Contribution of MODIS image to hydrologic and erosion modeling

Abstract

Erosion is the most dangerous phenomenon of environmental and economic threat to arable land. By FAO. 35 % of Tunisian land are threatened by water erosion and varies regionally. Quantification and estimation of soil loss by water erosion is now essential to install the best management practices. In our study, we used a continuous physical based simulation version of a hydrological and water erosion model ANSWERS-2000. The aim of this study is to investigate the introduction of land use parameters extracted by MODIS image. This study is focused on El Azire watershed, is characterized by a moderate Mediterranean climate and a high spatial heterogeneity of soil and land use proprieties. Describing, monitoring, and predicting land-use and land-cover change in the watershed is a difficult process. However, the usefulness of MODIS image with their daily temporal resolution and spatial resolutions of 250 m and 500 m can make utilization of continuous physical-based models easier for great scale watersheds. A sensitivity analysis was conducted on each application such that the variability in erosion map output and can be assessed and incorporated into the interpretation of results with an acceptable level of confidence.