A view from space on poyang lake: What we can already see and what it means

Abstract

Coming from the Hindu-Kush Himalaya, the Yangtze River feeds the largest freshwater lake in China: The Poyang Lake. This lake is known to fluctuate in its size and other metrics across months, seasons and years. However, recent years have resulted into large drying events. Likely, those trends are in direct response to water irrigation, climate change and dams like the Three Gorge Dam. This study describes this ecosystem of international importance, and how it can be better monitored and assessed with in situ data, as well as with various remote sensing techniques.