Monitoring eutrophication for Mosul Dam Lake using a retrieval model by remote sensing data

Section: Articles
Issue
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): Journal of Rafidain Environment
Pages
50-62

Abstract

Eutrophication is one of the most urgent ecological issues facing surface water resources globally. Nutrient accumulation, like nitrogen and phosphorus, is the main cause of this problem. Therefore, continuous testing and monitoring of nutrients in surface water resources is an essential step for any remediation plan. In this research, empirical formulas based on remote sensing data (Landsat 8 satellite data) for eutrophication indices were derived in Mosul Dam Lake. The Secchi disk, turbidity, and chlorophyll indices of the reservoir were measured during winter 2024 and summer 2025 of the lake. The results showed that the retrieval turbidity polynomial model based on bands 4, 5, and 6 is the best fit to retrieve the data. Evaluation accuracy factors for this model were 0.83, 3.27and 3.66 for R-squared (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and standard error (SE), respectively. The overall assessment of predication parameters eutrophication indices of derived models, which are used in this research, are R² 0.81, RMSE 2.45, and SE 2.33. These results lead to the conclusion that the retrieval model tested in this study can be used for monitoring the lake effectively.

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Authors

Hanan A. Al-Jaboury

Mohammed F.O. Khattab

Hazim J. Mahmood

Identifiers

DOI: 10.33899/jre.v4i2.64225

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