Hybrid Method for Cloud Detection Using Sentinel-2 Imagery and Spectral Indices

Satellite imagery constitutes an extremely valuable source of information about the natural environment and the processes occurring on the Earth's surface. However, the availability of useful optical imagery is often significantly limited by atmospheric factors, most notably the presence of clouds. Cloud cover can completely hinder the interpretation of satellite images or lead to erroneous analysis results if not properly identified and filtered out. Moreover, not all clouds are easily detectable—thin cirrus clouds located above water bodies often remain unnoticed in basic RGB visualizations. This article aims to develop and validate an effective method for cloud identification using selected spectral bands and remote sensing indices, which was further tested on the coastal waters of Poland.