Remote assessment of the characteristics of unexplored lakes of the northern territories

Abstract

This article proposes a methodology for assessing the hydrophysical and chemical-biological characteristics of unstudied small and medium-sized lakes (with an area of up to 100 km2) in the northern territories of Russia (on the example of Eastern Fennoscandia) using remote sensing methods and mathematical modeling. The methodology is based on the use of a one-dimensional model of hydrothermodynamic processes in reservoirs, FLake. Based on satellite imagery of the underlying surface, the area of the lake is determined, related by private empirical relationships to the average depth, which is the input parameter for applying the model. In addition, a series of meteorological elements of standard measurements are used, obtained from the geographic coordinates of the selected object from the meteorological reanalysis of the ERA5 family. This makes it possible to evaluate the thermal characteristics of a reservoir, as well as calculate the content of dissolved oxygen in various layers of the water mass and the likelihood of anoxic conditions occurring. In this case, contact measurements are not required, which is extremely important when studying the hard-to-reach and little-studied northern territories of our country.