INVESTIGATION OF THE PROCESSES OF ECOLOGICAL AND ECOSYSTEM CHANGES IN WATER BODIES USING UAV DATA

Abstract

In recent years, the water landscapes of inland rivers have been subjected to significant an- thropogenic impacts exceeding the limits of their self-healing ability. Traditional methods of monitoring ge- oecological parameters - sampling of water in the field with subsequent laboratory analysis - require signif- icant financial and time costs. Traditional methods allow assessing the ecological state of the entire water- course not spatially, but pointwise. In this research, sensors on board the UAV measured solar radiation reflected from the surface of the water and used image data from different camera ranges. The combina- tion of images used was based on a common methodology for identifying key features, and a geographic information system (GIS) modelling approach was used for spatially analyze the distribution and interaction of environmental features. In addition, research the ecological condition of the Yertis River and the quality of water discharged after the municipal wastewater treatment facilities of Ust-Kamenogorsk city into the Yertis River, the data from the DJI Phantom 4 RTK/multispectral drone was processed and the normalized vegetation index NDVI, normalised water level difference index NDWI, water chromaticness index CI, tur- bidity index NDTI and chlorophyll concentration index "a" were calculated. The results obtained can serve as a basis for scientific analysis of the environmental conditions of the researching area, including for learning the processes of eutrophication and other changes in the environment.