Determining the effectiveness of using remote sensing indices to deriving Sabkhas in Wadi An-Natrun depression Egypt

Abstract EN

The floor of Wadi An-Natrun Depression has a high level of salinity and occupies by a shallow salt lakes, which are characteristic geomorphologic landforms.

In general, Wadi An-Natrun Depression is characterized by very arid climate.

the geological formations of Wadi An-Natrun depression range from lower Miocene, lower Pliocene and Quaternary deposits.

this study attempts to determine the effectiveness of using remote sensing indicators in deducing Sabkhas in the Wadi El-Natrun depression utilizing Landsat 8 OLI satellite images based on field data of laboratory analyzes of sabkhas soil samples collected through the field study.

to achieve this, linear and multiple regression models were applied between soil salinity and electrical conductivity (ECe) on the one hand and remote sensing indices on the other hand, where the NDSI index had the highest correlation coefficient of 0.872.

this was followed by the derivation of the enhanced soil salinity index from (NIR), (SWIR) 2 and the NDVI index, which had higher correlation than NDSI with electrical conductivity (ECe) of 0.918.