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SURFACE FEATURES ANALYSIS IN SALT-AFFECTED AREA USING

HYPERSPECTRAL DATA: A CASE STUDY IN THE ZONE OF CHOTT, TUNISIA

Article · March 2010

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 SURFACE FEATURES ANALYSIS IN SALT-AFFECTED AREA USING
HYPERSPECTRAL DATA: A CASE STUDY
IN THE ZONE OF CHOTT, TUNISIA
Moncef Bouaziz(1;2), Veraldo Liesenberg(1), Samir Bouaziz(2) and Richard Gloaguen(1)
(1)
Remote Sensing Group, Institut für Geologie, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Bernhard-Von-Cotta Strasse 2, D-09596,
Freiberg, Germany
(2)
National School of Engineers of Sfax, B.P.W., 3038 Sfax, TUNISIE

ABSTRACT irrigation and dry land salinity [4]. According to [7],

roughly 20% of irrigated agriculture worldwide is
Arid and semi-arid regions are most affected by
considered to be negatively affected by salinization.
Salinity. Chotts regions in southern Tunisia are such an
This phenomenon is one of the oldest environmental
area, where the excessive content of salt in the soil is a
problems, salinization has been considered as one of the
hard faced problem. Soil salinity in this area enforces
seven main paths to desertification [8] and also a major
several environmental problems such as limiting plant
process of land degradation [20]. FAO\UNESCO soil
growth, reducing crop productivity, degrading soil
map of the world provides a ranking of the affected area
quality and leads to accelerated rates rill and gully
by the salt in the world. In the ranking holds Australia
erosion. Remote sensing analysis by the mean of
the first place with 84.7 106 ha while occupying Africa
spectral analysis, geomorphologic aspect from digital
the second class with 69.5 106 ha, then come Latin
elevation models and distribution of rainfall intensity
America and near and Middle East came in the third and
from satellite data are used in this study to discern
fourth classes respectively with 59.4 106 ha and 53.1 106
features and patterns of areas affected by salt.
ha [2]. Salt affected soils can be found on every
Correlation between these remote sensing indicators is
continent, and at elevations ranging from 5000 m
made in order to assess the contribution of each
(Tibetan plateau) to below sea level (dead Sea) with
indicator to identify the salt-affected area. The approach
over 10 per cent of the total surface of dry land being
followed in this study was applied on Hyperspectral
salt-affected [16]. Also Szabolcs 1987 estimates that
data from EO-1 Mission. Hyperion data are promoted
about 10 million hectares of irrigated land are
due to their very high spectral resolution and wide
abandoned each year because of the adverse effects of
enhanced spatial information. The present study
irrigation, mainly secondary salinization and
highlighted the high correlation between the flat
alkalinization. Soil salinity in the investigated area
surfaces and the high content of salt in the soil (from
(Chott el Fedjadj) sets out several negative impacts such
soil salinity indices) on one hand and a low correlation
limiting plant growth, reducing crop productivity and
between the high intensity of rainfall distribution and
degrading soil quality. Monitoring and mapping salt
indicators of low salt content in the soil on the other
affected area is required to fully describe this
hand.
phenomenon. The following approach to discern saline
soils using remote sensing data has been carried out in
1. INTRODUCTION
several studies, where it was found as the most efficient
([14], [18]).
Environmental problems are widespread all over the
Based on several approaches, many studies were carried
world. Areas under the arid and semi arid climate are
out to describe and assess salt-affected soils using
the most affected by those problems due to the fragility
satellite, airborne video imagery and land radiometric
of such context. Salinization is a form of land
techniques, take advantage of the correlation between
degradation and crucial environmental problem which
reflectance of salt emergences and soil salinity
enforces large impact especially in arid regions.
indicators (Long and Nielsen, 1987; Everitt et al., 1988;
Southern part of Tunisia belongs to those regions where
Csillag et al., 1993; Verma et al., 1994). The present
the salt affected areas are wide spread from the Eastern
study is conducted in order to identify salt-affected soil
coast till the desert in the extreme south. Soil
within an Arid Context, based on Hyper-Spectral Data
salinization is an in situ form of soil degradation that
and by the means of remote sensing indicators. By the
arises due to the build up of soluble salts to deleterious
way, correlation between the several remote sensing
levels at or near the surface of the soil [19]. Salinization
indicators was evaluated.
is considered as an important component of ecosystem
degradation in the world’s dry lands, and includes both
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1. STUDY AREA
Cook (1993) estimates that 5 % of the dry land is
occupied by Chott systems. The area of interest in this
study (Chott el Fedjadj) belongs to Chott system in
Tunisia, specifically between Chott Eldjerid and the
Mediterranean Sea. Chott el Fedjadj is located at an
altitude varying between 400m and 900m a.s.l.
Geographic location corresponds to a variation which influencing the features and extend of
Latitude/Longitude respectively about 33°42’ and
08°30’ (Figure 1).
The study area includes wetlands and steppe plains as
well as areas used for agriculture.
According to Bryant 1994 and Robert 1987 the
investigated area is situated under an arid climate,
where the low annual mean precipitation varying
between 80 to140 mm and high daily maximum (32°C)
and annual mean temperature of 21°C yielding in an
annual evaporation value of (1550-2550 mm using the
Pische and Bac methods).
During the extension of Tethys Ocean in the Late
Carboniferous and subsequently was this region under a
marine incursion in–filled with sediments of late
Carboniferous-Jurassic [1]. Solutes in the study region
are recirculated as the watertable rises and they are
transported in the runoff in solution or attached to small
particles as sheet wash [21].As the surface water
evaporates and the watertable lowers salts recirculate
and concentrate, leading to salt accumulation in the
upper layers of the Chott sediments and to crust
formation [23].
2.2. METHODS
Monitoring and identification of encountered dryland
salinity can be undertaken by a variety of methods
including remote sensing, geographic information
system (GIS), airborne optical and radar, groundwater
monitoring surveys. Over the investigated area, the
spatial distribution of the rainfall and the
geomorphologic aspect are showing a significant
salt affected area
Figure 1. Location of the study area
This study reports on investigations of linking high
spectral resolution from hyper-spectral data with the
geomorphologic aspect from ASTER DEM and the
rainfall intensity from meteorological stations. The
multi-source remote sensing and meteorological data set
are incorporated in a GIS. Pre-processing and
enhancement of the remote sensing images are
conducted by the mean of ENVI. FLAASH from ENVI
itt is used for the Atmospheric correction.
The overlapping of the geomorphologic data, spatial
distribution of rainfall intensity and the salinity indices
relevant from Hyperion data are used to analyze the
features and patterns of salt affected areas. The
potential of high Spectral resolution in salt-affected area
mapping was evaluated by analyzing the correlation
between the spectral Hyperion bands and the values of
salinity from the ground truth.
Field indicators of dry land salinity include bare saline
ground, waterlogging by saline groundwater/runoff,

