Abstract
Ugii Lake is a freshwater lake located in the steppe region of Mongolia and is an important breeding and staging area for a wide variety of waterfowl. Remote sensing and geographic information system techniques were used to estimate fluctuations in the surface area and water balance of Ugii Lake. To estimate the changes in lake water balance, lake water fluctuations should be analyzed using the most accurate methods. A different water extraction technique was applied, and the results were compared with field surveys conducted in May, July, and September 2020. The lake surface area using both NDWI and MNDWI-1 showed a strong, positive correlation (R=0.93, R=0.94, p < 0.01) with the water level of Ugii Lake. A topographic map of Ugii Lake was provided by the project (P2018-3568) conducted in August 2019 and used to estimate the volume of Ugii Lake in ArcGIS 10.1. This result was consistent with that of a previous study by JICA in 2005. Finally, the water balance of Ugii Lake was estimated, and the results proved that the influence of both surface and groundwater on Ugii Lake are valuable parameters, which are completely dependent on hydrological regime changes mostly due to local climate change in steppe regions. This study provides valuable insight into the most suitable water extraction methods for lakes in semi-arid steppe regions in Mongolia.
Highlights
Lakes are essential components of the hydrological cycle, affecting many aspects of ecosystems and human activity
Lake area is an important indicator of climate change and is related to climatic factors that are critical for understanding the mechanisms that control changes in water levels (Kang et al 2015)
Ugii Lake was first registered as an International Ramsar Convention site in 1998 and is an ecologically important lake located in the semi-arid region of Mongolia
Summary
Lakes are essential components of the hydrological cycle, affecting many aspects of ecosystems and human activity. The water of most inland lakes in arid regions is supplied by seasonal snowmelt water and rainfall. As a result, these lakes are sensitive to the volume of water flowing into the lake and evaporation loss from their surface (Bai et al 2011). Due to changes in precipitation and temperature, the hydrological regime of the surface water body is likely to be affected, especially in semi-arid regions. Several studies have examined the dynamics of climate and hydrological systems in semi-arid regions of Mongolia. Ugii Lake was first registered as an International Ramsar Convention site in 1998 and is an ecologically important lake located in the semi-arid region of Mongolia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
