Using Landsat thermal imagery and GIS for identification of groundwater discharge into shallow groundwater-dominated lakes

摘要

The study demonstrates the potential of combined applications of geospatial (remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS)) and field-based methods for studies of groundwater-surface water interactions and identification of groundwater discharge into shallow groundwater-dominated lakes. Detailed ground-based measurements of lake temperatures were conducted during summer 2002 in several groundwater-fed lakes of the Nebraska Sand Hills (USA) and anomalously cool zones were identified. Analysis of 20 Landsat Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (TM/ETM +) scenes taken under different weather conditions from 1989 to 2002 revealed two major seasonal patterns of lake temperature distribution. GIS analysis of field-based data combined with Landsat TM/ETM + data analysis allowed for the identification of lake zones with consistently cold temperatures which are inferred to be potential groundwater discharge zones.