A Study on Turbidity Estimation Using Remote Sensing Techniques

Abstract

In this study, the turbidity level of Karagöl, a national park area within the boundaries of Şavşat district of Artvin province, was mapped with Göktürk-2 satellite data. Turbidity is an important parameter of water quality. The traditional measurement of turbidity levels of lakes is relatively costly, requiring time-consuming and on-site sampling. Therefore, detection of turbidity is important for the protection and management of water resources. For this purpose, the turbidity levels of the samples taken from the predetermined points were measured on August 18, 2017 and July 11, 2018 and an empirical model was developed with the data obtained from these field studies. This model was developed from the spectral reflectance values of the blue green and red bands of the image obtained on the same date from the Göktürk-2 satellite. This model developed was applied to Göktürk-2 satellite images and the turbidity maps of the lake were extracted. In addition, the model was used to estimate the turbidity value of the lake and gave reasonable results. The regression coefficient (R2) of the developed model was found to be 0.80.

Keywords: Remote sensing, Turbidity, Göktürk-2, the Lake Karagöl

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-3-18