Hyperspectral data
(Hyperion)
Rainfall data ASTER DEM
Pre-processing and
combination of the data
Remote sensing Ground EC
Indicators measurements
Predicted Salinity Map
Figure 2. Simplified flow diagram of the spatial
estimation approach
and the presence of salt-tolerant plant species are
collected during the fieldwork and used as indices to
assess the presence of highly, moderately or slightly
presence of salt in the soil.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Spectral characteristics and soil properties
Southern domain of Tunisia includes huge
morphopedological sets where the parent rock and
maritime types of climate of Sahara influence and
determines the variety of soils. The investigated region
in the south East is characterized by large spaces of
poorly fertile soils. Saline sodic, calcareous, subdesertic
and poorly evolved alluvial soils are the encountered
types of soils in this region. This section highlights a
summary of spectral behavior of the different classes of
salt affected soil within the Southern domain of Tunisia.
Reflectance
Figure 3. Pearson’s correlation between the Hyperion
bands and the EC from ground truth measurements
Depending on the spectral regions provided by the
Hyperion data, visible, near-infrared and shortwave
infrared are the investigated spectral regions, measuring
242 bands and covering a spectral scale between 450
nm until 2450 nm. Reflectance in visible and near-
infrared reveals mostly stressed information regarding
the salt affected soil (Figure 4).
Salinity indicators and application
Three salinity indices are considered in this research and
conducted within the Hyperion image to detect highly
and extremely affected soil in the southern east of
Tunisia. Observation of the salinity map obtained from
the salinity indices serves to identify highly and
extremely saline areas. In contrast, slightly and
moderately salinity levels, which appear within the oasis
and agriculture areas, were less well-represented in the
central and south of the study region. Applied salinity
Indices (SI) on the investigated area are:
SI 1= √G * R
2 2
SI 2= √ G + R
2 2 2
SI 3= √G + R + NIR
Brightness and Normalized differenced vegetation
indices are also conducted on the Hyperion data.
Correlations between these indices and salinity indices
showed high connection between the high brightness
and the high content of salt from the salinity indices on
one hand and low vegetation cover from the NDVI on
the other hand.
Chemical analysis measurements of the samples show
that salt content in the top layer (0 to 15 cm in the soil
depth) is high on average. The EC values from the
geochemical analysis highlighted that increases in soil
salinity induced changes in soil reflectance for wave
bands in the NIR and the SWIR and especially in the
visible (Figure 3), particularly in the water absorption
bands around 1500 nm and 1700 nm.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
---- Bare soil
Irrigation
10%
Sebka
1000 nm 1500 nm 2000 nm
Wavelength
Figure 4. Spectral signature variation of different soil
surface features due to differences in Electrical, (1)
EC=882 µS/cm; (2) EC= 182 µS /m;
(3) EC= 94 µS/cm

The results indicate that the relationship between the
extent of surface salt-affected soil and Rainfall intensity
distribution (figure 4) is not obvious. On the other hand,
high correlation between the flat surfaces from the
ASTER digital elevation model (DEM) and the high
content of salt in the soil (from soil salinity indices and
ground truth measurements).
Furthermore, field investigations, interviews with local
people, and visual inspections of color composite
images showed that the highest salt-affected soils are
mostly located within the depressions and flat areas. By
the way, the vegetation coverage is not a suitable
indicator of salt affected area under the environmental
conditions inherent in this investigation. The field work
and ground truth measurements indicated the presence
of high and very high salinity within a high coverage of
vegetation, this fact could be explained by the type of
vegetation which are mostly Halophyte and get to use to
high content of salt in the soil. This contrasts the general
rule, saying that the presence of vegetation corresponds
to low salinity [10]; [12]).
Figure 5: Morphological aspect
from ASTER DEM
Conclusion
The followed method can reveal the level of
contribution of various spectral indicators to predict salt
affected areas. By superposing salinity indices SI 1; 2;
3, with rainfall intensity and geomorphologic aspect, it
is possible to figure out more precise features and
patterns of salinity. It is found out that the salt affected
soils in the region reflect more incident energy in the
visible.
Furthermore, combination of spectral indicators and
ground truth measurements could be an efficient
parameter to show in more details the spectral behaviors
of salinity features in the investigated. Results from this
application allow us to envisage new prospects in the
field of spatial monitoring of salinity.
This study showed also a relative high potential of using
Hyperspectral data for monitoring degraded lands with
salinity despite the moderate spatial resolution.
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