Accounting for Level Decline in the Dead Sea: Land Use and Land Cover Changes, 1984–2015

Abstract

The main goal of this paper is to study the effects of the recent decline of the Dead Sea surface level by −39 m within the study period, based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land use/land cover (LULC) changes during the period 1984–2015 using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), and ETM, images acquired in May 2015. All images were adjusted using radiometric correction, geometric correction, image enhancement and masking. The results indicate the following: (1) NDVI analysis explained the patterns of adjustment to the new base level; (2) LULC classification showed that significant changes occurred during the study period, and five classes were distinguishable as: the southern dry basin (evaporation ponds) by17km2, the surface water bodies (mainly the Dead Sea), decreased by −34km2, exposed area increased by 20 km2, vegetated area increased by 9 km2. The rate of urban changes between 1984, 2003 and 2015 was calculated; it is indicated that the rate of urban growth was 30 km2. The paper ...