Water temperature estimation in a reservoir by remote sensing technique

BONANSEA, MATIAS; LEDESMA, MICAELA; BAZAN, RAQUEL; LEDESMA, CLAUDIA; RODRIGUEZ, CLAUDIA; GARETTO, EDGAR; CARREÑO, JOEL; PINOTTI, LUCIO

Mendoza

Otro; XXXVI Reunión Científica Anual Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2018

Water temperature, which is recognized as one of the principal limnological parameters, has a strong control on bio-geochemical and ecological processes. The study of water surface temperature (WST) using conventional limnological samplings is expensive and time consuming to be assessed over large water bodies. Different studies have demonstrated that satellite remote sensing provides a cost-effective way for assessing variations in WST. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Landsat satellites to estimate WST in Río Tercero reservoir (Cordoba, Argentina). Río Tercero reservoir has multiple purposes. Since 1983, a nuclear power plant was installed in the reservoir, using its water for cooling purposes and increasing the temperature of water 5 ºC from the inflow to the outflow. WST was measured in-situ in the reservoir at different sampling sites. Using the single channel generalized method (SCGM) WST was estimated from Landsat images. Values of observed and estimated WST were compared by regression analysis. Finally, the validated algorithm was applied in Landsat imagery, producing spatial representations or thematic maps which characterized the distribution of WST in the reservoir. Results showed that warmer water is related with the region of the cooling channel. Thus, the effect of the nuclear power plant and its thermal plume could be represented and studied.