Investigation of surface area of lakes and marshes from satellite images by using remote sensing and geographic information system integration in Iraq

Alaa Dawood,Yousif Kalaf,Mohammed Falih,Nagham Abdulateef,T.S Al-Attar,W.S Abdulsahib,M.A Al-Neami

doi:10.1051/matecconf/201816203016

Abstract

Water level and distribution is very essential in almost all life aspects. Natural and artificial lakes represent a large percentage of these water bodies in Iraq. In this research the changes in water levels are observed by calculating the areas of five different lakes in five different regions and two different marshes in two different regions of the country, in a period of 12 years (2001 - 2012), archived remotely sensed images were used to determine surface areas around lakes and marshes in Iraq for the chosen years . Level of the lakes corresponding to satellite determined surface areas were retrieved from remotely sensed data .These data were collected to give explanations on lake level and surface area fluctuations. It is important to determine these areas at different water levels to know areas which are being flooded in addition to the total area inundated .The behavior of hydrological regime of these lakes during the period was assessed using an integration of remote sensing and GIS techniques which found that the total surface area of the lakes had diminished and their water volumes reduced. The study further revealed that the levels of the lakes surfaces had lowered through these years.

Highlights

Lakes and marshes are water-filled areas of variable size, in a basin surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that feeds or drains the lake
Remote sensing and demographic analysis in order to assess recent surface hydrological and environmental changes in lakes and marshes in Iraq, and concluded that: 1. Due to its location in a highly arid zone, Iraqi lakes are exposed to high evaporation rates and result in an annual loss of about 2.5 m from their water column
Lakes and marshes in Iraq are the main surface water resources, and given the importance of these lakes and marshes, we conducted a study to determine the changes that have occurred to the areas of these lakes during the past 12 years for lakes and the past 8 years for marshes

Summary

Introduction

Lakes and marshes are water-filled areas of variable size, in a basin surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that feeds or drains the lake. [1][2] The late developments in this field and in satellite image processing have been very helpful in getting a lower coast and a more accurate data Some of these applications are capable of estimating the percentage of moisture in the soil, the classifications of ground cover, and determining the land use and soil types. It is possible by the use of satellite images to locate the most threatened areas by floods, this enables us to take the needed measurements to avoid such disasters by giving us the privilege of locating the needed dams to build according to specific standards. These remote sensing applications could be very useful in observing rivers flow. [2]

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion