Online Journal of Earth Sciences
ISSN: Online 1994-4632ISSN: Print 1991-7708
Abstract
Long term observation of space-borne remote sensing data provides a means to explore temporal variation on the Earth’s surface. This improved understanding of variability is required by numerous global change studies to explain annual and inter-annual trends and to separate those from individual events. This study employs daily 8 km NOAA-AVHRR data of the Pathfinder program to study changes in the annual variability of vegetation in Sudan, during the time period from 1993-2003. The daily data were processed to improve 15 day composites using an iterative approach including metadata and robust statistical techniques. Examination of this time series reveals that the period 1994-2003, marked by a trend towards wetter conditions with region-wide above normal NDVI conditions with maximum in 1994 and 1999. This study employs GIS to examine the relationship between rainfall and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the context of the Sudan and the value of NDVI is taken as a tool for drought monitoring. The relationship between rainfall and NDVI during 1993-2003 in Sudan is examined using spatial analysis methods and a strong positive correlation is found. The correlation is strongest during years of heaviest rainfall, indicating that the relationship between rainfall and NDVI is not a simple linear one.
How to cite this article:
Habib Aziz Salim , Xiaoling Chen and Jianya Gong . Analysis of Sudan Vegetation Dynamics-Using NOAA-AVHRR NDVI Data from 1993-2003.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36478/ojesci.2007.163.169
URL: https://www.makhillpublications.co/view-article/1991-7708/ojesci.2007.163.169