CRCRG by Hadjimitsis
Consultants Project NO.1:Investigating the potential of using satellite remote
sensing for the assessment of water quality in large dams, and irrigation demand, in Cyprus.
(by Hadjimitsis D.G, Clayton C.R.I, Retalis A. & Spanos K.) Brief Desciption:
The storage of surface waters in large dams in Cyprus is of vital
importance in supplying the local areas for irrigation and potable water purposes.
At the current time, the Cyprus Water Development Department takes in-situ samples
in every dam in order to ensure that the water meets the required standards, before
the water passes to the water treatment works. The use of water for irrigation is
monitored and controlled by Cyprus Water Development Department.
A single Landsat TM image of Cyprus covers almost the entire island, and there is generally little or no
cloud cover. Therefore it is possible that the use of satellite remote sensing technologies
may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of water quality and use assessments,
provided a link between spectral characteristics and measured quality of reservoir water,
and the spectral characteristics of land and its irrigation demand has been demonstrated.
This work was a preliminary investigation of the potential use of
Landsat TM image for the qualitative assessment of water quality in large dams in Cyprus,
and a proposed methodology for estimating water demand for irrigation has been developed.
Project NO.2: The Use Of Large Inland Water Bodies As Suitable Dark Targets
In The Assessment Of Atmospheric Pollution Using Satellite Remotely Sensed Imagery
(by Retalis A., Hadjimitsis D.G, Clayton C.R.I)
Brief Desciption:
The darkest pixel approach can be used to determine
the aerosol optical thickness. The use of the darkest
pixel approach in the retrieval of atmospheric effects
due to scattering of aerosols can be used to account
the aerosol optical thickness in photochemical air
pollution studies. This work lead to the presentation of
an overview of the beneficial use of large inland water bodies presented
in the satellite remotely sensed images as suitable dark
objects in the assessment of atmospheric pollution.
The need for identifying suitable dark objects in satellite
images of urban areas is of high interest of increasing the
potential of earth observation for monitoring air pollution
in such areas.
Indeed, the identification of large water bodies that
can serve as suitable dark targets in different geographical
areas is presented in this study using Landsat TM images of
Athens area (Greece), Lower Thames Valley area in the vicinity
of Heathrow area (UK), and Paphos District area (Cyprus).
Project NO.3 Assessing land cover
changes derived from satellite images as an indicator for
sustainable land use in Skiathos and Skopelos Islands in Greece (first stage has been already finished).
(Hadjimitsis D.G, Clayton C.R.I, Retalis A., & Zlatoudis A.)
Brief Desciption:
In both Islands tourism is a driving force in the regional economic development
and influences the landscape. Any changes in landscape have considerable effects
on sustainable land use development of both islands. Last August a fire occurred
in Skiathos during its high season tourism period, burning large areas of pine forest.
The occurrence of fires on Skiathos is considered as an example for investigating the
possible impact of fires on the tourism activities and the possible changes in the land use.
Land cover changes have been derived from two Landsat-5 TM satellite images acquired a few
days after the fire and one year before. Classification and change detection techniques have been performed
to map land-cover changes in both islands, and compared to the results from other remote sensing algorithms,
such as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices) and SAVI (Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Indices)
algorithms.
The information derived from the satellite images may be used for a variety of purposes;
as indicators for sustainable land use; as a guide for taking measures against any future
fire events for the further protection of the islands’ physical treasures; and finally for the assessment of landscape changes with time, and thus for relating changes to corresponding tourism development.
Project NO.4 (Under study)
Impact of atmospheric correction on land-use classification and water demand-Aral Sea basin (KAZAKHSTAN)
(Perdikou P., Hadjimitsis D.G and Clayton C.R.I, )
Brief Desciption:
The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest inland sea in surface area in the world,
is located at the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
It is fed by the two major rivers of the basin,
the Amudarya and the Syrdarya.
Kazakhstan territory was formerly a part of a
Soviet program which included reclamation of the
natural Central Asian deserts. In order to expand
the area of irrigated land water was taken out from
the two major rivers, resulting in desertification of the
Aral Sea. The drying part of the Sea remained heavily salted
after the evaporation of the water, causing salt and dust
storms and therefore aeolian deposition of these components
on plants, significantly affecting their productivity and
quality.
This work presents an overview of some results drawn from
a preliminary investigation and analysis on the importance
of atmospheric effects in the interpretation of time series
images in terms of land characteristics. The images are used
to estimate the areas of current cultivation of various types
of crops being irrigated in the Syrdarya flood plain, in order
that water demand can be determined. This work examines the
differences between single image and time series land
classification, and the effects of the application of a
variety of atmospheric corrections.
LAST UP-DATED 10/8/2001
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