie Avouris
Advancements in satellite observations of inland and coastal waters: Building towards a global validation network Advancements in satellite observations of inland and coastal waters: Building towards a global validation network
The use of satellite-based remote sensing imagery for water quality monitoring of inland and coastal waters has become widespread over the last few decades, with the expansion of, and investment in, operational Earth-observing missions. Satellite-based sensors are uniquely suited to provide synoptic, system-wide water quality parameter estimates that supplement traditional field-based...
Authors
Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Fernanda Maciel, Samantha L. Sharp, Susanne E. Craig, Arnold G. Dekker, Courtney A. Di Vittorio, John R. Gardner, Emma C. Goldsmith, Juan I. Gossn, Steven R. Greb, Brice K. Grunert, Daniela Gurlin, Mahesh Jampani, Rabia M. Khan, Ben Lowin, Lachlan McKinna, Colleen B. Mouw, Igor Ogashawara, Sara Rivero Calle, Wilson B. Salls, Joan-Albert Sanchez-Cabeza, Blake Schaeffer, Bridget N. Seegers, Jari Silander, Emily A. Smail, Menghua Wang, P. Jeremy Werdell
Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California Designs for cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a growing concern in freshwater environments. These blooms can lead to degraded water quality, ecosystem disruptions, and public health threats due to the production of potent cyanotoxins. The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (California, USA; the Delta) has experienced CHABs since 1999, including CHABs that produce cyanotoxins at...
Authors
Keith Bouma-Gregson, Lisa Lucas, Andrea Cecile Jaegge, Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Emily T. Richardson, Jacob Aaron Zwart, Tamara E. C. Kraus
An integrated sensor network and data driven approach to satellite remote sensing of dissolved organic matter An integrated sensor network and data driven approach to satellite remote sensing of dissolved organic matter
Traditional remote sensing retrieval models for water quality have historically relied on limited, localized data sets due to the prohibitive costs of extensive field campaigns and logistical challenges of collecting match-up data with satellite overpasses. As a result, these models often lack generalizability across seasons, tides, and sites. Furthermore, small field data sets limit the...
Authors
Dulcinea Marie Avouris, Erin L Hestir, Jacob Fleck, Jeffrey A. Hansen, Brian A. Bergamaschi
Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign
We stand at the threshold of a transformative era in Earth observation, marked by space-borne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometers that promise consistent global observations of ecosystem function, phenology, and inter- and intra-annual change. However, the full value of repeat spectroscopy, the information embedded within different temporal scales, and the...
Authors
K. Dana Chadwick, Frank W. Davis, Kimberley Miner, Ryan Pavlick, Mark Reynolds, Philip A. Townsend, Philip Brodrick, Christiana Ade, Jean Allen, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Yoseline Angel, Indra Boving, Kristin B. Byrd, Petya Campbell, Luke Carberry, Katherine Cavanaugh, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Kelly Easterday, Regina Eckert, Michelle M. Gierach, Kaitlin Gold, Erin Hestir, Fred Huemmrich, Maggie Klope, Raymond F. Kokaly, Piper Lovegreen, Kelly Luis, Conor McMahon, Nicholas Nidzieko, Francisco Ochoa, Anna Ongjoco, Elsa Ordway, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Natalie Queally, Dar A. Roberts, Clare Saiki, Fabian D Schneider, Alexey N. Shiklomanov, German Silva, Jordan Snyder, Michele Thornton, Anna Trugman, Nidhi Vinod, Ting Zheng, Dulcinea M. Avouris, Brianna Baker, Latha Baskaran, Tom Bell, Megan Berg, Michael Bernas, Niklas Bohn, Renato Braghiere, Zach Breuer, Andrew J. Brooks, Nolan Burkard, Julia Burmistrova, Kerry-Anne Cawse-Nicholson, John Chapman, Johana Chazaro-Haraksin, Joel Cryer, K.C. Cushman, Kyla M. Dahlin, Phuong Dao, Athena DiBartolo, Michael Eastwood, Clayton D. Elder, Angela Giordani, Kathleen Grant, Robert O. Green, Alexa Hanson, Brendan Heberlein, Mark Helmlinger, Simon Hook, Daniel J. Jensen, Emma Johnson, Marie Johnson, Michael Kiper, Christopher Kibler, Jennifer Y. King, Kyle Kovach, Aaron Kreisberg, Daniel Lacey, Evan Lang, Christine M. Lee, Amanda M Lopez, Brittany Lopez Barreto, Andrew Maguire, Elliott Marsh, Charles E. Miller, Dieu My Nguyen, Cassandra Nickles, Jonathan Ocón, Elijah Papen, Maria Park, Benjamin Poulter, Ann M. Raiho, Porter Reim, Timothy J. Robinson, Fernando Romero Galvan, Ethan Shafron, Brenen R. Skalitzky, Sydney Stroschein, Nicole Chin Taylor, David R. Thompson, Kate Thompson, Cecily Tye, Joelie Van Beek, Cecilia Vanden Heuvel, Jonathan Vellanoweth, Evert Vermeer, Claire Villanueva-Weeks, Kristen Zumdahl, David Schimel
Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California Impacts of wildfire runoff on giant kelp in Malibu, California
This study investigates the effects of post-wildfire sediment runoff on giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) populations in Malibu, California, following the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The research utilizes satellite data and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to assess changes in sediment delivery and its correlation with reduced kelp abundance. Findings indicate a significant decrease in...
Authors
Lori A Berberian, Christine M. Lee, Erin L. Hestir, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Amanda M Lopez, Carmen Blackwood, Dulcinea Marie Avouris